Tracking shows it in San Antonio today...  so it is on its way.  Should be here tomorrow I'd think because SA is only about 90 miles from my house.
 

It is not my first 80%.  I still have one of the old fashioned CNC jigs for doing the 1st generation 80% lowers as well as the big 1" & 1.25" drill bits and the tap for threading the buffer threads.  Between that old jig and the modern ones I have enough tooling to do about a "20%" lower...  The only operations I can't easily do are decking the top of the lower, milling the back of the buffer area flat and cutting the mag well.

I also have one of the jigs that uses a router which I like for what it is as well.  I have completed 80% with that one.

However the Broken Arms looks like it is hands down the best drill press type jig on the market.  While I like using the router for the finishing milling, the Broken Arms jig's multiple drilling plates remove a lot more material with drilling which I like better.  The router based jig's single drilling plate only removes what I'd say is a bare minimum amount of the metal.  With both jigs I will have the best of both worlds.  I will use the drill press jig for everything up to the final milling operation where I'll switch it over and clean up the pocket with the router jig.  That will save wear and tear on my drill press.  I've got one of the mid-priced ones from Harbor Freight. It works fine for drilling holes but it may not be the best for doing milling work.  My trim router is a Makita.

I mean it about the Broken Arms jig being top notch after receiving mine today...  it is really a well made piece of gear.  There are also several features on it that are nicer than any other jigs I've seen.  For example many supply a depth gauge, but usually not nearly as conveniently located as the one on the Broken Arms jig.  I also really like the way the locating pins for the takedown pins work, that makes it so you don't have to remember to remove a bolt from the rear to mill out the back part of the pocket like you do on many other jigs.

An idea I had to make the jig even better would be to make a spacer plate to raise the finish milling plates up even with the top of the buffer tube area and a table that fit around the plates for a router to run on...  Then you'd pretty much have a completely perfect setup for both styles of milling.  I don't know if you can imagine what I'm describing or not...
 

Last edited by softwarejanitor (1/29/2016 5:46 pm)

Have you finished a lower yet?

I got my BA jig assembled on a BA forged lower with plate 1 on it and ready to go.  I plan to get out in the garage where my drill press is tomorrow.

The BA forged lower looks really nice too.  One of the nicest looking I've seen with sharp lines and yet no visible tooling marks.  Very nice and deep looking anodizing too.  I may use this one for a build for my wife.

She really likes my "varmint" AR...  it has a 556 upper with a 20" stainless full 1" thick bull barrel and free float handguard.  It has the RRA two stage trigger in it and a big 10-40x50mm tactical scope with adjustable objective, lighted reticle and bullet drop compensator, etc.  I may make her one that is similar for her so she won't keep latching onto mine...