[Watchman]

Does anyone have any pictures of project rifles they have built ?Lets see what youve got.

Heres one that I did a few years ago, its a Maddi-Griffin clone with some modifications done to it.http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p8ae39fd838d1478b7d73f059d821cd21/fc996435.jpg


more pics (http://community.webshots.com/user/bob102759)

[makdaddy03]

Cool!

[Gordon]

Very , very good craftsmanship!

[Chipperman]

Nice looking rifle. Sorry to go a bit OT, but I have a relating question:

A couple of months ago, I saw a special on TV talking about 50 cal rifles. They were talking about a kit (I think it was the Maadi), that had no SN and was sold not as a "firearm".

My question is that, wouldn't the buyer be breaking the law when putting the kit together? The person would, if effect, be manufacturing a firearm. They did not address that in the show.

[Steve Smith]

http://www.ray-vin.com/cat/images/lower.jpg

Do it yourself AR receiver..100% legal. Plans coming soon from www.ray-vin.com

[Kharn]

There's a lot of guys doing similiar projects over on: roderuscustom.tzo.com's forums. I've done two ARs and a 1911; I'm currently working on 4 more ARs and an AK, but college is preventing me from getting the shop time I need.

Kharn

[Watchman]

My question is that, wouldn't the buyer be breaking the law when putting the kit together? The person would, if effect, be manufacturing a firearm. They did not address that in the show.

Good question. The ATF allows an individual to manufacture ONE rifle a year for personal use.

No serial numbers are required unless one transfers it.

A liscenced FFL must have a manufacturers permit to legally sell, but this is not required for an individual that is building one for personal use.

[redneck]

Are you guys building from parts, or machining it all from scratch?
If your machining it, what would you say is the minimum amount of equipment to knock out someting really simple? Mill and lathe?

I make knives and have a mill and lathe on the list of things that will eventually be in my shop. Gonna take some classes on machine work soon if I can too. I've got a lyman great plains rifle about 80% done on the workbench right now and I'm suddenly getting the idea that it would be cool to eventually build cartridge guns. (notice I said eventually, meaning before I die ;) )

Steve,
Is that receiver cast? Do you have to make your own dies/molds and everything? :eek:

[Kharn]

Good question. The ATF allows an individual to manufacture ONE rifle a year for personal use.

You can make as many as you want in a year.

Kharn

[Watchman]

You can make as many as you want in a year.

Sure you can as long as you have a manufacturers liscence. Do you know otherwise ?

Kharn,
a good mill and a good lathe is a must. With the mill you must have a dividing head to index the receiver and bolt. Other than the tools that go with such, you need the skill to do it and you need to have a way to heat treat the parts. I used case hardening for many of the smaller parts, but proper heat treat of the receiver and the bolt is essential for your own saftey and for those around you. As for rifleing the barrel, you are better off buying a rifle blank. These are barrels that are already rifled and in some cases the chamber is already cut in them. All you have to do is fit it up to the receiver and figure out the sighting system.The rest you can build from scratch or in mos tcases purchase the parts.

Steve Smith;
I might be interested in a set of plans for the AR lower when they come out.Let me know.

[redneck]

I'm redneck
But thanks thats good to know. I think a dividing head can only be found on a little bigger mill than what I was originally thinking, but thats down the road anyways. Figured on the barrel blank for sure, and I'm slowly buildin up my knowledge of heat treating and equipment.
Like I said, before I die I'll build one. An by God I'll live to shoot it more than once too :D

[Watchman]

I'm redneck

Whoops...sorry about that. I think you ought to try it. Get a set of prints and build to spec and everything will work out great. There's nothing better than buiding a piece and shooting it and having it be fairly accurate. You can customize alot of parts like I did to make a unique rifle and you can do it "cheap" (if you dont count the cost of the mill,lathe, cutting tools and the special attachments that is).:what:

[AZTOY]

Ok want about torch cut receivers .Can we fix weld them back together.:confused:

[gun-fucious]

For AR15s, you buy an 80% finished forged lower
and start milling

one dood on AR15.com finished one mujadeem style with hand tools

http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=3&f=4

doing a reweld on a reciever is something i would leave to a very competent dood

[Jake 98c/11b]

Watchman, where did you read in the regs that you can only make one per year? Only thing I have ever read said you can not make them for commercial purposes (without a manufacturers license), you can even give them away (within certain limitations) and still be in good standing with the law.

[curt]

I think that the BATF has typically looked at rewelding a machine guns reciever as manufacturing a machine gun. There has been some controversy about M14 recievers lately that sounds pretty sticky. Plus of course you get into that whole heat treatment thing.

80% AR recievers are supposed to be fairly doable with a drilling jib and a drill press. FWIW AFAIK you can build as many as you'd like in a year. If you start selling them then its a whole new ballgame.

[Chipperman]

So it's OK to build a rifle for personal use. That's cool.
Can you make anything as long as it does not violate NFA?
(IE any caliber, action style, etc)

[Steve Smith]

To all about the lower. I dont' knwo when the plans will come out. Soon is the word.

You can buy the rough 80% forgings off the shelf so to speak, and then you machine the rest yourself.

[Kharn]

Watchman:

From the ATF FAQs (http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#a) :
(A7) Does the GCA prohibit anyone from making a handgun, shotgun or rifle? [Back]

With certain exceptions a firearm may be made by a nonlicensee provided it is not for sale and the maker is not prohibited from possessing firearms.
However, a person is prohibited from making a semiautomatic assault weapon or assembling a nonsporting semiautomatic rifle or nonsporting shotgun from
imported parts. In addition, the making of an NFA firearm requires a tax payment and approval by ATF. An application to make a machinegun will not be
approved unless documentation is submitted showing that the firearm is being made for a federal or state agency. [18 U. S. C. 922( o), (r), (v), and 923, 27 CFR 178.39, 178.40, 178.41 and 179.105]

No limit is mentioned there, nor in the written correspondance I have had with the technical branch on the subject of making Ar15s:
http://www.chesapeake.net/~mcfadden/bigtoys/law/1.jpg
http://www.chesapeake.net/~mcfadden/bigtoys/law/2.jpg
http://www.chesapeake.net/~mcfadden/bigtoys/law/3.jpg

Kharn

[Ed]

I have built a flintlock .45 cal rifle. I am now working on a .50 cal Flintlock. Not kits, I like to do it from pretty basic. I just need about $700 in parts and wood. But what the heck its fun.

[Watchman]

Kharn:

Good info on the links...Thanks.