Why is the AR lower FFL?

[Ash]

Okay, in every rifle I can think of, the receiver is that part which holds the bolt and connects to the barrel. This is true of all bolt action rifles, the FAL, the AK and its derivatives, etc. Yet with the AR, the receiver does none of these things. It merely holds the magazine and fire control group.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is a blessing to the AR crowd. This means the most critical part of the rifle, the upper, can be had without license. One can buy the least critical part, the lower, (a critical part, of course, but you know what I mean) and then customize, modify, etc, etc, etc, with uppers all day long. With one purchase of a lower, you can have the infinite AR.

You can't do that with the FAL or AK or the vast majority of rifles or shotguns out there. The question is, why it is the upper is not the licensed part?

Ash

 

[DMK]

Okay, in every rifle I can think of, the receiver is that part which holds the bolt and connects to the barrel. This is true of all bolt action rifles, the FAL, the AK and its derivatives, etc.

Actually, in every rifle I can think of, the serial numbered part is the piece that holds the magazine.

Who knows why the ATF decides such things the way they do. It's like trying to figure out what women are thinking.

 

[DogBonz]

Serial Number.

Because that is where the serial number is, and to the best of my knowledge, that is the part that is usually considered the "gun". Also, it may have something to do with being the most intricate piece to manufacture. Then again, who knows what the BATF was thinking, as they usually aren't.

 

[DMK]

Yet with the AR, the receiver does none of these things. It merely holds the magazine and fire control group.

Actually both the upper and lower are receivers for both the FAL and AR. It's just that only one is the 'gun' according to the ATF. Other countries decide these things differently. I believe Germany or Austria determines that the barrel is the controlled part.

Because that is where the serial number is, and to the best of my knowledge, that is the part that is usually considered the "gun".

Right. And I believe the question is, why is the lower the part with the S/N.

 

[Ash]

The serial number is a bit the horse or the cart. The serial number is placed on the controlled part. The FAL lower is fundamentally the the same as the AR, save for the magazine. And that is the lower.

But, forget about the magazine. Naturally, the AR would be pretty darn silly without a magazine. However, let's forget that for a moment and focus on the upper. Say, I wanted to make a single-shot AR. Like a bench-rest shooter. And let's say I chose to use an FAL lower, which theoretically could be used to to the job with heavy modification. Then, I chose to manually feed the action or, better yet, chose to bubbafy the action by zip-tying the magazine to the upper. I could theoretically make a working firearm without any controlled part. The rifle could fire. Theoretically I could even make it reliable and sturdy enough for use. And it would be a working firearm without a legally defined receiver.

Now, that is a practice in theory of course. Making it work would be tough. But it could be done. The AR is the only firearm I can think of that would work in this way (perhaps the Daewoo). Would the upper magically become the receiver without a feed mechanism like all these single-shot rifles out there? Would it not and I would have a firearm that worked without a single controlled part?

Ash

 

[Frog48]

Sometimes I think that the ATF just flips a coin, or plays paper-rock-scissors, to make decisions.

 

[jerkface11]

On the ruger .22 auto pistols the upper half is the gun. But on every other autoloader i've ever seen the lower half is.

 

[kcmarine]

Because they can.

 

[glimmerman]

in all firearms the part that is FFL controled is the part that has the fireing mechanism. ie. the trigger assy is in the AR lower and that is the part regulated by the ATF,also on pistols the part that holds the trigger, sear and hammer. they want to know that the fireing mech is semi auto and not full auto.

 

[Ash]

Can't be, because the hammer, trigger, and sear are in the FAL lower and it is not regulated.

Ash

 

[Langenator]

The hammer, trigger, and I believe the sear ain both the M-14/M1A and the SKS are found in the trigger group. And the trigger group for both is uncontrolled.

Even, IIRC, an M-14 trigger group with an FA sear. ATF says the FA M-14 receiver is the NFA item.

 

[CypherNinja]

The ATF has a list.

• Barrel attachment point
• Magazine well
• Houses bolt
• Trigger group
• Stock attachment point

Whoever has the most from the list wins a serial number.


EDIT: Seriously guys, why am I the only one who knew that one? Maybe I've hanging out at RCG too long.....

 

[Ash]

Ah, so there it is.

Ash

 

[DMK]

Figures that they'd have a formula. They are like IRS agents, but for guns.