They don’t call them black rifles for nothing. Heck, not only are the whole platforms usually black through and through, sometimes a fully-tricked out rifle is still all-black, optics, handguards, side-saddle mounts and all.
The all-black, tacticool aesthetic is appealing to some shooters, no doubt, but sporting rifles like the AR-15 have been called America’s Rifle because they are endlessly expandable – not for their color.
If you want to color your sporting rifle with personality, maybe you should build your own with an unfinished 80% lower; and don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be black.
Compliment Your Camo Job
Need a practical reason to switch up the color of your 80% lower before you slather it with a custom camo job? Are you planning on carrying your AR in Spring, Summer, or Fall as a hunting rifle? If so, then be aware of this: a black receiver (or an all-black rifle, for that matter) sticks out against the green, painfully. We hunters have a term for exposed gear, skin, and guns that stick out: they’re shiny, and a slick black sporting rifle is most certainly shiny.
This is why some hunters, especially those pursuing highly alert species, like predators, go to great lengths to conceal themselves and their gear with an extensive camo job. Camouflage, regardless of the pattern, starts with some base notes, often jungle green or brown (think flat desert earth).
Start your build with an OD green or an FDE receiver and your later camo-job will thank you. There will be less black to cover up.
Add Some Personality with a Colored 80% Lower
Adding color to a sporting rifle with a colored lower receiver doesn’t necessarily have to be about concealment. It could be about adding some personality. Some shooters complete 80% lowers for recreational enjoyment, after all. You might as well enjoy the finished rifle as much as the process of building a firearm.
Not all sporting rifles are black, hunter green, or FDE. Some have brightly colored triggers, receivers, BCGs, handguards, rail adapters, and more. Some of these components are finished in gaudy, polished aluminum sporting bright colors that make the rifle really pop – the envy of any range bench.
If you’re looking for a unique way to add some colorful personality to your AR build, start with a colored 80% lower receiver such as one of the models available at 5D Tactical. Right now, they have hot pink lowers on sale for you lady shooters, as well as raw aluminum receivers that you can treat or finish as you please. With one of their colored 80% lowers, you can start your project off on the right foot, especially if you’re going to upgrade it with eye-catching shooting accessories later on.
Get a Jig to Finish the Job
While you’re researching what you need to complete your own build at home with an unfinished lower and upper receiver kit, you’ll also want to get a parts kit and a receiver jig to help you finish milling out the receiver blank.
A jig will help you save time and money at home, and serves as an easy-to-use template that, along with your drill press, will help you mill out the cavity for the fire selector and the pins for the hammer, trigger, and safety selector.
Just be aware that you should consult a lawyer before beginning a project because laws vary across state and locality regarding the legality of purchase, possession, or alteration of 80% lower receivers.
Contact 5D Tactical for More Information
For those of you interested in colored 80% lower receivers or the 80 lower jigs you need to complete the builds, visit 5D Tactical at 5DTactical.com. You can also reach out to them directly at sales@5dtactical.com or by phone at 508-834-4223.
