[Tenx100s]

looks like cast, not forged, to me

I understand your conclusion. It does look like there is a mold parting line but forging does the same thing. Investment casting (lost wax process) gives them a lot more opportunity to get closer to net finished form. According to casting house customer that I did some repair, upgrades and revisions on their molds for told me that they can move porosity around but can never completely eliminate it. The porosity and resulting grain structure are why castings are generally considered less desirable. Forging produces almost zero porosity and a more compact grain structure.
So does anyone have a problem with Ruger cast frames or how about Freedom Arms? Ruger knows casting about as well as anyone and FA uses 17-4 PH which is some d**n tough s**t.

 

[Tenx100s]

is that an aluminum cast ?

If you are referring to the first photo posted by to OP the answer is no. That is a forging. The forging process gives you a rough outline of final product whereas the casting process allows for more detail, closer to net dimensions and features. As an example, I copied a photo of a cast aluminum lower from www.80-lower.com so you can see the greater detail possible in the casting process.
Unlike the die for forgings the casting mold can have inserts and slides that allow features like pockets, holes and undercut features to some extent. Holes usually do not come out round so still require machining if they are critical or threaded.

 

[Tenx100s]

View attachment 659371 View attachment 659371 Heres an old list of forges in the US many years ago. I will bet 90% are long gone. Sad, really sad. View attachment 659371

The downturn in 2008-9 buried quite a few forging and casting houses. I have done some work for a couple of casting houses, one in Spanish Fork, Utah that was bought out and then closed. The only forging house that I have done work for is Anchor Harvey in Illinois. I designed and we fabricated some gages for a Harley Davidson frame part they were producing in the USA and Canada. They specialize in aluminum. You Harley riders were getting top quality from those guys. I never confirmed but I think they also did AR upper and lower forgings.

 

[Tenx100s]

View attachment 659371 View attachment 659371 Heres an old list of forges in the US many years ago. I will bet 90% are long gone. Sad, really sad. View attachment 659371

You really got me curious about Trinity Forge because I bought some 1911 forgings from them for some prototype ideas. They are still in Mansfield, TX and still serving the firearms industry.

 

[Tenx100s]

Ahhh, Harvey, best be armed going there theses days. Used to be many mfg’s in and around Harvey years ago. IIRC, last time I was there was 82.

It's funny you bring up the Freeport,IL area. I have never been in their facility. I used to do a lot of gage work for TEAM Industries who made a lot of drive train components for Polaris, Arctic Cat and others. They are the ones who referred us to Anchor Harvey because TEAM was going to be one of the companies machining forgings for Harley Davidson. I made a lot of gages for TEAM for their HD production. It's interesting how time and the economy has changed our industries. For several years my largest customer was TEAM then 3M pretty much captivated our capacity and this past year it was Collins an aerospace company that builds cargo systems. We don't design for them but machine prototype components and assemblies.