Cheap AR-15 DIY*Now with "Zombie" lower option*

[corwin]

I don't believe that's the right interpretation of that website. You are allowed to fabricate, from a blank piece of steel or aluminum, a non-fully automatic firearm for yourself. My friend's dad does it. You do not need to be a licensed firearms producer to do that. An AR-15 stripped lower was already made by a licensed firearm manufacturer, it has a serial number, and you need a NICS check in order to buy one from a firearms dealer.* Assembling a lower from parts is not being a manufacturer because the lower is the "firearm", it has already been manufactured. It IS illegal to assemble, from parts, a "non sporting weapon", which is another way of saying a fully automatic weapon.

Now what IS illegal, is to buy a firearm for someone else, that's a straw purchase. Buying a lower with the intent to sell it to your friend Bob, is illegal. Buying a lower with the intent to sell it to *someone* at some point in the future, I'm not sure of the legality of that.** In conclusion, I really believe that adding a lower parts kit to it has nothing to do with the legality of it. It doesn't make you a manufacturer.

*in my state, you do NOT need to buy a gun from a firearms dealer and thus you do not need to do a background check.
**people do it all the time, but pretty hard to prosecute for it when a perfectly legal defense is, "I bought it for myself and changed my mind."

They were talking about 80% lowers, no serial number and not a gun

 

[Triumph]

They were talking about 80% lowers, no serial number and not a gun

Oh I see that now. That sounds like a terrible idea. Not because of legality but because someone with no experience machining thinks it'd be ok to make their own to avoid some FFL transfer fees? I would do it, but I'm also a fair machinist with access to professional equipment. I'm sure lots of people do it, but I'd be very hesitant to fire some of them.

 

[coxmaster]

Oh I see that now. That sounds like a terrible idea. Not because of legality but because someone with no experience machining thinks it'd be ok to make their own to avoid some FFL transfer fees? I would do it, but I'm also a fair machinist with access to professional equipment. I'm sure lots of people do it, but I'd be very hesitant to fire some of them.

Why? The lower serves as little more than a trigger pack for an AR15 essentially. Everything explosive happens in the upper receiver/barrel extension so the lower doesn't really make much difference.

 

[shortylickens]

 

[Triumph]

Why? The lower serves as little more than a trigger pack for an AR15 essentially. Everything explosive happens in the upper receiver/barrel extension so the lower doesn't really make much difference.

because i don't believe in half ass machining.

 

[shortylickens]

Better yet:


http://www.chucksguns.com/flashligh...s-batteries&osCsid=7lhfi8ktgo7q27fol8qg7oond5

 

[corwin]

Oh I see that now. That sounds like a terrible idea. Not because of legality but because someone with no experience machining thinks it'd be ok to make their own to avoid some FFL transfer fees? I would do it, but I'm also a fair machinist with access to professional equipment. I'm sure lots of people do it, but I'd be very hesitant to fire some of them.

Its not about cost, 80% lowers are more expensive...but they also don't technically exist

As for completing them its really not hard but also a good reason they can't be sold

 

[Triumph]

I did somereading on 80% lopwers yesterday and read an article on milling a lower from billet. I wouldn't trust any old person to do it, but somebody with fab skills should be able to do it just fine, and any 80% lower looks like a piece of cake for any competent machinist with a standar knee mill. I may look into doing a cast lower. Anyone know if mill spec lowers are cast or fully machined?