AA Upper Lead Times

[waveslayer]

I just received my 24" overwatch after 8 months of waiting. Glad I have it. Out of the box it shoot 1/2 inch shoots at 200 yards! Love it.

[Sputnik]

Any new information on AA products availability/delivery? I got an email today with this subject :ALEXANDER INDUSTRIES INC Customer Receipt/Purchase Confirmation. This tells me that they charged something to my credit card and the invoice it pertains to is for a single item ordered on 29 May 2013. A hard use bolt. I am reluctant to get excited, given all their website issues with errant emails, but at least there is hope that it is being shipped. I will post more IF it arrives.

[dmsims21]

I still haven't heard anything about the Entry Upper I ordered Jan 9th of this yr.

I have given up on it. I am going to build my own with a Lilja barrel. If/when the AA upper comes, I will sell it.

[Sputnik]

I still haven't heard anything about the Entry Upper I ordered Jan 9th of this yr.

I have given up on it. I am going to build my own with a Lilja barrel. If/when the AA upper comes, I will sell it.

I felt your pain. It wasn't as severe as yours though. Jan? Whew, I ordered mine in April, but cancelled it in Sept. Went with Mark at Precision Firearms. My Neptune V with a Bartlein barrel was ready to ship in 4 weeks. Best wishes and hope it all works out!

[BjornF16]

Any new information on AA products availability/delivery? I got an email today with this subject :ALEXANDER INDUSTRIES INC Customer Receipt/Purchase Confirmation. This tells me that they charged something to my credit card and the invoice it pertains to is for a single item ordered on 29 May 2013. A hard use bolt. I am reluctant to get excited, given all their website issues with errant emails, but at least there is hope that it is being shipped. I will post more IF it arrives.

My hard use bolt that has been on back order for a year is finally shipping!...received word today.

[LRRPF52]

I just wanted to point out that GA Precision, LaRue, and other highly sought after rifle builders have the same back-logs as AA, and people just wait without complaining. I've watched it for years now on Sniper's Hide. There was one exception when a guy had problems with his rifle, and he started berating and bashing GA Precision on SH. People came down on him like coordinated artillery and mortar fire, and George Gardner himself posted from his mobile that he was sorry he couldn't respond within the 8hr the complainer expected, as he was on his way to a family funeral down in Texas.

Patience is a virtue when waiting on premium products. For some reason, AA gets defecated on, while others are exempt. I can't figure it out.

[explorecaves]

Patience is a virtue when waiting on premium products. For some reason, AA gets defecated on, while others are exempt. I can't figure it out.

Communication? Just a guess from what I have read on the interwebs...

[stanprophet]

I just wanted to point out that GA Precision, LaRue, and other highly sought after rifle builders have the same back-logs as AA, and people just wait without complaining. I've watched it for years now on Sniper's Hide. There was one exception when a guy had problems with his rifle, and he started berating and bashing GA Precision on SH. People came down on him like coordinated artillery and mortar fire, and George Gardner himself posted from his mobile that he was sorry he couldn't respond within the 8hr the complainer expected, as he was on his way to a family funeral down in Texas.

Patience is a virtue when waiting on premium products. For some reason, AA gets defecated on, while others are exempt. I can't figure it out.

I see this as well, We waited for quite some time for the uppers to come in, but we knew going in that it could be a lengthy time. Unfortunately panic buying and market uncertainty is what is driving much of this. My dad has 3 stripped lowers on order from AA for almost a year now, we will patiently wait. I have been known to be impatient at times, but the wait time on my SBR was just training for today's market! Heck now I have the paperwork done on number 2, and the wait times are now around 14-18 months.

I think the wait on the uppers were between 6-8 months, but these were just the 16" M4 style uppers, so probably much easier to get the parts needed for those. I know where I am going for a 50 Beowulf upper, if it takes a year or 2 so be it.

[cory]

I just wanted to point out that GA Precision, LaRue, and other highly sought after rifle builders have the same back-logs as AA, and people just wait without complaining. I've watched it for years now on Sniper's Hide. There was one exception when a guy had problems with his rifle, and he started berating and bashing GA Precision on SH. People came down on him like coordinated artillery and mortar fire, and George Gardner himself posted from his mobile that he was sorry he couldn't respond within the 8hr the complainer expected, as he was on his way to a family funeral down in Texas.

Patience is a virtue when waiting on premium products. For some reason, AA gets defecated on, while others are exempt. I can't figure it out.

I've had this conversation with Bill W.

I want to see AA succeed, I really do. I like the company, Bill A is a great engineer. AA has done this to themselves.

Bill A comes on here during the rush and post that he has lots of ammo, that his shop is full of ammo just waiting to be sold.

What was it less than 48hrs that they were completely out of ammo? I don't think it took that long actually.

These companies have been significantly back logged since '08? Yet, almost 6 years later they haven't figured out how to catch up. Granted a lot of it is caused by this Chrony-Capitalism system our government has pushed us into.'

They all deserve criticism for not improving this problem as their customers have demanded they do.

[LRRPF52]

I think one of the biggest problems really is that the gun industry, and especially the AR15 market are unlike any other markets, with boom and lull cycles that are extreme. Name me one other industry where consumers figure out after two purchases that they can bash parts together with minimal tools, talent, or knowledge, and get away with it in 5.56 or .223 Remington.

Look at the uncertainty with regulations, State-to-State nuances with what is and isn't legal, knee-jerk reactions from politicians who are hell-bent on shutting the industry down, and you have a recipe for a very volatile market. Don't tell me that SUV's or computers are comparable, because you can't assemble either with the limited number of tools or knowledge like you can an AR15, and Microsoft isn't concerned with the few computer builders out there buying CPU's and power supplies out from the production cycle, just as GM will never worry about people ordering too many engines to drop into their home-built autos in the garage with less than $50 in special tools.

In the AR15 market, these became very significant factors. Notice that the Freedom Group bought LAR, and immediately stopped them from selling receivers and BCG's on the side. LAR is the machine shop right here in the Salt Lake Valley that machines 80% of the uppers and lowers for the market, with Bushmaster and DPMS, and now Remington being some of the biggest users of those parts. Freedom Group now orders the shop guys to grind blem receivers up so they can't be purchased by you and me outside the complete rifle production chain. It was such that they consciously made the decision not to allow home-builders to compete against their interests.

Then you have yahoos trying to buy all the ejection port covers and forward assist assemblies as opportunistic predatory profiteers. It's easy to come from another industry and think that there are simple, easy solutions to these stupid AR15 companies, when outsiders haven't the first clue about the AR15 marketplace. There simply is no other market like it. I can tell you that AA does not sit around prolonging delivery of product out of inefficiency. The philosophy is to focus on manufacturing and delivering quality products as soon as they can.

As I have been truing all these uppers I have that I'm getting ready for the Lilja barrels, a forum member asked me to check his AA upper that I have. This is no BS, it was the only one that had a true receiver face. I put the lapping tool in it, slowly spun the upper in the light, and there was no light shining through at any time during the turn. With my other uppers, they have been all over the place, and take considerable time to slowly lap the face to get them true.

Not only that, but the AA upper is anodized after being true, and it has a very tight barrel extension tunnel as well. If you factor in the time that it's taking me to true all these uppers I have purchased, and you look at AA's pricing, they are doing for much less than I would ever be able to do, and I would have to out-source for anodizing. I've worked for a rifle manufacturer and witnessed the painful process that anodizing is going back and forth getting the color right, etc.

Even for other chamberings, I would prefer an AA forged upper over any of the ones I currently have as well, so rest assured that you are getting one of the best forged uppers on the market, if not the best. It sure would save me a ton of work.

[BjornF16]

LRRPF52, have you checked any RRA uppers?...just curious as all my 5.56 builds are RRA.

[243tikka]

LRRPF52, Any experience with JD Machine upper receivers?

[Tedward]

I got my Grendel Lower yesterday I ordered 11 months and 20 days ago. Less than a year. Don't actually need it but have it now. Also some Beowulf Splitzer.

Wish I didn't cancel my Bolt orders but got the Maxim bolts coming. That will due and would rather support his production and involvement in the industry now. He's a Grendeler too now.

[Tedward]

LRRPF52, Any experience with JD Machine upper receivers?

I haven't used JD but held them and looked them over last week, just another mil spec forged upper for $119. Quite a few for others for less like Rainer and other companies who put there name on a milspec forged uppers.

I like Billet and lots of Seekins Billet Uppers out there and they are really nice. Lots of other Billet Uppers too for a good price, just a few dollars more than the JD. Great to have supply again all around and can't wait for Grendel Ammo to come back around. Actually not sure if it ever was around but needs to be moved up in the production line...

[stanprophet]

I got my Grendel Lower yesterday I ordered 11 months and 20 days ago. Less than a year. Don't actually need it but have it now. Also some Beowulf Splitzer.

Wish I didn't cancel my Bolt orders but got the Maxim bolts coming. That will due and would rather support his production and involvement in the industry now. He's a Grendeler too now.

That is nice to know, might be coming up for ours soon then.

[Tedward]

I think one of the biggest problems really is that the gun industry, and especially the AR15 market are unlike any other markets, with boom and lull cycles that are extreme. Name me one other industry where consumers figure out after two purchases that they can bash parts together with minimal tools, talent, or knowledge, and get away with it in 5.56 or .223 Remington.

Look at the uncertainty with regulations, State-to-State nuances with what is and isn't legal, knee-jerk reactions from politicians who are hell-bent on shutting the industry down, and you have a recipe for a very volatile market. Don't tell me that SUV's or computers are comparable, because you can't assemble either with the limited number of tools or knowledge like you can an AR15, and Microsoft isn't concerned with the few computer builders out there buying CPU's and power supplies out from the production cycle, just as GM will never worry about people ordering too many engines to drop into their home-built autos in the garage with less than $50 in special tools.

In the AR15 market, these became very significant factors. Notice that the Freedom Group bought LAR, and immediately stopped them from selling receivers and BCG's on the side. LAR is the machine shop right here in the Salt Lake Valley that machines 80% of the uppers and lowers for the market, with Bushmaster and DPMS, and now Remington being some of the biggest users of those parts. Freedom Group now orders the shop guys to grind blem receivers up so they can't be purchased by you and me outside the complete rifle production chain. It was such that they consciously made the decision not to allow home-builders to compete against their interests.

Then you have yahoos trying to buy all the ejection port covers and forward assist assemblies as opportunistic predatory profiteers. It's easy to come from another industry and think that there are simple, easy solutions to these stupid AR15 companies, when outsiders haven't the first clue about the AR15 marketplace. There simply is no other market like it. I can tell you that AA does not sit around prolonging delivery of product out of inefficiency. The philosophy is to focus on manufacturing and delivering quality products as soon as they can.

As I have been truing all these uppers I have that I'm getting ready for the Lilja barrels, a forum member asked me to check his AA upper that I have. This is no BS, it was the only one that had a true receiver face. I put the lapping tool in it, slowly spun the upper in the light, and there was no light shining through at any time during the turn. With my other uppers, they have been all over the place, and take considerable time to slowly lap the face to get them true.

Not only that, but the AA upper is anodized after being true, and it has a very tight barrel extension tunnel as well. If you factor in the time that it's taking me to true all these uppers I have purchased, and you look at AA's pricing, they are doing for much less than I would ever be able to do, and I would have to out-source for anodizing. I've worked for a rifle manufacturer and witnessed the painful process that anodizing is going back and forth getting the color right, etc.

Even for other chamberings, I would prefer an AA forged upper over any of the ones I currently have as well, so rest assured that you are getting one of the best forged uppers on the market, if not the best. It sure would save me a ton of work.

Thats why Billet are so much nicer and for the money (just about $20 to $50) and time savings they are worth it. Much more solid and less flex if none at all. I wouldn't use another Milspec Upper and especially on a Grendel.

[Tedward]

That is nice to know, might be coming up for ours soon then.

SN: GRENDEL 3101

I can't remember the last post of the number but I think it was around 2700, only 400 more. Also nothing special like the AA superior milspec upper LRRPF52 has on hand...

[dragbag]

Not an upper but AA just charged my cc for my bolt I ordered roughly a year ago. Should have it in hand before Christmas, well I hope.

[Sputnik]

Not an upper but AA just charged my cc for my bolt I ordered roughly a year ago. Should have it in hand before Christmas, well I hope.

That is the third or fourth bolt in the last two days that has been charged to the cc; some ordered it a year ago, like yours. I ordered mine on May 29, 2013.

[dragbag]

Got my bolt today in the mail! They do really exist.