Collecting, Cloning, Competing, Building, Shooting, Using, Hunting Why the AR-15? Collecting, Cloning, Competing, Building, Shooting, Using, Hunting

What is the AR-15? The lower receiver – the “other” Not a rifle, pistol, or shotgun until it is shootable Sold only to 21 & up by FFLs, 18 private party If never before assembled as a rifle or shotgun, can start as a pistol

The upper receiver Not a firearm (certain exceptions) Calibers from .17HMR to .50 BMG Bbl length from 1” to 27” and beyond 16” bbls minimum on rifle receivers (pin & weld) Direct gas Impingement (DI) or gas piston system .410 shotgun uppers too

The M-16 Full up Title 2 machinegun Registered Receivers (RR) Registered Lightning Link (RLL) Registered Drop In Auto Sear (RDIAS)

The Colt SP1 & later models Title 1 semi-auto Early rifles are now C&R (rolling 50 year line) Modern and surplus M-16 uppers don’t drop on SP1 lowers without adapter parts Some later Colt guns have larger diameter trigger & hammer pins Prices somewhat inflated by continued legality in Connecticut & Massachusetts of pre-’94 lowers and rifles

Building Complete lower with stock or arm brace attached Stripped lower from FFL (pre-bans valuable in MA & CT) 80% lower – requires router & jig or drill press/mill Machine from aluminum block, plastic or wood Weld steel flats together Cast of 2-part epoxy or aluminum

M-14 vs M-1A, & US-built FALs M-14 is a full-automatic military rifle, whether or not the happy switch was installed M-1A is a Title 1 semi-automatic copy of the original M-14 – what we will call a “clone” today Most FAL builds on US semi-auto receivers, using original FAL or L1A1 parts – also clones

Cloning Title 1 or 2 firearm that resembles a particular military issue rifle, just like the M-1A Use surplus upper or new made parts Some recent factory clones, including Colt and FN Modern lower, “retro” lower, or 80% Original M-16A1 parts getting expensive Competes w/ SP1 for original parts M-16, XM-16E1, M-16A1, M-16A2, XM-177, M4 and beyond clones...

16” barrels 14.5” and sometimes shorter bbls Pinned and welded or 1000 degree silver soldered Legal length, makes it difficult to change out muzzle device Cheaper than a $200 stamp for 1.5” of barrel

Competition Service rifle competition Must have original “look” of service rifle Internal steel free-float tubes, lead weights in buttstock Optics now allowed up to 4.5X magnification

Magazines Magpul is the modern standard Service Rifle requires straight 20 rounders Pistol calibers mostly use Glock magazines or modified Uzi mags known as Colt pattern Pistol mags require a mag block inserted in the magwell or a specialized lower for that mag Pre-’94 mags can still be sold in Massachusetts Even some specialized AR lowers that take AK mags

.17 HMR .222 Remington .277 Wolverine 10x25mm Norma .17 WSM .223 Remington .300 Blackout .410 2.5” .17 Remington 5.56x45mm 7.62x39mm .45 ACP .204 Ruger .224 Valkyrie .30 Remington AR .450 Bushmaster .22 LR .22 Nosler 9x19mm Luger .458 SOCOM .22 WMR 6.5mm Grendel .375 SOCOM .50 Beowulf 5.7x28mm FN 6.8mm SPC .40 S&W .50 BMG

Hunting .223 adequate for Texas whitetails, banned in some states 6.5mm Grendel, 6.8mm SPC, .300 Blackout, 7.62x39mm popular hunting cartridges .450 Bushmaster gaining popularity in straight- wall states

Pistol Caliber Conversions Straight blowback, delayed blowback, or Direct Impingement (DI – normal AR gas operation) Most use a magazine well adapter, or magblock Some use a dedicated lower Some use special magazines Glock and Colt-style (modified Uzi) are most common

Pistols and Other Firearms Any “virgin” AR lower can be built as a pistol Can convert from pistol to rifle & back, not from rifle to pistol No “pistol” marking required on lower per ATF Any buffer tube can be used per ATF Arm “braces” may be shouldered this week per ATF No Vertical Forward Grip (VFG) on pistols Other firearm is at least 26” long, has a Vertical Forward Grip (VFG), and may not be concealed on the person

.308, the AR-10, DPMS, etc .308 length and longer cartridges won’t fit in the .223 length magwell of the AR-15 4x different magazines have been used for .308 ARs; BAR mags have been used for .30-06 3 different receiver lengths, and different receiver shapes used; the MILSPEC standardization of the AR-15 not used here 12 ga 2.75” shotgun available that takes .308 DPMS Gen 1 uppers

Acknowledgments: Questions? Turnbull Manufacturing, Double Tap, H&K, AR15.com, Orion’s Hammer, the FAL Files, HenryKnoxFineBooks, Stern Defense, American Tactical, 308AR.com, Trinity Ordnance. Questions?