Forged vs Billet Receivers

When it comes to choosing or building a rifle, one of the decisions you’ll have to make, is whether to go with a forged or billet receiver. The terms billet and forged refer to the manufacturing process by which aluminum is formed to create the receivers. But what’s the difference, and why would you choose one over the other?

Before we dive into this topic, let’s take a second to talk about what a receiver actually is. On an AR-style rifle, you have two different receivers, an upper receiver, and a lower receiver. The upper receiver holds the bolt carrier group and the charging handle and is where the barrel of the rifle is attached. The lower receiver houses the trigger group, safety, and magazine well and is where you attach the stock to the rifle. The lower receiver is also the part of the rifle that is serialized and considered the actual firearm.

The upper and lower receivers marry together with two takedown pins in the lower receiver. Both upper and lower receivers are most commonly made from aluminum, and without taking a walk down the aluminum bunny trail, your standard top-quality aluminum is 7075-T6.

First, let’s start with forged. The process of forging a receiver takes the aluminum and heats it to make it malleable. It then uses hydraulic presses to shape and form the receiver. This process is quicker and easier for manufacturers and thus produces a final product that is more cost-effective for the consumer. One potential drawback to a forged receiver comes down to aesthetics. Because of the machines used in the forging process, forged receivers tend to look a bit plain. To some, this won’t matter at all, but for others looking for a rifle that catches the eye and stands out from their buddies, forged receivers may not be the way to go.

So why not just go with a billeted receiver? The process of creating a billeted receiver is more time-consuming and expensive, but it allows for a more customized look. With a billeted receiver, manufacturers start with a solid block of aluminum and machine it down to their specific designs. As a result of these added steps, the end user can expect to pay a little more.

When it comes down to it, whether you choose to go with a billeted or forged receiver, as long as you’re buying from a quality manufacturer, either option will get the job done. Iron-Pig Armament offers both options. The Predator and Gladiator lines offer fully built rifles with your choice of billeted upper and receivers, on the Predator, or forged upper and lower receivers, on the Gladiator. For most, the deciding factors will be price and aesthetics. If you prefer a custom look to your rifle, the billeted receiver may be the way to go. And if your main concern is function, then why not save a few bucks by going with the forged?

No matter which you choose, Iron-Pig Armament will provide you with top-quality receivers that exceed your expectations.