If you take the time to go shopping for weapon parts, you’ll see that there are some real bargains to be had if you know where to look. One particular gem that you might have come across is the Anderson Lower – a budget option that’s available from some retailers for as little as 30 bucks.
At this price, you’ve got to wonder what the catch is. Surely it’s going to be low-quality, unreliable and, well…just a piece of junk. That’s what we examine here, as we detail what we discovered when we reviewed this bit of kit.
Our Review of The Anderson Lower
This economical option for AR15 users certainly gets a bad rap from people online. However, straight out of the box, it didn’t look like we expected it to – in fact, there was not a lot of difference between that hardware and the Spikes Tactical lower we had for comparison.
Not bad, considering that the Spikes Tactical version was a full $80 more in terms of RRP. It would seem that cheap, at first glance, doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Ok, there were a few tooling marks here and there, but overall, there wasn’t much difference in feel and weight.
While searching for our Anderson Lower we noticed that the matching upper was available for just $50 – so you could get both for less than the more expensive option.
We’d heard through the grapevine that there were historical quality checking problems, but cosmetically speaking, there wasn’t anything that stood out. You don’t get any fancy laser engraving with this one, but is that strictly necessary? It looks cool, but it doesn’t do anything to speak of.
Getting Down to The Details
The devil is in the detail regarding machine tooling, so we thought we’d provide a little detail for what we mean by “looking the same as the Spikes Tactical”.
This affordable lower comes with an anodised finish, with the flared mag well matching the Spikes Tactical version perfectly. Created from heat-tested aluminum, it can be used for any AR15 calibers, and there was no flaring on any drilled holes.
What’s more, all of the screws lined up perfectly, and although the cutouts weren’t quite as fancy as the Spikes’ product, all the threads were the same, and we had no issues whatsoever using it with compatible uppers, triggers and the rest.
The Anderson Lower – A Real Bargain Option to Consider
All things considered, the Anderson product left nothing but good feelings for us, and it’s well worth a try. If you’re not someone who cares about fancy finishes and emblems, the cost alone makes it worthy of consideration. We’re not talking about a few cents here, but rather something that costs roughly a ⅓ of the price of the leading brands.
You could spend more, and you will most likely have a slightly better experience in terms of aesthetics and feel. Still, if you’re on a budget, the Anderson products we’ve spoken about are good, reliable, hard-wearing replacements that we’re sure you won’t regret investing in.
Take a look for yourself, and we’re certain you’ll come to the same conclusion.
