Build your own AR-15 w/o registration or serial number

[ProgressiveProfessor]

Story here: http://www.10news.com/home/homepage-showcase/people-line-up-to-legally-make-untraceable-guns

Fact is federal law allows you to make firearms for personal use. Its not all that hard if you have the time and the tooling. It is a lot like building an experimental aircraft.

Given the modularity of the AR design, I expect to see more of this.

State laws may vary so be careful. In the case of California don't forget that the magazine removal needs to require the use of a tool

[slackmaster]

1. Other important things to note about California state law

Even with a fixed magazine design, magazine capacity cannot exceed 10 rounds for any newly manufactured weapon.

It's also possible to build a rifle that takes detachable magazines but doesn't fall under the state's definition of "assault weapon" by not having a conventional pistol grip, threaded muzzle, folding stock, or bayonet mount.

I built my own AR-15 lower receiver before the ban, so it's fully featured and legal.

[Eleanors38]

2. shocking.

[DonP]

3. So that's why I did it?

All the time I was building my AR's I thought it was doing it to save a few bucks and to get exactly the rifle I wanted.

I had no idea it was to avoid being traced by the authorities.

Once again the local news people offer me fresh new insight into why we gun owners do things.

[ileus]

4. I'd like to stamp and serial number my own lower.

[Remmah2]

10. If you have a local FFL you can order one totally custom.

Lowers are simple to assemble.

Lead times now are 3-6 months (so a 5 day waiting period is nothing . Lead times for the better quality parts are long for everything now thanks to the panic people so it'll be awhile before I build another target rifle.

[ileus]

13. I "built " my first lower this spring.

Never did buy an upper...

[holdencaufield]

5. It's amazing that some misinformed people here ...

... believe that modern guns can only be made in high-tech factories run by evil gun companies -- apparently all owned by Dick Cheney.

[slackmaster]

6. The only part of many modern firearms that is truly out of reach for a hobbyist to make...

...is a rifled barrel. That requires heavy equipment.

[Remmah2]

7. Local museum has a replica gunsmith shop.

Some jack screws, a little math and a pinch of mechanical ingenuity. It wouldn't be fast but it could be done.

[slackmaster]

8. They were doing it in the 18th Century, so it isn't rocket science

But it's certainly beyond my skill level at the moment.

[Remmah2]

9. Modern firearms.

Not shopping either today, good man!

Higher pressures of modern cartridges necessitated better materials and better machining to minimize the weight of firearms. They use to cast cannons out of brass and bronze! On the farm we use to make golf ball mortars out of schedule 40 pipe pounded deep into the ground (in case it blew). We even rifled a PVC plastic potato cannon that used propane. We didn't invent anything (or kill anyone) we just got information that was at hand and made things. (Young and dumb).

IIRC Kalashnikov played with farm equipment before he went into the army. Makes me wonder what went through Kalashnikov's, Ga rand's and Browning's minds??

[slackmaster]

11. Browning is particularly fascinating to me. I've worked on several guns that he designed.

Including building a 1911 pistol from unfinished parts.

As a machinist it's very interesting following his footsteps. He used tooling in creative ways, such as using key-seat cutters to machine grooves both for sliding parts and static components with tongue-and-groove connections. My manual vertical milling machine is functionally identical to one he used for many years in his little shop in Utah.

[Remmah2]

12. And Browning didn't have CNC or CAD either.

All manual calculations and operations. 1911's fascinate the hell out of me.