Guide to Billet Lowers

[Stickman]

Magpul lowers (MPLA) have been the most sought after lower that I can remember. These lowers are the product of a no holds barred, "make the best AR15 lower" brainstorm. Magpul as a company was built up as a weapon accessory manufacturer, and while they were able to alter their license and become a weapon manufacturer for the purposes of this Magpul MPLA project, their insurance company was less than willing to cover them as a "weapon manufacturer". The MPLA project was put on the back burner for awhile as Magpul continued work on the Masada (later becoming the ACR), as well as other component and weapon projects.

John Noveske, of Noveske Rifleworks, is well known through the weapon community as a man of character, and with a company that refuses to compromise in its quest for a superior weapon system. In late 2008, Noveske Rifleworks and Magpul were able to sit down and figure out a way to use the Magpul lowers in a Noveske build. With insurance companies happy, or at least out of the way, the project was given the greenlight, and on 12/17/08, the first ever Noveske/ Magpul project was launched. This went forward not as a single rifle purchase, but as a larger package, which included the following:

16.1" Cold Hammer Forged Barrel, 1 in 7" twist, 5.56mm
--Made of Mil Spec M249 Machine Gun barrel steel, with heavy M249 Chrome Lining,
(appx. 2 times as thick as an M4 or M16)
--Extended Feed Ramps
--Mil Spec Phosphate finish
--MP HP tested
--Mid-Length gas system, no M203 notch
--Shot peened and MP tested bolt
--Properly staked carrier key
--Auto carrier
--H Buffer
--MAGPUL UBR buttstock
--MAGPUL MIAD grip
--Ambi magazine catch
--Ambi bolt release
--Forged Vltor MUR upper receiver featuring an anti-rotation interface with the handguard
--11" free floated handguard w/ 1913 rails
--Low-profile gas block pinned to barrel
--Flip-up front and rear sights
--AAC Blackout non-mount flash suppressor
--Four MAGPUL P-MAG 30rd mags included, black non-window
--V-TAC padded black sling
--QD Sling Swivels
--MAGPUL XTM rail panels, 5 packages
--Eagle LE Discreet Soft Case

MPLA lowers can be broken down into three different types.

Series A lowers are the ones which have the ambi bolt release. The include the integral trigger guard, and flared magazine well, as well as the rest of the features of the B series lower.


Series B lowers look the same on the left side (non-ejection port side of the weapon) as the A series, and feature the large Magpul logo just like the A series. The sole exception to the list of features is that the B series does not have the ambi-bolt release. This may or may not be a big deal to some people, but as hard as it is going to be to find a Magpul MPLA lower (or weapon), its almost a moot point.

Series C lowers are sometimes referred to as the "china doll" or "asian girl" lowers. These are similar to the B series lowers, but can not be sold. They are easy to spot as the little figure (e-port side of the weapon) appears to be flipping off the viewer (or other agency).



This first image is of a stripped MPLA lower. From this side, there is no way to tell if it is an A or B series.





Shown below is a Series A lower, note the ambi mag release.









Shown below is a C series lower.