Questions on a M-16 / AR-15 PWA Lower.

[markallen]

I have family friends whose Father just passed away a few weeks ago. And I have been helping them catalog his collection.
And they have five PWA five digit serial number lowers. I was under the impression that these were AR-15/ semi lowers.

See thread....http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=534874

They were out firing these last weekend, and it seems that two of them, have full auto capabilities, selector switch has three positions, but the lowers on the outside only show two positions.

What to do now?

Can the lowers be stripped out and sold? Or do they have to be trashed?

 

[Mags]

Probably just semi lowers with FA parts no big deal, providing the guns don't fire in FA.

 

[markallen]

That's the rub Mags, they do fire FA.

 

[Mags]

Wow, is there any paperwork on these lowers?

 

[TexasRifleman]

So are the photos you linked the actual rifles that you say are shooting full auto?

I don't see a hole for the auto sear so... if you removed all the guts you would have a semi auto AR and no problems, it's likely a drop in sear or a lightning link.

That said, if the previous owner was a collector it's entirely possible he has tax stamps for the sears or LL's and they are worth a LOT of money. If no tax stamps, prison is in your future and you probably want to talk to a firearm lawyer or NFA expert in person and not speak of this publicly again.

If there is an "extra" sear hole drilled into the receivers they are machine guns and always will be. PWA receivers could be old enough to be pre-86 too though so a drilled receiver might have paperwork and be legal. Again, if that's the case it's worth a LOT of money.

It's also possible that they are not really firing full auto properly but merely firing out of battery with some sear modification. That's illegal and also extremely dangerous.

If they DO turn out to be tax stamped you have to sell me one at a friends and family discount

 

[taliv]

edit: what TR said

 

[GoingQuiet]

I have family friends whose Father just passed away a few weeks ago. And I have been helping them catalog his collection.
And they have five PWA five digit serial number lowers. I was under the impression that these were AR-15/ semi lowers.

See thread....http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=534874

They were out firing these last weekend, and it seems that two of them, have full auto capabilities, selector switch has three positions, but the lowers on the outside only show two positions.

What to do now?

Can the lowers be stripped out and sold? Or do they have to be trashed?

You need to call NFA branch and see if they have tax stamps for the departed as an individual or trust.

You could be sitting on a gold mine or a LOT of contraband.

 

[taliv]

i wouldn't be in a hurry to call ATF or the police. I'd call PWA first and ask them if they manufactured any machine guns. (which TR says they're too young to have done, but i don't know them...) and even before that, i'd look on the side of the gun and see if there's an additional mfg etched in.

 

[ants]

On the outside, they all appear to be semiauto.
The receivers are missing the extra hole for the auto sear.




You can make a semiauto go FA by leaving out the disconnector or damaging the sear, although it's a pretty bad idea. So you probably don't have full auto guns, just semiauto in need of work to make them right.




According to common legend, PWA lower receiver #35222 or before would be preban. At least that's what most folks accept as a guideline.




All the lower receivers on your other thread appear to be forged. Nice guns.