Thunder Tactical is one of the bigger companies out there selling AR-15 80% lower receivers and AR-15 rifle and pistol kits. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, the company essentially lives in the heart of the 80% lower market. And as one of the bigger companies in the South-East Region of the United States, it is among many other companies competing for the pie of the lucrative profits the AR-15 holds. In this review, we will analyze what has made Thunder Tactical the company it is today, as well as their operations, to give you a better idea if this company is right for you.
Who Is Thunder Tactical?
Beginning as a mere Shopify store in 2015, Thunder Tactical was born to supply one thing to its customers: 80% Lowers. In 2017, however, when Shopify’s terms ruled out selling gun parts on its platform, Thunder Tactical made the switch to an all new platform, giving it the ability to expand into more broad aspects of the 80% lower market. This included adding in new platforms like the .308 and AR-9 platforms which gave their customers the ability to choose exactly what they want for their DIY builds.
Why Buy From Thunder Tactical?
Thunder Tactical is a big company, with a lot of products to sell. And while their lead times haven’t been anything to write home about, they have recently been able to get out orders much quicker. Where orders may have been shipped out in 3-4 weeks, orders are now shipping in 1-2 weeks, considering delays from the USPS, which has been inconsistent since the last wave of stimulus checks came out.
Thunder Tactical’s website houses many products all revolving around the AR-15 and its related platforms. You can by:
- Rifle kits
- Pistol kits
- Complete uppers
- 80% lowers (AR-15, AR-9, AR-10, Glock 19)
- Jig kits
- Optics and other accessories
- Loose parts
Thunder Tactical keeps a high stock quantity in their inventory at all times, but does allow back orders in case customers want to ensure that when items come back in stock, they will be the first in line on their next batch of stock. Their customer service has recently undergone a new kind of overhaul, as more people have been hired to take over email service and phone calls. The year of 2020 was a hard one for many gun businesses. While sales were through the roof, many retail businesses were overwhelmed by a lack of supply to meet the overwhelming demand that public mayhem breeds.
For Thunder Tactical the problem of overwhelming demand helped other issues in operation rise to view and as a result, better safeguards have been implemented in order to ensure customer satisfaction with shipping, products, and customer support. What has Thunder Tactical done to ensure this?
- Hired more staff
- Organized stock
- Higher communication
- Reduced back order limits
Are their 80% Lowers quality?
For the people not so familiar with Thunder Tactical, but still interested in buying 80% lowers in general, the question may arise on if they have a decent product. As I am sure at this time, many AR-15 shoppers are simply looking for products to buy, rest assured that Thunder Tactical’s 80% lowers and related products are as quality as they come. As one of the cheaper outlets to buy 80% lowers, that is really saying something because often quality can be inconsistent, especially these days.
When it comes to quality, Thunder Tactical understands the realistic nature, that not all things are perfect, but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And as a recourse, offers deals on select blemish lowers and parts at discounted prices. There is usually always something to find in their clearance section.
Is it worth it to buy from Thunder Tactical?
As a repeat buyer of Thunder Tactical, I have a little experience in buying from them at a few different points in the company’s historical timeline. That is to say, I have been able to buy at some of the good times, but also some of the bad times. And it just goes to show that all companies slip up sometimes, and where you really find the worth in buying from a company, is more than some minor slip ups. It is about how they go about rectifying problems, as well as having exactly what I need.
I have bought 2 AR-15 rifle kits, and 3,5 pack of AR-15 lowers from Thunder Tactical in the time that I have been a customer with them. The only major problem has been communication in some cases, where it doesn’t take so long for people to get back in touch, but it can take a while for issues to be rectified. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t hear anything back from them. In fact, you are more apt to not have any problems with them at all.
The prices on Thunder Tactical’s website are very competitive with other online stores. And they definitely have the credibility as a longstanding company to deliver on their promises If you are in the market for mid range AR-15s, Thunder Tactical is definitely a good option.
What is it like to buy from Thunder Tactical?
If you have purchased from Thunder Tactical before, you may have a good idea of what its really like, however, I have made several orders with them. Ordering from Thunder Tactical is easy really. You shop for what you want on their website, which is very user friendly after their last couple of updates, and click on order. Now, if you are planning on shipping it to a different address than the billing address, they will require a verification of the identity and the address in order to proceed with the order. This policy is meant to defend against otherwise fraudulent transactions. That is the only real hassle you may experience when making an order. Otherwise, I have made orders over the phone, and through the website with no problems whatsoever.
It is very good to buy from Thunder Tactical during holidays, as they are constantly running some kind of sale or coupon code. This is especially the case for Black Friday and Christmas. Lowers have been in very high demand recently, so the problem with buying has been to place an order when they are actually in stock.
In conclusion, Thunder Tactical is a good company. It is under good management, has gone through many different updates that have made it better, and sells a quality product. Where they have not performed so well, there has been clear effort to perform better even while struggling with overwhelming amounts of demand for the products they sell in general. Thunder Tactical remains as one of the better companies to buy 80% lower AR-15 lowers, parts and kits.
