Jig instructions are often times very difficult to find, especially for some of the less “popular” jigs. Builders scour the internet looking for anything that will allow them to get going on their drill and mill project. In desperation we download the file that seems to be closest to the jig we did purchase, but then the results aren’t what we expected or hoped for and in the worst cases, our lower is ruined beyond usability. What happened?
Not all lowers and not all jigs are created equal. In theory, mil-spec should mean mil-spec and all jigs/lowers should be cross compatible. AR-15 should just mean AR-15. Some suppliers have their own version of the AR-15, with different design characteristics that require a compatible jig. For example, the 80% Arms lowers are compatible with the Easy Jig Gen 3, but not the Elite Builder Jig. Even mil-spec polymer lower receivers have thicker walls requiring them to be milled out in a jig designed specifically for polymer.
To make matters worse, jig providers, are now disallowed by the ATF in providing the instructions for the jigs that they sell. When we purchase the jig, we expect to see instructions matched to our jig, but alas, they are not delivered and as a builder, I have to now search for those instructions, finally choosing a set of instructions that look similar to the jig I own. But this can be a mistake. Even though the jig appears to have similar characteristics, the measurements, every so slight as they may be, have significant difference in manufacturing.
Let’s say that you, the builder, have landed on our website and you are looking for a specific set of instructions. Don’t settle for “close enough” because close enough isn’t! Send us a message. Tell us what you are looking for. We will go out and find those instructions for you and add the instructions to our library.
The bottom line is that AR-15 manufacturing requires precision in manufacturing. Make sure you have the right tool with the right instructions so you can get your build 100% correct. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us using our Contact – JigInstructions.com form.