Built a few AR-15 A3's this weekend...

[CarbonSteel]

You have to ask yourself--is a $4.00 savings worth any of the aforementioned? My answer is quite definitive--no $%@*+#! way. In this day and age, I believe that you are more than playing with fire to have an unserialized AR-15 receiver in your possession. It does not matter if on paper it is legal, it is how it is interpreted by the ATF and the court that would matter and more often than not, things would not go in your favor. Even if not found guilty of anything, the defense costs could be 1000x the savings of purchasing a finished receiver. The machine work and coating alone is worth $4.00...never mind the legal aspect of it.

 

[Robenstein]

You would seriously want to keep proof you ordered an 80% lower around. And many people who make their own guns do punch serial numbers in them. For no other reason than if they get stolen there are identifying markings on the gun.

But yeah, for 4 bucks and a cheap FFL transfer....not worth it IMHO. But your mileage may vary.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
An 80% lower that you finish is legal to own. Because it's not a "gun" yet, the unfinished lower can be sold & shipped directly to a private citizen. No FFL needed. You can go finish it for your own use....

But the instant you try to sell it, you have now become a gun manufacturer, who is selling a firearm without a serial #, and you're in big trouble. Big trouble.


Can it be inherited? What happens when you die? I assume there is no way to trace it provided your children don't try and sell it?

 

[Robenstein]

Well if they have another ban and grandfather older ones in...your kids would have a hard time proving it was a grandfathered lower with no ability to trace a serial number to a date of manufacture.

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Originally Posted By: whip
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
In addition, would I then be a firearms "manufacturer" and have the ATF to contend with? Not what I call fun any day of the week.

The lower is already built by the "gun" manufacturer. You're simply modifying it. You shouldn't have issues with ATF.

There is no serial number on an unfinished receiver and no FFL required to purchase it, so I am pretty sure that I would indeed building it and not simply modifying it--i.e. I would be manufacturing a firearm since it was not previously one when purchased in the 80% state.

That's where I'm wrong. I assumed the lower had a serial number, and the owner was simply finishing them. If they do not have a serial number, than would cause possible issues down the road.
For a savings of $4, I wouldn't bother, but some people like to have more of a personal touch to their toys.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: Astro14
An 80% lower that you finish is legal to own. Because it's not a "gun" yet, the unfinished lower can be sold & shipped directly to a private citizen. No FFL needed. You can go finish it for your own use....

But the instant you try to sell it, you have now become a gun manufacturer, who is selling a firearm without a serial #, and you're in big trouble. Big trouble.


Can it be inherited? What happens when you die? I assume there is no way to trace it provided your children don't try and sell it?
When you are dead it is out of you hands and if your kids care about the rifle they will know what to do.

 

[CT8]

If you are legally able to own a firearm it is 100% legal to build a non nfa gun.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: CT8
If you are legally able to own a firearm it is 100% legal to build a non nfa gun.


Agreed.

The issue comes in transferring it...and I don't know what happens re: inheritance...

 

[Shannow]

re last few posts, that's one thing I loved in a couple of magazines I read while we were on holidays over there in the US...build it yourself...build it with your kids as a project.

Again, here, if I buy a piece of aluminium pipe and blow a marble out of it, it's a prohibited weapon, $10,000 fine, 2 years in jail