Easy Jig Gen 2 Vs Gen 1
Desire to build your ain AR lower receiver…without letting big brother know?
Y'all're in luck! We easily-on review 80% Arms' Piece of cake Jig Gen 3, using it to create a fully-operation AR-15.
By the end of this, you'll know if an lxxx% project is correct for you, if the Piece of cake Jig can aid you out, and some tips/tricks nosotros learned forth the way.
Demand a little more than just words in an article? Nosotros got you covered with a total video explanation and review below courtesy of our very own Johnny B.
Disclaimer: Nosotros're not lawyers and you should check with your local, state, and federal laws regarding eighty% receivers. Rule of thumb: if you lot tin unremarkably buy and ain an AR-15, you can probably build i for personal employ.
Note: The ATF raided Polymer80, an fourscore% manufacturer, in December 2020. At that place has been one reported case of the bureau as well visiting a customer and forcing them to surrender their "P80." Pew Pew Tactical is following the state of affairs and will provide updates if at that place are any legal changes in the future.
Table of Contents
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Quick Overview of fourscore%
Hopefully, yous already know what an 80% receiver is…but here's a super fast refresher.
The industry term "lxxx% receiver" refers to a hunk of metal that isn't quite ready to pair with other firearms parts. It has the basic look of a receiver but without spaces for primal components like the fire control group.
Because of this, you lot can buy these paperweights anywhere since, at this point, they aren't functional firearms.
80% receivers can even be shipped to your firm considering they, again, aren't technically a gun past government standards.
80
at 80% Artillery
Prices authentic at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Just, at that place's a catch — yous will need to finish them yourself.
And that's where fourscore% jigs come up in.
Jigs help you lot cut out the firing control group expanse and some trigger pin holes so you can use the receiver and parts kit to create your very own AR-fifteen.
All from the comfort of your dwelling.
Old School Jigs
We cover a agglomeration of stuff in our Best 80% Receivers & Jigs, simply many years ago y'all had some drill-press jigs.
First you needed a full-on drill press.
So y'all had to make tons of picayune holes into the fire command grouping pocket before attempting to mill (cut in a horizontal manner) it out.
It sucked and took hours.
Easy Jig Gen 3
At present…all you need is a power drill, wood router, some bits, and the jig!
Don't worry, nosotros'll have a list of everything at the stop.
And you avoid all the dozens of little drill holes past using the router to slowly manufacturing plant the pocket immediately.
So, how does it all piece of work?
In society to transform the block of metal we call the billet into a future AR-15, nosotros demand a jig to complete the lower…enter the Gen 3.
Gen. 3 vs. Gen. 2
Now, we took the previous model from 80% Arms, the Gen 2, for a run last year. While it wasn't terrible, nosotros wouldn't call it fantastic. At best, it was okay.
Better than older jigs merely there's room for improvement.
The latest jig from lxxx% Arms, the Gen 3, definitely enhances the original design and offers so much more in the way of useability.
To exist honest, information technology blows the Gen 2 out of the water.
Similar its predecessor, the Gen 3 ships with directions and all the drill bits you lot need to mill out that lower.
Still capable of milling either an AR-15 or an AR-10, depending on your preference, the Gen 3 is surprisingly smaller and nicer looking than the previous generation.
But straight upwardly, it's simpler. We're all definitely happy most that!
The Gen 3 also benefits from channels that actually guide the router. We can't stress plenty how of import these channels are.
Information technology makes things much, much easier. There's no guesswork and little frustration. Not to mention, it produces much smoother results.
If you're already rolling with the Gen 2, you can probably keep on keeping on, only if you really desire the smoothest look and simplest process, so the Gen 3 is definitely worth the upgrade.
300
at 80% Arms
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
The Process
With all the parts laid out and ready to go, information technology was fourth dimension to get started.
Plenty of you are probably similar me and a little unsure well-nigh this stuff. Don't sweat it too much. With 80% Arms, you don't need a machine shop at all.
The 80% comes with clear directions that you lot follow step-by-stride.
Setup the Jig
Information technology'due south like shooting fish in a barrel…
There's a big plate on top where you connect the two smaller shinier plates. One is for AR-fifteen…
While flipping it will requite yous the AR-10 side plates.
Annotation we went with the Easy Jig Gen 3 multi-quotient version which lets you practise the AR-15, AR-9, AR-45 and .308.
Connect the big plate and the sides with some pins and screws.
Then drop in your billet lower.
From there, y'all're prepare to stone and roll on the fun part!
Airplane pilot Hole
You're going to beginning by drilling a pilot hole into the receiver with a regular ole drill.
Pro tip: use a little cutting fluid and go deadening.
Setup the Router
Next, you lot're going to focus on the router. Take off the base plate and add together in the 80% Artillery base plate.
The two should fit right together.
Tip: Actually make certain to tighten that milling bit!
The 80% Artillery base of operations plate allows you to employ the aluminum tabs that travel down in the jig channels.
They've really tried to make these idiot-proof, even going and so far as offering articulate guidelines that testify you how deep to cut.
Milling
The old jigs made y'all measure out your depth…just the top plate gives you super handy-neat marks as measurement guides.
Buckle upwards, because this where the bulk of your time will be spent. You'll put on some cut fluid (highly recommended), lower the scrap to the next hashmark, start the router and put it into the pilot hole, then manufactory the pocket.
Another pro tip is to take your router on the highest speed and to make sure you start milling each time from the pilot hole. Both of these techniques volition forbid delinquent chattering (yup…learned it the difficult way).
When you get to the everyman depth, you change out the aluminum tabs to the next bigger size and keep going.
There'due south going to be aluminum flakes everywhere…so brand sure to have centre protection if not besides hearing protection.
- Our Favorite Eye Pro
- Our Favorite Hearing Pro
We highly recommend hooking upwards a Shopvac to take care of the mess.
Then boom…you're done with all the three sections of milling.
Trigger Pin and Rubber Holes
Flip information technology to the side and go your power drill ready to make the two trigger pin holes and safety pigsty.
Simply do 1 side at a time!
The overnice matter almost the Gen 3 is that it is very clear where these holes go.
Y'all're basically done at this point!
Well, except for cleaning an aluminum-flake covered lower.
Wipe that bad boy off…
And grab your lower parts kit of pick.
Complete It
Now that the milling is done, build your AR out similar y'all would a regular AR project.
Building this lower felt no different than any other AR lower I've worked with. And everything went together smoothly.
Check out our guide to Completing an AR-15 Lower if you need some assist with that.
Every bit always, I exercise a ton of role checks on everything just to brand certain things are lining up and working properly.
Add together a squeamish upper (Best AR-15 Uppers) and you've got an un-serialized piece of American freedom.
Needed Parts & Tools
Essentials
- Piece of cake Jig Gen 3
- Drill Flake Kit: Build your own or it's easier to buy from 80% Arms since the mill bit is proprietary
- Wood Router
- Power Drill
- 80% Lowers: For this, we used fourscore% Arms', but here are some others we like
- Cutting Fluid: You'll probably want something…fifty-fifty WD-twoscore will do in a pinch, but here's some real aluminum cut fluid
Dainty to Have
- Shop Vac: If you lot don't want aluminum chips everywhere
- Vice: Makes it much easier than trying to clamp information technology downwardly by hand or quick clamps
Time Needed
The amount of time you spend on this project will really come down to how comfortable and familiar you are with the process.
For those but starting out, information technology could take several hours as y'all want to be careful and deliberate.
Old pros who have done this a few times can probably knock it out in a couple of hours, though.
But trust me…this is the easiest fashion to go well-nigh it! The Piece of cake Jig Gen 3 is already tons faster and more precise than the old school jigs.
Tips & Tricks
We went over several things already but here are our main takeaways…
- Read the instructions & watch the videos a couple times
- Really clamp down the mill bit onto the router or else it might back in
- Go 100% on the speed with the router
- Try half-hashmarks first. Stay with them if you lot have 7075 aluminum, and you tin try total-hashmarks if you have the softer 6061.
- Start each milling pass in the pilot pigsty
- The router tin can overheat and shutoff…requite information technology a few minutes
- Utilize cut fluid
- Use eye and ear protection!
Is It Worth It?
It does add up with the jig (even if you lot get with the cheaper ones), bits, lowers, and tools if you don't have them.
Building lxxx%-ers is usually never about cost savings.
It'southward about exercising your right to make your ain guns away from the optics of Uncle Sam.
Plus…it'due south super cool to know y'all built your own lower receiver.
All that sounds skillful…but information technology's all the same a good chunk of alter.
I'd recommend either building a lot of them (for your own personal use). Or going in with a couple of friends.
Determination
There y'all take it…our review of the 80% Arms Easy Jig Gen 3.
If yous're decently handy and want an AR that you literally built yourself (without those pesky serials)…it could exist the easiest way.
300
at 80% Arms
Prices authentic at time of writing
Prices accurate at fourth dimension of writing
Over again, take a wait at our total video review from Johnny B. to run across the procedure from commencement to end.
Are you going to attempt an eighty% project at present? Check out our Best 80% Receivers article likewise every bit our Definitive AR Guide to get all the best parts for your future build.
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