Full auto AR .22LR cost to build?
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Rail Driver
Member
Your only real options are a trigger pack/registered receiver or a lightning link (which I don't think works with a .22LR upper anyway) as far as I know. I could be wrong, but in my experience any full auto AR/M16 is going to be top dollar. I use an SSAR-15 stock on my semi auto AR and it simulates full auto fire quite effectively, but doesn't work at all with .22LR due to the lack of recoil. You might be able to use a drop in auto sear too, but again... high cost of ownership due to artificial control over the supply (ie: NFA laws and the ATF)
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
The frustrating thing is that regardless of what cartridge you want your M-16 to fire, you'll need either a registered "transferable" M-16 receiver or a registered "transferrable" Drop-In Auto Sear (or "Lightning Link") to make it into a full-auto gun.
Either of those parts must have been made and entered into the registry prior to May of 1986, so the price will be exactly what you've found.
Once you have the registered receiver or magic bit 'o metal, you can piece together anything from a full-auto .22 LR to a full-auto .50 Beowulf, or beyond. A company near where I used to live (BRP Guns), IIRC, used to make an adapter kit so you can use your full-auto registered M-16 lower to run the "top end" of an MG-42 8mm belt-fed machine gun!
Either of those parts must have been made and entered into the registry prior to May of 1986, so the price will be exactly what you've found.
Once you have the registered receiver or magic bit 'o metal, you can piece together anything from a full-auto .22 LR to a full-auto .50 Beowulf, or beyond. A company near where I used to live (BRP Guns), IIRC, used to make an adapter kit so you can use your full-auto registered M-16 lower to run the "top end" of an MG-42 8mm belt-fed machine gun!
kingpin008
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Not necessarily. The auto sear is the important (and expensive) part. Therefore, that's the bit you're gonna spend for.
Rail Driver
Member
Just goes to show you that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet. If you truly believe you can legally build a full auto AR for $4k in this economic and legal environment then I've got something to sell you.
There are people that believe some strange things, and they'll go to the grave screaming it out, even if it's dead wrong and everyone around has shown them evidence that they're wrong...
We run into those problems on the internet a lot.
If you can find me a legal full auto AR-15 that costs $4k then I'd jump on it.
You can build a semi auto AR-15 for under $600 if you shop around, but the DIAS or trigger pack is what's going to cost you.
Rail Driver
Member
Even a legally "converted" AR, such as I mentioned (ie building a semi for under $600 then adding the trigger pack or whatever) is going to cost MUCH more than $4k. Again... If you can find me a legal FA sear or trigger pack for $4k or less, I want one.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Not sure what you mean, exactly...
$4,000 to convert an M-16 to run .22LR? Should be cheaper than that, though I think some of the wicked cool .22 LR BELT FED might be pricey. (No, here a Lakeside version for under $700: http://www.lakesideguns.com/title1-inventory.html)
On the other hand, if someone is a Special Occupational Tax Class 002 (and FFL) they are legally able to build a full-auto M-16 or convert a semi-auto AR-15 into one. However, those are "dealer sample" guns and cannot be sold to anyone who isn't another machine gun dealer or manufacturer, or a government agency.
Maybe some charge $4,000 for that service, but I doubt it.
Aaron Baker
Member
You cannot "convert" an AR15 to full auto legally. Period.
You can buy a registered lower, in which case the cost of the lower ain't what makes it expensive. It's that there's a limited supply. It's a $10k+ item because of the supply.
You can buy a drop-in auto sear, which is itself the registered part, and it isn't that much cheaper to make than an AR15 lower, but again, it isn't materials that makes it expensive. It's the supply issue. No new ones can be made. Cost is probably similar to a registered lower, because either way, you get full auto, and that capability carries a steep price tag.
If you COULD convert an AR15 to full auto legally, it would cost pennies plus the $200 tax stamp, but the full auto registry is closed, so you can't. The only people that can make full autos now are special dealers, and they can only sell them to military or police agencies, not to individual civilians. For them, it costs drilling an extra hole (which is basically free) and installing the full auto parts (which aren't any more expensive to manufacture than a regular trigger or hammer for an AR15).
Understand that there are no loopholes that get you there for cheaper than what you see advertised when you're looking at a legitimate sale of a registered lower or drop-in auto sear. It costs tens of thousands of dollars. That's the truth, and no one has any magic way to get around it.
So this $4k conversion just doesn't make sense. If it was legal, it'd be a $4 conversion, not a $4k conversion, but conversions aren't legal, so it's more like $16k to $20k to get an already-registered gun.
Aaron
You can buy a registered lower, in which case the cost of the lower ain't what makes it expensive. It's that there's a limited supply. It's a $10k+ item because of the supply.
You can buy a drop-in auto sear, which is itself the registered part, and it isn't that much cheaper to make than an AR15 lower, but again, it isn't materials that makes it expensive. It's the supply issue. No new ones can be made. Cost is probably similar to a registered lower, because either way, you get full auto, and that capability carries a steep price tag.
If you COULD convert an AR15 to full auto legally, it would cost pennies plus the $200 tax stamp, but the full auto registry is closed, so you can't. The only people that can make full autos now are special dealers, and they can only sell them to military or police agencies, not to individual civilians. For them, it costs drilling an extra hole (which is basically free) and installing the full auto parts (which aren't any more expensive to manufacture than a regular trigger or hammer for an AR15).
Understand that there are no loopholes that get you there for cheaper than what you see advertised when you're looking at a legitimate sale of a registered lower or drop-in auto sear. It costs tens of thousands of dollars. That's the truth, and no one has any magic way to get around it.
So this $4k conversion just doesn't make sense. If it was legal, it'd be a $4 conversion, not a $4k conversion, but conversions aren't legal, so it's more like $16k to $20k to get an already-registered gun.
Aaron
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AlexanderA
Member
An additional note on this -- The issue M261 .22 rimfire conversion kit is designed for use with the selective-fire M16, but when installed, the rifle will only fire in the semiautomatic mode. If you want full-auto .22 rimfire capability in a (registered) full-auto M16 or AR-15, you have to use a civilian aftermarket conversion kit, such as a Ciener.
1KPerDay
Member
If you're not set on an AR, you can get an M11/9 and a Lage .22 conversion kit for about4 grand. Put a Lage MAX-11 upper and enough goodies on it and it sorta looks like a rifle... 
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Do those things work with .22s? I thought they wanted a bit of recoil to get "cycling."
Rail Driver
Member
No, the bump fire stocks do not work with .22LR ... I mentioned that in my first post.
Rail Driver said:
DoubleTapDrew
Member
Last I checked registered drop in auto sears often cost MORE than a whole registered M16 receiver. They tend to be more desirable since you can put them in a new quality lower like Noveske, Colt, LMT, etc. and have basically a brand new M16 rather than a 25+ year old lower.
MasterSergeantA
Member
Drew is correct. Other than the "collector" value of, say a Colt original, the drop-in sear is often a better choice because not only can you put it in one of the lowers Drew described, but...you can take it and move it to another receiver if the old one becomes unserviceable. Once the registered lower receiver wears out, you have an expensive paperweight. And a registered Lightning Link is another option for the same reasons.
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Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Ahhh, but when the lightning link wears out, it won't hold down as much paper as the trashed receiver would.
Something to think about, long term. ...
Something to think about, long term. ...
CapnMac
Member
Can't transfer to non-civilians, either. Can transfer to Agencies, who can then Issue to personnel in those agencies. Who then operate those issued items per the regulations of the owners--the Agencies.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Yup. Usually, when a fairly "simple" chunk of metal is worth that much, nearly any amount of expert machinist's time is worth engaging to keep it functional and/or return it to perfect working condition.
We all know about "re-weld" Garands and such, and try to avoid them. But the issue there is not that the job cannot be done safely and correctly. It is that it often wasn't because the work was only done to make something cheap out of something otherwise useless.
When the item itself is worth $15-20,000, spending even several thousand dollars having a professional, qualified craftsman put a broken one back into service makes a lot of sense.
JTW Jr.
Member
and if the lightning link cracks thru the serial number......then what ?
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