I screwed up, AR Pistol help

[Sketti]

Per you guys suggestion, I've been checking out the Gunsmithing forum. It's been very helpful, thank you!

[Warhawk014]

often times someone on here will buy a ar pistol and find out its not what they really wanted. so they often sell it, sometimes they part it out. best thing for you right now would be to find a complete pistol lower that has been dros'ed as a pistol and PPT to you. or just build from 80% lower

[phdo]

I have never heard that building an AR type gun from a stripped lower is illegal. Where did you hear that?

It's illegal to build a pistol from a rifle lower. If the lower left the manufacturer as a rifle, it can never be a pistol. It doesn't apply vice versa.

OP, you picked the wrong time to build an AR, my friend. Good luck with finding a pistol lower or an 80% to finish the build. It'll cost an arm and a leg for a stripped lower right now, let alone a pistol lower.

[thehummerguy]

Correct me if I a wrong, but if you buy a stripped lower, the entry on the 4473 should say receiver, not rifle,pistol, shotgun. Also, if when you buy the stripped lower you tell them and they run out the dros as a pistol it is then registered as pistol and can never go back to being a rifle....correct me in any of this.

[Warhawk014]

Correct me if I a wrong, but if you buy a stripped lower, the entry on the 4473 should say receiver, not rifle,pistol, shotgun. Also, if when you buy the stripped lower you tell them and they run out the dros as a pistol it is then registered as pistol and can never go back to being a rifle....correct me in any of this.

you cannot dros a bare reciever as a pistol. you can go from pistol to rifle but not vice versa. and once you go from pistol to rifle, it stays that way

[mrdd]

It's illegal to build a pistol from a rifle lower. If the lower left the manufacturer as a rifle, it can never be a pistol. It doesn't apply vice versa.

Please explain how a stripped lower leaves a "manufacturer as a rifle". A stripped lower is a receiver, considered a firearm component, not a completed firearm by a feds.

Now, if a receiver is built into a completed rifle, that is a different situation. But, please explain how a stripped receiver leaves a manufacturer as a rifle or pistol. Please cite your authority or source for your explanation.

[mrdd]

you cannot dros a bare reciever as a pistol. you can go from pistol to rifle but not vice versa. and once you go from pistol to rifle, it stays that way

That is irrelevant. Just because you did not dros a bare receiver as a concealable firearm, that does not make it into a rifle.

[john67elco]

I'm building 2 pistols ATM. Ive been getting back order deals just fine. Just need to be patient. Bought my 7.5 and 11" barrels off calguns for 250 both and I already machined my lowers in NOV. I find that the lowers and the LPK are the hardest also any mags. The BCG I bought pre panic also. Don't build crap unless you can get a complete lower and BCG for cheap. Other than that I'd hold off.

[Ninety]

Please explain how a stripped lower leaves a "manufacturer as a rifle". A stripped lower is a receiver, considered a firearm component, not a completed firearm by a feds.

Now, if a receiver is built into a completed rifle, that is a different situation. But, please explain how a stripped receiver leaves a manufacturer as a rifle or pistol. Please cite your authority or source for your explanation.

This doesn't apply to free states... you don't live in a free state.. all lowers are drosed as other/rifle. not as a pistol. To Sell an AR pistol it has to be complete. Can't just sell the lower.. SSE with upper.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe this is how it works.. there are a few threads on here where The Librarian has chimed in....

In most other states it does not matter.. this is a CA thing. But what I've often wondered is .. can I buy a lower out of state and build it as a pistol? I can buy out of state.

[Warhawk014]

That is irrelevant. Just because you did not dros a bare receiver as a concealable firearm, that does not make it into a rifle.

you cannot build an ar pistol from a stripped lower that you purchased. the only way to legally build your own ar pistol is from an 80%. you can buy a complete ar pistol via SSE or PPT one that has already been drosed.

[Sketti]

Huh, so if I bought a new, stripped lower that said "Pistol" on it would I then be ok to build an AR 15 Pistol? Do they even sell that in CA? Are there any exemptions for LEO? I don't mind if I have to register the AR Pistol like a handgun, all I care about is it being legal.

I'm not sure what the difference is if I buy a completed Pistol as oppose to buying a stripped lower receiver that was made for a "Pistol". If the only thing that is registered is the lower receiver serial # what does it matter what other parts are on it because you can change them out anyway.

[Warhawk014]

Huh, so if I bought a new, stripped lower that said "Pistol" on it would I then be ok to build an AR 15 Pistol? Do they even sell that in CA? Are there any exemptions for LEO? I don't mind if I have to register the AR Pistol like a handgun, all I care about is it being legal.

I'm not sure what the difference is if I buy a completed Pistol as oppose to buying a stripped lower receiver that was made for a "Pistol". If the only thing that is registered is the lower receiver serial # what does it matter what other parts are on it because you can change them out anyway.

does not matter if its marked pistol or not, you still cannot build your own ar pistol from a stripped lower that you purchased. when you buy a complete ar pistol from a dealer, it has to be drosed SSE. to avoid the roster and drop test, but you cannot just dros a reciever as a pistol. because its not a pistol. its just a reciever.

[ptroxx]

Good info on this thread too..

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_8_39/477037_.html

[Sketti]

Good info on this thread too..

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_8_39/477037_.html

That's where I hang out and got the idea to build the pistol in the first place.

[Sketti]

does not matter if its marked pistol or not, you still cannot build your own ar pistol from a stripped lower that you purchased. when you buy a complete ar pistol from a dealer, it has to be drosed SSE. to avoid the roster and drop test, but you cannot just dros a reciever as a pistol. because its not a pistol. its just a reciever.

Well crap, ok I guess I'll have to go to one of those build parties if I can ever get a 80% lower! Looks like I'll have to build 2 new ARs now, 1 Pistol and 1 Rifle.

Thanks for the info!