- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- 07: Equipment and Instrumentation
- 08: Examination of Firearms
- 09: Cartridge and Shotshell Examination
- 10: Characterization and Evaluation of Fired Projectiles
- 11: Bullet Comparison and Identification
- 12: Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
- 13: Toolmark Identification
- 14: Communicating Results
- Resources
Frames or Receivers
Home > Modern Firearms Manufacture > Parts Fabrication > High Stress Load Parts > Frames or Receivers
Bolt-action rifle receiver
The term frame or receiver refers to the basic component of a firearm which houses the firing and breech mechanism. When assembled with a barrel and stock, it constitutes a complete firearm.
In some military arms and their commercial equivalents, such as the M16 and the civilian AR15, the receiver may be split into two separate parts. The top portion of the receiver is hinged to the lower part, tipping up for cleaning and disassembly. In these cases, the terms upper and lower are added to “receiver” to identify the parts as the upper and lower receiver units. Frames and receivers can be fabricated from any of the methods reviewed in the previous section on gross metal forming. The fine forming method selected is governed by cost, serviceability, and the material used.
The finest grade arms have traditionally featured frames and receivers that start as large forged parts. The inherent toughness of forged parts makes this method the choice for cartridges generating high firing pressure.
