AR-15 Pistol

[whatluck]

Can anyone please point me to where I can find info on making an AR-15 pistol from a stripped lower in MA? Thx.

 

[glide]

You pretty much cannot do that in MA.

Making it an SBR would the closest option.

 

[jasons]

Our AWB references the old Federal AWB which said that "pistols" like this are banned:

Semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines and two or more of the following:

• Magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip
• Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor
• Barrel shroud that can be used as a hand-hold
• Unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more
• A semi-automatic version of an automatic firearm

By default pretty much any AR lower would have the "(detachable) magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip," so therefore you could not have any other "evil" feature or you'd be "two or more." That means we CAN'T have:

• Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor - easy enough
• Barrel shroud that can be used as a hand-hold - take off the hand guards, check.
• Unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more - this one would be tough, but there are receivers made from exotic materials that might get you most of the way there. You could probably substitute a titanium bolt for a steel one to save a few more oz. Sounds expensive - how much is this worth to you?
• A semi-automatic version of an automatic firearm - this one might be the killer... IANAL, but it's not hard to imagine an prosecutor arguing that the AR is a semi-automatic version of an M-16. (Maybe there's some precedent or case law from the days of the Federal AWB?)

Once you get past all that it seems to me (again just a layperson) that you'd still have to deal the the BATFE's "once a rifle, always a rifle" BS. I assume you'd need to find a virgin lower that was never configured or registered as a rifle EVER. That means in the original manufacturer's bound book, as well as every distributor or dealer who ever had it at any point in the supply chain.

Don't know... To me it sounds like an expensive dance in a minefield for something that's kind of lame (IMO) anyway.

 

[kingson]

You best bet would be to buy one that is in MA already (hard to find, but they are out there). Here is a pic of the one I had when I lived in MA. It was made in 1996 so it was pre 98 for MA. Or you could find one that is pre 94 AWB. Mine was a Professional Ordnance Carbon-15. It got around the weight by being made of carbon fiber so it was 49 ounces

 

[whatluck]

You best bet would be to buy one that is in MA already (hard to find, but they are out there). Here is a pic of the one I had when I lived in MA. It was made in 1996 so it was pre 98 for MA. Or you could find one that is pre 94 AWB. Mine was a Professional Ordnance Carbon-15. It got around the weight by being made of carbon fiber so it was 49 ounces

Ugh. I want.

 

[LoginName]

Our AWB references the old Federal AWB which said that "pistols" like this are banned:



By default pretty much any AR lower would have the "(detachable) magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip," so therefore you could not have any other "evil" feature or you'd be "two or more." That means we CAN'T have:

• Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor - easy enough
• Barrel shroud that can be used as a hand-hold - take off the hand guards, check.
• Unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more - this one would be tough, but there are receivers made from exotic materials that might get you most of the way there. You could probably substitute a titanium bolt for a steel one to save a few more oz. Sounds expensive - how much is this worth to you?
• A semi-automatic version of an automatic firearm - this one might be the killer... IANAL, but it's not hard to imagine an prosecutor arguing that the AR is a semi-automatic version of an M-16. (Maybe there's some precedent or case law from the days of the Federal AWB?)

Once you get past all that it seems to me (again just a layperson) that you'd still have to deal the the BATFE's "once a rifle, always a rifle" BS. I assume you'd need to find a virgin lower that was never configured or registered as a rifle EVER. That means in the original manufacturer's bound book, as well as every distributor or dealer who ever had it at any point in the supply chain.

Don't know... To me it sounds like an expensive dance in a minefield for something that's kind of lame (IMO) anyway.

The weight issue is the toughest one to get by; unless you don't mind owning something that looks like this...

The "once a rifle... always a rifle"/stripped lower shouldn't be a problem if ordered as such from the manufacturer.

The one exception that comes to mind is Colt lowers as Colt never shipped/sold stripped lowers.

One other point worth mentioning... is there's no need or legal reason to use lowers marked "pistol".

The marking's not required by the BATFE or Federal law, it's just a marketing device for the overly concerned.

 

[abomb60]

The Bushmaster Carbon-15's come under the 50oz weight limit but you may have to neuter it to be AWB compliant (no fs, remove handguard, etc). It will be challenging to legally build one in MA from stripped receiver since the receiver will be aluminum and must have never had a stock on it to be used for a pistol build. I've seen receivers that are marked as pistol but I don't think that there is any difference with a stripped lower receiver since it's not a rifle or pistol until a stock goes on making it a rifle.

Of course this being MA if you buy a "pistol" receiver then you'll need to find an FFL that will transfer an offlist non-AG compliant pistol to you.

Just my $0.02 but i'd SBR it then you can do what you like and it'll be much more fun IMHO.

 

[whatluck]

I haven't tried, but it's my understanding that the CLEO of my town doesn't like to sign off on anything 'special'.