I'm a California MAC daddy!

[AJAX22]

I built this back in march, but I had a few problems that I wanted to address before I posted pics.

She is in need of some polish and park, but here is my li'l girl.

An AJAX ARMS model A0001 9mm closed bolt semi auto pistol.

I was having some serious issues with the standard pins working loose and jamming the transfer bar in such a way that the bolt was triggering a sear release when it slammed forward which caused some interesting if not dangerous problems. (thats why I now have those neat pins that can't work loose EVER, thanks again to the member on here who helped me fix that, take a bow if you'd like to )

[wilit]

Ahhh... That's the baby I've been interested to see. Looks sweet.

[mike100]

Props on the motivation to "stick it to the man" with the 80 percent reciever stuff.

[ts]

i want one

[VegasND]

Nifty, I didn't even know you could build your own receiver under your laws. Good job!

Details, please. Especially inerested in how you met the letter of CA law.

[AJAX22]

sure thing vegasnd,

what law are you wondering about?

Its not an AW because its not A MAC pistol (its not even a MAC series pistol, MAC didn't make a version of the M11/9) it accepts magazines through the grip, and doesn't have a threaded barrel or foregrip.

The CA DOJ has issued several letters to the effect that it is legal to build your own pistol in the state of CA. and the fed's have been ok with it for a long time (so long as you don't get anything thats 'too complete') i.e. the 80% problem that bill is always mentioning

You just buy the parts (closed bolt semi kit) stamp the correct makers markings (I reccomend adding "NOT FOR TRANSFER" to indicate that it is not being manufactured for sale) drill the appropriate holes, weld the parts togeather and finish it off. then heat treat the receiver holes (hammer pin is crucial, it WILL streatch)

and when you're done, if you want to you can file for a voulentary registration.

These can also be built with a sten magazine well, and any future build I do will have one of those, I just did this one with a standard cobray magwell so that I could use my preban m11 mags.. that was a bit of a mistake, they work, but they are cheezy and seem to be prone to wearing out.

the next one will share sten mags with my 9mm AR carbine.

any specific questions?

[VegasND]

Thanks. Actually I'm surprised. The process you described sounds about the same as building it here would be. I just assumed CA would have more restrictions and you'd have more hoops to jump through.

I ask because I may be moving back to CA in the next year or so and would really like to have a good idea of what it takes to stay legal there. Again, thanks

[Q]

Looks good ajax,
The the pins with rings look funny (like two tata rings). I love the not for transfer stamping.

[5968]

You are the MAN AJAX!

[saki302]

PM sent about your pins

Was that built from a stamping, or with a weld-together plate kit?

I built mine in the mid 90's with a plate kit and some beer (friend's TIG welder bribe!).
The stamping would have been cleaner, but we had no way to stamp it nicely. Looks liek nothing has changed in that design for more than a few decades- including the incredible disappearing e-clip. I was hoping someone would have made a better hammer pivot by now.

I had to pull my barrel and lathe off the threads in 1999

-Dave

[Turbinator]

That is awesome, it looks so... uhh, subversive! Home-built look to it and all. Please take that as a compliment! I know you're totally legal, so props to you for making your own receiver!

Turby

[AJAX22]

It was built from a weld plate kit... those kits are very well designed, they lock togeather in such a way that it will not have alignment issues. Sideplates can be a bit hard to find, but once you have everything it can be built rather easily.

I dont have any concerns about the 80% issue with this build because of the simple design, welding and heat treating, and finish work constitutes a huge portion of the overall process of creating the gun frame.

Thanks for the compliments, I'm posting these pics mostly to inspire you guys to build some for yourselves. they are inacurate, and the triger slap is harsh. but I've yet to see anyone shoot this without a huge grin on their face.

[hitnrun]

Looks good ajax,
The the pins with rings look funny (like two tata rings). I love the not for transfer stamping.

Props to you for using the word tata in a gun thread!


It looks great BTW...the gun's tata's aren't half bad either.

[duenor]

ajax is the kind of guy CA needs badly. not only is he an incredibly helpful guy, he's apparently also something of a metal wizard.

[Sal]

If ajax wont mind some of the thunder being taken, I was the one who turned the pins for him(he's more than capable but lacks the tools at the moment) and they were turned to his design which should work very well and NEVER fall out like the original pins do.

I had originally planned to build a mac just like this one, i purchased the kit, the weld kit and gone through the effort of securing a DOJ letter stating that the drop testing was only for pistols made to be sold, but I had a few things come up and had to scrap the project for cash. I'm kicking myself for it because the parts kits have nearly doubled in price from what I paid just two years ago, but hey what can I do.

Ajax has done an AWESOME job building this, and they are incredibly fun to shoot(even with the numb trigger finger after just one mag) and the looks you get are just priceless.

I'm sure Ajax wouldnt mind helping anyone else out get one of these started, and I know I sure as heck wouldnt mind(I just see a free chance to do what I love in building) I've got lists of everywhere needed to pick up the parts for them, and can turn off the barrel threads, I may just also be able to make a flat bender to bend the flats that dont require as much welding.