Plum Crazy Firearms C-15 Complete Lower quick review

ST19AG_WGreymon · Sep 9, 2011

Just a quick visual review of the Plum Crazy C-15 Complete Lower. This will be my dad's rifle, he's more of an AR guy.

This was purchased from our industry partner JoeBobOutfitters listed for $119.95. JoeBobOutfitters has great prices, fast shipping, and excellent communication. The FFL used was also an industry partner KeepShooting.com, they were great to work with and very accommodating.

Here's the item description from JoeBob:

By Far the most advanced composite AR 15 lower on the market today, and at a price anyone can afford. Formed from a blend of scientifically advanced materials, the PCF C-15 lowers have proven to be among the lightest, most durable composite lowers available today. And because they are molded from a solid color, finish ware and scratches are a thing of the past.

Every lower is shipped with the accu-group composite fire control system, a market first in the AR 15 world, and offer a 4.5lb to 5.0lb trigger pull with zero perceived creep, an ultra crisp let off, and incredibly fast lock up times. These lowers also feature a reversible safety to accommodate right or left hand shooters.

Still want more? How about a six position buffer tube and slider (commercial)? If that’s not enough, how about the fact that this lower will except any milspec upper and offers an 8% elongation factor, giving it a zero slop fit? No more wedging the back of your lower with extra parts!

A nice inexpensive light lower option at 1LB, 11oz compared to 2lb, 3oz of a similarly equipped forged lower.

Nice textured finish. The serial number sits right below the fire selector.

The trigger has a smooth pull. The whole FCG is polymer. If it breaks, the lower has a lifetime warranty just send it in for replacement or replace it with any mil-spec FCG. I've only heard one instance of the actual trigger breaking though.

Logo on the right side of mag well.

6-position commercial buffertube. The stock has very little play, just a tiny bit back and forth.

The following are metal:

Buffertube assembly including the castle nut
Bolt stop
Springs
FCG pins?

Everything else is a dense polymer. Seems pretty sturdy. It is a little rough on the seams but for the price it's easy to overlook. $120 for a complete budget lower? Yes please. Comes with a lifetime warranty too.

The lower is well-built and should handle range duty/plinking just fine for the budget minded. And then there's always the guy with the .50BMG upper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90gSOiJ8iyU

This will be mated with a Palmetto State Armory 16" SS 1/8 twist .223 Wylde upper.

http://www.palmettostatearmory.com/2096.php

A review on that will come up in the following week if anyone's interested.

My goal here was to get my dad an AR that wouldn't break the bank. I'd say it worked out great.

P.S. I apologize for the quality of the photos. I'm not a camera guy. XD

I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Slimjim · Sep 9, 2011

As long as it holds up it should be fine.

BradMacc82 · Sep 9, 2011

Interesting concept, I'd be a little hesitant myself after seeing those last sets of pics, but for a complete lower at 120, if it breaks, it breaks. Still better than 300 for a complete lower and then transfer. If it does break, hello aluminum.

lee2 · Sep 9, 2011

Slimjim said:
As long as it holds up it should be fine.

oh shizzle!
any details on this?

Nemesis · Sep 9, 2011

it could be that i am an AK guy...but its not...i just cannot trust a polymer receiver on a weapon that was never designed for it...and even on ones designed with polymer main construction i am still a bit uneasy about it...using polymer to save 6 oz? seems trivial...although if it works, it works...just because i wouldnt use it does not detract from the validity of it.

ST19AG_WGreymon · Sep 10, 2011

It'd be nice to know the circumstances that caused those to break.

fivepointstar · Sep 10, 2011

Slimjim said:
As long as it holds up it should be fine.

YIKES!!!

I was wondering how well composites hold up

Kilroy · Sep 10, 2011

But if it breaks, you can just send it back and get another one... I kinda want one for the novelty factor, I have no use for one at the moment though.

JoeBobOutfitters.com · Sep 10, 2011

ST19AG_WGreymon said:
It'd be nice to know the circumstances that caused those to break.

Anything can be broke, but I really haven't ever heard the background regarding this product. Once I heard those photos were the result of some jerry-rigged SBR setup that the guy didn't build properly. Not quite sure, but again, I take everything on the internet worth a grain of salt unless completely explained.

We've sold hundreds of these lowers and never had a customer want to return it, or have issues with them immediately or at any point. For a low $ lower they're really hard to beat, with a decent stock trigger even :thumbsup:

ST19AG_WGreymon · Sep 10, 2011

JoeBobOutfitters.com said:
Anything can be broke, but I really haven't ever heard the background regarding this product. Once I heard those photos were the result of some jerry-rigged SBR setup that the guy didn't build properly. Not quite sure, but again, I take everything on the internet worth a grain of salt unless completely explained.

We've sold hundreds of these lowers and never had a customer want to return it, or have issues with them immediately or at any point. For a low $ lower they're really hard to beat, with a decent stock trigger even

I've heard the same thing. People dicking around or improper setups.

Calengor · Sep 10, 2011

From another forum:

Originally posted by 03humpalot:
Plum crazy...FML

Fire control group components had approx 600 rounds on them.

Lower reciever cracked while field stripping weapon...awesome.

JoeBobOutfitters.com · Sep 11, 2011

Calengor said:
From another forum:

Link? One thing that could cause that is a problem in the molding which IMO would be nearly impossible since they are injection molded, so it should be pretty solid throughout especially at that point. I wonder if he had extended take-down pins or standard pins? If you wrenched on it hard when the pin was fully extended that would be a weak point being the pivot of the fulcrum. Still an odd & rare occurrence however it happened.

I've seen Glocks blowup just the same...along with every other firearm. Again, it depends on the frequency of problems and catastrophic issues such as these few examples. Everything mechanical can and will break, especially with persuasion or human error thrown into the mix. I'm not sure how many thousands of Plum Crazy lowers are out there, but based on our serial numbers we've received there are 20,000+ at least. Not sure what changes they've made over the years in serial number deviations however.

1time · Sep 11, 2011

I have over a 1000 rounds of XM193 through mine and it shows no wear so far. If it breaks I will build a standard lower. It is very cool having an AR with a red dot sight, back up sights, a flashlight and sling weighing 6.5 lbs.

Alaskacajun · Sep 12, 2011

At one time I probably would have built a .22 designated rifle out of one... but after reading several broken Plum Crazy lower threads on AR15.com... I think I'll just keep using aluminum lowers...

- Clint

JAGGUY · Sep 13, 2011

I've had my Plum Crazy for about a year. Got maybe 1500 rounds down the pipe, mostly Tula steel case with no issues at all. I'm not a rabid AR guy but I like it a lot. The trigger on this is way better than any other I have fired, not that I have fired any serious target AR's but any built with a standard LPK feel like crap in comparison.
Built with a basic DelTon upper I have just over $500 in it. It is a great range rifle and couldn't be happier.
Now I will agree that I wouldn't want to use it on a battlefield and jump into foxholes with it, but that's why I have AK's :gun7:

kohburn · Oct 14, 2011

seems to be a injection QC issue. most should be fine but some are a weak mix.

I think those spots should have metal inserts inthe future to prevent problems

johnhmpg · Oct 23, 2011

So did you build it and fire it? I am curious what you think of the C-15 lower.

BLACKTALON · Oct 23, 2011

"If It an't broke don't fix it" and this is only creating a problem for something that already has a solution metal lowers have worked for years and there is a reason that all the plastic lowers go the way of the dinosaur. The AR was never meant to have a plastic lower.

BLACKTALON · Oct 23, 2011

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=plum...tart=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&tx=65&ty=57

JoeBobOutfitters.com · Oct 24, 2011

BLACKTALON said:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=plum...tart=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&tx=65&ty=57

No offense but....if you read the entire post, you'll see the guy is arguing FOR plum crazy lowers, and that picture you linked to is in fact a VULCAN arms lower.... It's kind of deceiving to post it if all the facts aren't actually out in the open. Also see the reason WHY it failed. Anything mechanical or touched by a human can and will break with the proper amount of force, or Darwin moments.

ARFCOM POST said:
Sometimes these things get off the point. As for the plastic rifle, my most favorite, and most shot, AR is a Cav Arms "plastic" lower with a Tac Sol upper. Its 4.6 pounds of perfect performance. I have used this lower for the past 18 months or so. Its had THOUSANDS of rounds fired over it, both .22 and .223 and it has been the most flawless lower one could ever have. It did cost a bit more than a Plum Perfect, but not much. Cav Arms did a great job designing that lower. It is not a molded copy of a standard AR lower, rather they designed it to be made as a "plastic" part. I hate calling it plastic as its not plastic like some keep throwing around, the stuff used in toys.

(Note differences in the molding)

Apparently the guys at Plum noticed the pic of the broken Vulcan Arms (Todd Bailey) that everyone posts as an example of why plastic is bad for an AR lower.

^^^VULCAN ARMS LOWER^^^

You will also notice that no matter how hard you look, this is the only broken polymer lower you will find. Out of thousands made by Pro-Ord and Bushy and even (shudder in disgust) Todd Bailey.

Another fact that no one mentions is that the above lower was broken by an idiot who assembled it using a rifle buffer tube and carbine buffer. That allows the carrier key to strike the lower at the top of where the buffer tube screws in. Even an aluminum lower would have suffered major damage in a similar instance but probably would have been usable after.

This pic belongs in the same pile as Glocks blown up by reloads. User error, not product failure.

That said in comparison to a Cav-Arms the Plum lower is similar quality.

However Cav-Arms no longer makes lowers or any firearms for that matter.

Plum Crazy Firearms C-15 Complete Lower quick review

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