For years, I've heard repeated many times in magazines and on the internet that "only a few companies make AR parts and the rest just buy them and assemble the parts". Yet, I've never seen a list of exactly which companies are the parts makers. I'm specifically interested in the upper and lower receivers, bolt carrier and the bolt. Anybody know?

I know EGW Makes parts for quite a few major firearm companies. I think Firearm manufacturers would rather not have you know who makes their parts for them.

At one time Colt made their own receivers in house, there were a few companies that supplied them the raw forging but Colt finished them out.

Nowadays I've seen the S marked triggers in enough LPK's to know they are outsourced. But as far as who does what for who, I don't think anyone can tell you that with any reliability.

I did have a conversation with a guy that inspected outsourced small parts for Colt. His take was it's not who made them but the level of QC that mattered. He said when he rejected a shipment from a company, they were just sold to another company with lower specs. So while the same company might supply parts for others, not all parts were the same quality.

Separate OE for consumer and military. Colt, Daniel Defense, LMT are military.
Confident that one parts manufacturer is (Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services) DPMS but I can't comment on which parts.
LMT is military, not much presence in consumer retail. Likely they are a source provider as well?.

BCG's, Continental Machine Tool and Toolcraft.
Daniel Defense has Cold Hammer Forging barrel manufacturing. I think there are only US 2 factories that can do this.?.?

I'd assume Aero does upper/lower machining for other brands.

Just because company B says their BCG's are made from the same stuff as company A, don't believe they are "the same as".
Raw materials and finished products are two different things.

Military suppliers have to jump through some hoops, and the product has to be proven, not claimed.
Extensive traceabilty and certification. I would even say sourcing the raw materials could likely be different than what is produced for other companies BCG's.

Heart and soul of AR is barrel and BCG.
There is a great thread (45 pages or so) on AR15 forum from Battlefield Vegas, full auto rental range in Vegas.
Unbelievable volume of ammo consumed there,10,000+ rounds per month on individual AR's .
Product durability is their #1 concern, buying cheap parts/guns for full-auto rental is a false economy and bankruptcy level liability.
What they currently buy is LMT, Colt, and Daniel Defense.

That's a very old thread (as in years old)..............and as I recall, a range in Henderson.

And also, just from memory, KAC was the top dog last time I looked which was a long time ago.

MM

Are you saying that Toolcraft is a supplier to the military (or military suppliers) of BCG's?

If so, first I've heard of that although they make a huge number of BCG's alright.

MM

I'm still laughing at dpms

If I remember right, I saw some contracts for Toolcraft for armorer level replacement parts. But I do know the latest 6920's I saw had different markings on the bolts and carriers. As I said before, no one can say for sure.

I dealt with a company a few months ago on other parts that also made contract magazines for the M4. There are a lot of companies making parts that most will never hear of.

Cross Machine and Tool (CMT) is in Lexington, TN just north of Jackson. They are one of the major manufacturers of lowers, uppers, and forearms for many brand names, one of them is Battle Arms Development.
They also make their own branded components, they are very nice. Billit lower and uppers. I built my coyote gun around their parts, love it.

Cross Machine is not the same as Continental Machine..................different companies. Continental is in Hartford, CT.

I love Cross Machine's stuff..............IMHO, best uppers & lowers I've ever used but the fit could be a little tighter on the barrel extensions in their uppers.

Toolcraft is separate from either of those two.

MM

DPMS?

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/i...ushamster-and-tapco-sites-are-shuttered/

Remington Outdoor Company informed RSR at the SHOT Show that they will be focusing on their core hunting and shooting brands – AAC, Barnes, Marlin and Remington. Bushmaster, DPMS, StormLake Barrels and Tapco will no longer be produced, with the exception of the Bushmaster BA50.

I well know its what is specified to meet the need often. IE one maker can make cheap or top line.

Just like China, they can build great Palma type actions but they won't be cheap like you are used to.

That said over the years I"ve had a bit of stuff from DPMS. None of it is what I'd call quality. None of it failed.

DPMS

Correct, DPMS, military parts manufacturer for M16. Assuming they were both tier1 and tier2 level in the supply chain.
Unfortunately DPMS and Bushmaster both closed down by the private equity firm that owned them.

30+- parts in lower receiver.
When you review the manufacturing data in link below, think about how many of these small volume companies could finance manufacturing all of these small parts?
Raw materials, storage, certification, tooling, engineering, labor, manufacturing, machining, casting, finishing, testing, validating, etc.
Hence companies like DPMS that support finished goods manufacturers with small parts. This is a tier 2 supplier in automotive terms.
Similar business model as post-war auto manufacturing.

ATF: US guns manufactured in 2018