DRG Manufacturing: How All Of Your AR-15 Parts Are Actually Made

[@LYFPingBot]

We need more of "How it's Made" for the gun industry!

[@jasonc9423]

I agree. Great video MrG&G!

[@dbmail545]

A good demonstration of why the AR platform is getting cheaper at the same time it is getting better.

[@bonham728]

Absolutely I always love factory tours!!

[@unidentifiedbiomass4106]

That ytmnd profile pic

[@LYFPingBot]

@@unidentifiedbiomass4106 That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Yes it is from YTMND.

[@DRGManufacturing]

Thanks for comin' up and visiting us!! You're welcome to come back anytime

[@NicholasX.]

Thank you for supplying America and giving people jobs. Bless America, you, and the NRA.

[@alonzo8214]

Very good tour and explanation. Y'all should be proud of the quality product that you put out.

[@toynazi]

@@NicholasX. Where was the NRA in Virginia? MIA

[@xxxxxx-rm2pn]

@@NicholasX. You are an idiot, the NRA negotiates all our rights away

[@icebergo6]

Thank YOU!

[@freemenownrifles8814]

This dude went into Illinois for us fam.... that will never be forgotten!

[@icebergo6]

As a former foundry worker at 2 plants in Fort Wayne, IN (1 steel mill, 1 aluminum mill) I can recognize all the source material. Im so geeked right now to see how some of the product I used to make actually gets used! THIS VID IS AMAZING! seriously, im so excited and proud to see what goes on behind the curtain. We consume A LOT in America but have no idea about the fellow countrymen/craftspeople who make the needed stuff we buy. What a great concept. "How Its Made" for gun-folk. This is powerful whether you believe in guns or not. You showed us a thriving, homegrown industry that mirrors so much other stuff that few of us know about and even fewer appreciate.

[@baysaintlouis1118]

He’s the only person I’ve ever seen actually go through and explain everything himself.

[@JinkxSoldga]

This confirms what I thought I knew about heat treating and finishes... It's completely black magic.

[@ChrisBlackwell1977]

Mostly yes. I am surprised the metallurgist wasn't wearing his wizard hat in the interview.

[@ChrisBlackwell1977]

Yeah. I took that as nervous pauses. He was clearly very knowledgeable about heat treatment processes and I can confirm that all of his info was accurate if not a little deep in the weeds. My guess is he doesn't find himself in front of a camera very often.

[@AnvilAirsoftTV]

JinkxSoldga not black magic in the slightest. It’s material science.

[@redneckninja2539]

Think how it turns out depends on the phase of the moon and the disposition of a red headed witch !

[@JinkxSoldga]

@@AnvilAirsoftTV It was meant as a satirical and comedic comment :)

[@FishFind3000]

This is one of the nicest factory tours I’ve seen that wasn’t just a big ad about the company. Excellent quality, really enjoyed watching.

[@GarbageDanks]

I always think how lucky we are. Imagine all of the people that came before us and invested so much into the science of metalargy and donated that information to be used far into the future. We are lucky for those who came before us to give us these technologies.

[@eribertoacedo9505]

Our technologies is still coming forward still advancing just have to look towards to the future and keep an eye on technologis’s and updates!

[@stefanmolnapor910]

Thats the damn truth

[@RagnarOdinsson]

at the cost of jobs

[@lastdayonearth8381]

We Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants We Will Never Meet. They Say There's No Such Thing As A Free Ride, But I Think Benefiting From Infrastructure You Had No Hand In Counts. From The Founding Fathers To Eugene Stoner, We Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants We Will Never Meet.

[@jaydunbar7538]

@@RagnarOdinsson tech creates jobs, the claims that jobs will be lost are short sighted and highly limited views of what’s happening. Trucks eliminated lots of jobs transporting goods via livestock, and that was a good thing in every possible way except to the short sighted who like to scream about the jobs lost.

[@cammacgregor9354]

As a retired producer of TV shows, documentaries and educational films, I applaud your excellent, easy-to-understand presentation. Thank you for sharing this information with us--!!!

[@rocdarjargm]

Worked in a tool and die shop for 29 years and this shit still interests me ... great video

[@samuelthecalled6899]

I remember watching this a year ago. How does this only have 175k views? You did a huge favor for the gun community. Thank you for doing this Mike.

[@philbertlovely7724]

It's nice seeing a manufacturing company being so transparent with its consumers while selling directly to them at reasonable costs. I know where I'm taking my business now.

[@porterblack2741]

Just when I thought I got out of chemistry class for the day then the worker started explaining stuff. Good news is this is the science of freedom.

[@christianbolt5761]

Science, engineering, and rifles. Near perfect video.

[@mushroomcloud1]

As a materials engineer, I will rate this as your best video yet!!!

[@eddievillasenor6254]

I work at a CNC shop not too far from DRG. It would be awesome if you did a meet and greet if you're ever in the area again!

[@brandonhart2308]

The process he is describing with the carburization, sounds like a modern precise form of case hardening.

[@MattyMothaFuckinIce]

That's exactly what it is.

[@drysori]

I would guess that most laymen would not understand this stuff, but I have been working in this type of Industry for 50 yrs. and I grok it all. Great Video.

[@TUKByV]

Those freshly-milled lowers look pretty neat. Shiny.

[@1DavidMarshall]

Love the science parts. The metallurgy and the mechanical engineering aspects are my favorite parts. Thank you. Please continue feeding us geek food! Totally dig it

[@RobertBeckk]

Thanks mike from metal technologies!

[@Mike-hh9zb]

Anytime!

[@RobertBeckk]

@@Mike-hh9zb reading some of your replies. I have kind of a silly question. Is there anything that appears really mundane but actually requires lots of attention to detail or specific pressure to work correctly. Like are crush washers way more complicated than they appear?

[@Mike-hh9zb]

@@RobertBeckk Anything can appear mundane after a while lol but much of the "attention to detail" comes from the machining work put into the part, though the heat treat process must typically also be very precise with respect to time, temp., carbon potential, etc. As a heat treater it's generally our goal to not ruin the machining that's been done on the part since many times we're working with parts that are in their finished form. Hydraulic fittings are one thing we process that tolerate very little if any distortion due to the heat treat process, so you essentially have one chance to get the hardness, case depth and microstructure right. As for crush washers used in muzzle brakes I am not aware that we process any at MTC currently. If we did though, we'd be austempering them since the goal of that component is to act as a spring and not actually crush like a crush washer used for a sink or oil pan. Being a high carbon steel (spring steel) we'd simply process it to the customer's hardness spec, probably mid-40s HRC. Austempering will not only produce the necessary hardness but also a bainitic microstructure that gives the part its springy but not brittle property as well as a limited amount of dimensional distortion.

[@ringingsteel8729]

Cool to see the manufacturing processes that go into building rifles.

[@SargS1aughter]

As an engineer and hobbyist machinist, this video is incredible! Fascinating to see how some of these parts are made in industry. Thank you for this video and to the shops for hosting you!

[@CoryHobbs2178]

I love these videos, I only wish they were much longer and much more detail for things like the barrel and BCG

[@ColKorn1965]

As a machinist (Old School, meaning manual) I appreciate the advanced technology shown. Thank you.

[@Mrgunsngear]

You're welcome 👍🏽

[@mtladd4705]

Great video! I have a greater appreciation for what goes into my AR parts.

[@briarus1000]

fire! Fire! FIRE!. you could tell mike was not used to being on camera but he did a great job of explaining [a bit] of metallurgy. thanks for the great tour and info!

[@NicholasX.]

I just purchased my first AR 15 in June 2019

[@onenikkione]

a great time to buy, quality is High and price is Low

[@tonegriffey9463]

Thanks for sharing Mike. We really appreciate it.

[@seantully1108]

My profession is centered around managing specialized precision machining suppliers who build piece part components for semiconductor fabrication equipment. Walking the floor of these shops and the smell of cutting fluid is my favorite part of the job. Awesome vid!

[@icebergo6]

AWESOME! As a former foundry worker in Fort Wayne, In, my favorite job was in "cold finishing". We were the LAST workers to touch the once raw minerals that were forged into metal before it went out to customers. We were the last workers who had to make that metal refined and pererfect. Whats really, really cool is that our end process was much like how your vid started. We had a series of steps that gradually refined our metal to the exact spec range of customers. Our QC wasnt as refined since we just pit out metal that would be further tuned by the end user. But we paid equal attention to detail relative to our bottom line. We just didnt have robots. Everything in "cold finish" was done by hand and calibers. Everyday at start of shift i had to go to "the cage" to check out a set of calipers that were serviced by an old bearded man whos only job was to measure previous wear/adjust by a micrometer. He was the gatekeeper. We matched his effort cause the biggest insult/Diss back in my day at Slater was to putout a bundle of metal that didnt wrap up picture perfect, clean and straight as the ones you casually stood in front of on bars at beginning of vid. THAT CAMERA ANGLE validated me!

[@chrispewkreme]

This channel is simply one of the greatest on KZbin. I’d always been curious.

[@Uberragen21]

These kinds of videos covering the manufacturing of common items, especially relating to 2A, are awesome! Thank you for making this video and to the companies providing you with the tours of their facilities. Fantastic job!

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks; tell your friends!

[@walterschneider7580]

Outstanding video. Answers a lot of questions. Keep them coming. Thanks Mr. G & G.

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thank you

[@rdraekov4798]

As a precision machining student, videos like these are great to see!

[@SgtKong]

How deep will you dive with this? I could watch another hour + of even more in depth straight nerd facts. Any chance of a EP.2?

[@oisindaly8031]

The metallurgy portion has some fantastic information in it. Its a precise science and can come off dry, extremely dry, but what a great opportunity for the public to get a look into material science through fire arm part manufacturing. This could inspire the next generation of metallurgists/welding engineers.

[@timr4853]

These types of company’s are probably the only reason why the state of Illinois hasn’t gone California on us!

[@JJGuccione]

The best AR-15 manufacturing VDO I've ever seen. Thanks.

[@ES44AC-2]

This is awesome! Thanks to the shops for allowing you inside and you for bringing it to us.

[@PandemicGameplay]

Your videos on the manufacturing process are freakin awesome Mike. We need more of these!

[@brianrutherford1946]

This is one of the coolest and most informative vids I've seen in a long time. So neat to see how all the parts I pay so much for are made. Seems like high quality too. Thanks so much for going out there to show me !

[@dalestephan6777]

I worked Alcoa yrs ago. There were all these CCTV cameras pointed at these somewhat oversize dumpsters that were empty. A few days later a went past this same area. Dumpsters were full to the top with Ar lowers. 🇺🇸

[@nicklaustietje2749]

More videos like this please. Very interesting!

[@CLCustom1911]

That metallurgist is probably one of the smartest people I have heard on YT in a looong time. That guy knows his stuff!!

[@Mrgunsngear]

Indeed

[@unidentifiedbiomass4106]

"Heh, you thanks for the tour guys!" *Mysteriously leaves 10 lb's heavier*

[@yungblac8336]

Holy shit this is one of the coolest videos I've seen in a long time

[@boss350z5]

Great look into rarely seen processes. Thanks Mike.

[@Ulfstigandr]

Love hearing the metallurgy here. I geek out when it comes to forging, id be making knives if i didnt live in a rv.

[@cardinalfang7725]

You and Randall.

[@asphaltannihilator157]

Buy a devil's forge and set it up when you stop

[@KidKool31yo]

I completely trust a guy that never makes eye contact and knows exactly what he's talking about. I would like to hope this guy loves his job, because I think he does. Hey management, he needs a raise.

[@Scotian666]

They were making The Jack lowers! I love those!

[@admiralackbar999]

6:15 you see another camera crew start to walk into the shot, then back out.

[@MegaMastiffman]

I don’t know how I missed this vid. Outstanding video Mike thank you once again

[@twistinprops604]

Adult field trips are waaaay cooler than grade school discovery place or zoo trips!

[@davewebster5120]

I did a bit of bladesmithing working with steel and a lot of these processes are things my mentor had me doing that i didn't fully understand and a lot of the stuff about metallic structure and finishing was brand-new to me. Very cool!

[@eggheadrios]

Anybody else reminded of Johnny cash’s song “ one piece at a time “

[@redneckninja2539]

I was singing that but saying 3 pieces at a time ! 🤣

[@henryk1031]

And wouldn’t cost me a dime

[@gscotty311]

"Always wanted one that was long and black" lol....wait!

[@TheTrooper424]

"Well, it's a '49, '50, '51, '52, '53, '54, '55, '56...."

[@jameswolf195]

Very interesting show. I never realized all the steps necessary to make seemingly simple parts.

[@andrewrussell9736]

I love the inside look at manufacturing. Great video

[@edhlavaty6914]

The milling process just facinates me. No one has built a true AR until you at least do an 80% lower. Wish I had the tooling to do from 0

[@DEATH_TO_TYRANTS]

That's just silly.

[@rueridge7597]

Ed Hlavaty Shut up

[@SW-ii5gg]

Not until they have mined and processed their own ores and fluxes.

[@geetarmanpete]

Wow, it's not often I actually gain a better understanding of these type of things! Bravo.

[@cameronnorton5898]

It is cool how different this is from an AK factory.

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thank you

[@billydanzz]

Great information for all the "It shouldn't cost that much" guys out there.....

[@Mrgunsngear]

thanks for the report

[@berniestraight126]

A least now a person knows why he is looking for certain things and why these are truly important thanks guy this was a wealth of knowledge not I understand it all but good to have seen

[@Will7981]

Thanks for the tour. I find this stuff extremely interesting.👍🏻

[@BigGunner81TV]

Love their products, top notch quality... I had visited them not too long after they moved into this facility... top quality tooling and people... no wonder they produce top quality products...

[@bobbyc2768]

This was a year ago, so around this time this one company was putting out all these BCG's and between all the complete rifles being sold in gun stores around the country, and all the people building their own or buying spare parts for their own either in person or online at the time, there STILL weren't bcg's around unless you hunted for one during this time period. Now everything is back to normal of course but this goes to show just how much demand there was last year

[@joefoam794]

Love these plant tours. This one demonstrates the volume of parts being produced and the impact it must have on local economies.

[@ghengisswanson3923]

I love these walkthroughs. Working in manufacturing it's always a treat to see what high end companies can do with their machines and workers And I'm a geek about specs and QC too so always a treat.

[@cincinnatifunk]

MrGunsnGear, I could see you making a full series of these videos. This was fantastic and well presented. Ruger investment casting. Would be epic. Thanks for this.

[@owlarmory4456]

So awesome, man! I really enjoyed this. More manufacturing / factory tours / etc. would be amazing. Thanks for all you do.

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thank you

[@cavtroopermunoz]

At 14:06 Mike takes us to school. I could see that he wanted to start marking up on the white board and I was ready to take notes. All those machines, so much investment. Great video.

[@alanjones3990]

I liked this video a lot. I've worked in various types of manufacturing all my life and am always curious about how things are made. Well done

[@AnvilAirsoftTV]

Excellent video. Takes me back to my material science lectures at engineering school.

[@ChrisBlackwell1977]

Flame curtains on heat treat furnaces are always the highlight for people who have never seen heat treat processes. Everyone loves a big (controlled) wall of 🔥

[@farmerbrown84]

Except firefighters...

[@vitalknife_]

I loved this video. If you could go more in depth on the metallurgy that would be great

[@leadhead7338]

Sweet Thanks Bro!!! And good luck to Virginia, from here in VT!!!

[@GTLandser]

We need more of this! There are many young Americans who may not know that they can have a great and satisfying career and a positive impact on our national security, if they could learn these "black arts" (i.e., applied materials science). Yes, you can make guns, but you can also make aerospace, and medical, and "who knows what?"-grade parts. The most important thing is that we need smart, creative people who know how and are willing to try!

[@wellsd1959]

Thanks Mike, great video!

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks; tell your friends!

[@calvingillen9682]

Very similar to Knife steel too hard and brittle your edge will chip but also has excellent edge retention. Too soft and you lose that edge retention and the edge will roll but that’s better than chipping also easier to sharpen. Mr. clean a real man and patriot thanks for everything you do to help preserve freedom

[@Mrgunsngear]

You're welcome 👍🏽

[@paulhughes3961]

I definitely enjoyed it and learned some things. Years ago I worked in a factory that made snow skies and ski bindings. And I was in metal shop for 4 years in Hi School. Good stuff.

[@aklaunch]

This is the best video you have ever made IMO. Thank you.

[@19stump65]

Love it thanks man, now I want to go more in depth. Guess my minimal machinist background and love of guns may play into that.

[@pathpe2401]

Thanks for the Tour...much appreciated!

[@daa3417]

Imagine having your business in a state who’s government would see you entirely out of business and possibly in prison tomorrow. Whew.

[@fujimi715]

Yea they wouldn't hesitate to march the state police in there and shut them down and drag everyone out in chains.

[@meanman6992]

I think I'd be pumping out decent parts as cheap as I could afford to, in an attempt to put a rifle in every American's hands.

[@TheSuburban15]

Illinois, arming America. Oh, the irony!

[@3ric585]

@@fujimi715 I reckon they would defend themselves from tyranny or as I call it "governmental terrorism"

[@3ric585]

@@meanman6992 I like the way you think! Every American should be armed!

[@Americanstruggle]

First round machine was a vacuum oven, and the flame belcher was a carborizer. Both good methods of heat teeating and the difference is finish when it comes out.

[@bobsmoot5106]

An arsenal of freedom in action. Beautiful!

[@Rubeless]

The numbers are crazy and that’s from just one manufacturer. Thanks for sharing

[@tteot1wph]

I love the science bits!

[@adamcb41]

very cool. love seeing how things are made. especially when it comes to my favorite hobby!

[@10mikemike89]

Any chance you mean "American lifestyle"?

[@joshuabishop5029]

The science was one of the better parts of the vid. Thanks for including it!

[@shanebeaudrot777]

Wow! All of these AR parts are Hi-Tech, science based products. This is very eye opening in regards to the final product.

[@Mrgunsngear]

Indeed

[@samstull815]

Great video! Thank you for taking the time to show us all the different steps to get the finished product. American pride!

[@jaydee5156]

I work with steel in an unrelated industry, so I'm familiar with some of the terms that were used. Cool video from the inside.

[@johnd4348]

Very informative. ,I have been in many manufacturing plants, mostly for automotive parts and this manufacturing plant is surgically clean. The plants I go into are hot nasty and dirty. This one looks like they really care about their workers health and safety. Well done video.

[@williamfender661]

Dam I thought I stepped back in time watching this but in reality it is modernization in a free society. I hope the government of Illinois is watching this. Be a shame to loose all of those good paying jobs to a free state. Thanks for the education. I am impressed with what they are doing.

[@Geekymuscle]

This is why I follow you - ok the deals also....but this is awesome!!!

[@justdewit]

My favorite episode of How It's made lol

[@jaysilber910]

Great metallurgy info. I did an article back in 1991 for our blacksmithing group after a weekend long workshop on tool making and metallurgy. It was the early days of the internet and I wrote it in html, back when you input the tags manually. Not sure how to share it.

[@hammr6133]

Excellent vid brother. I could watch stuff like this all day. Knowledge is good. Machines are fun. The buzz of electricity going through coils feels like home.

[@SuperUncleRyan]

The explanation of the austenitization process explains why when steel is heating to certain temperature it isn't magnetic. I didn't why until now.