Full auto conversion information legal?

[Hkmp5sd]

From AR15.com...(posted message for folks not members of AR15.com

This article is intended to help you to distinguish between semi-auto (we'll call these AR-15) parts and those designed for full-auto rifles (referred to here as M16 parts). The BATF has interpreted the law such that parts which would convert a firearm into an NFA firearm are subject to registration including:

Any combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting weapons into machineguns;

Any part designed and intended solely and exclusively for converting a weapon into a machinegun;

Any combination of parts from which machineguns can be assembled if the parts are in the possession or under the control of a person;

(see ATF FAQ for more details)


Due mostly to ignorance on the part of dealers and the general public, there are many rifles out there that are violating the law unknowingly. Most will have a couple of parts, and though the rifle will not be capable of full-auto fire, will still be in violation of the law. It is important to check your rifles and those you consider purchasing, since the penalties can be harsh:

From: [49 U.S.C. 781-788, 26 U.S.C. 5861, 26 U.S.C. 5872]
Violators may be fined not more than $250,000, and imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. In addition, any vessel, vehicle or aircraft used to transport, conceal or possess an unregistered NFA firearm is subject to seizure and forfeiture, as is the weapon itself.

Needless to say, the risks are not worth it so it is important to be able to identify the AR-15 vs.. M16 parts; included here are the trigger, disconnector, hammer, selector, bolt carrier, and auto sear. While it is unlikely that you will ever find the auto sear in a non NFA weapon, any combination of the others is possible.

The AR-15 and M16 parts are very similar, and unless you know what you're looking for, would most likely not notice. Many of the AR-15 parts have been made by modifying the plentiful M16 parts. Colt has made a number of modifications over the years to their AR-15 lower receivers to minimize the possibility of "misplaced" M16 parts, but on most non-Colt rifles, M16 parts will fit in place of the semi-auto parts. Let's look at these in detail:

Trigger
Triggers are very similar; only difference is that the M16 trigger has an open channel at the rear. This is to accommodate the M16 disconnector.

Disconnector
There are a couple of versions of the AR-15 disconnector. Essentially, they are the same as the M16 part without the "tail" at the rear.

Hammer
The M16 hammer has a "hook" at the upper rear extreme which is caught by the auto sear in the M16. AR-15 will not have this hook.

Selector
The M16 selector has a number of additional cut-outs and can be easily distinguished from the AR-15 version. In addition, the M16 selector will be capable of being rotated to the third, auto, position (pointing to the rear) while in the receiver; this is possible because of an additional index on this selector.

Bolt Carrier
The M16 bolt carrier will have about a 2" closed section at the rear that actually trips the auto sear in full-auto fire. Semi-auto versions have either a reduced closed bottom section (about 1/2"), or a completely open bottom (made so that an adapter to M-16 configuration cannot be installed).

Another difference in the bolt carriers is the additional metal removed on the underside to expose the collar of the firing pin. This is intended to catch the hammer and prevent firing if the carrier is not fully forward when the hammer releases. This occurs if the hammer is "riding" the carrier back (i.e. no auto sear is holding back the hammer). On the M16 bolt carriers, the firing pin collar is not exposed.

There are some "hybrid" carriers that do not have this area open and yet only have the 1/2" closed bottom section in the back. There are others that appear to be M16 carriers, but apparently have had 1/4" of the rear "sear trip" section milled, and so do not qualify as M16 carriers because they cannot trip a sear.

Conclusion
As mentioned previously, having M16 parts in you AR does not mean that it will be capable of automatic fire, but it does mean that you could be in violation of the law. The penalties are harsh, and definitely not worth the risks. Check those rifles, and replace any parts that don't belong. Keep in mind that some parts like the bolt carrier, can appear to be M16 and yet actually be legal AR-15 parts... stay legal, and most importantly, stay safe!

http://www.ar15.com/content/docs/AR15-M16Parts/

 

[alan]

Heard on a radio news broadcast the following. That COMBAT COMMANDERS in Iraq, might be having a problem with their troops, COMBAT TROOPS obtaining Iraqi small arms, those ubiquitous AK-47's, some of which haven't been unwraped, pistols and RPG's. Combat Engineers, who likely have more important things to do, are busy blowing up captured small arms.

I'd likely go along on the destruction of RPG's, but rifles and pistols, for christ sake, these are OUR COMBAT TROOPS, and one would think that THEY HAD EARNED THE DAMNED THINGS, assuming that they wanted any of them.

If the bureaucrats and or ATF's are "upset" at our soldiers being in possession of "assault rifles", let pass the fact that their government has equipped them with same, plus a whole lot more than mere "assault rifles", then I suggest the following. Let these bums get out of their offices, where they plot the entrapment of law abiding citizens who might be guilty of unintended violations of vaugely written laws, as opposed to chasing real criminals. Then lets send them to Iraq, or some other COMBAT AREA, where THEY might THEMSELVES undertake the destruction of what used to be legitimately known as "the spoils of war", or "war mementos", or "bouty".

 

[4v50 Gary]

Regarding the "moider" book, recall that Paladin Press printed one on something along the lines on "how to be a hit man" or "how to hire a hit man." Sumbuddy killed his wife and the family sued Paladin. Paladin defended on First Amendment grounds and lost. So, while it may not be illegal per se, it may result in a lawsuit (which is de facto suppression of Free Speech sez Paladin - hey, where's the Sibil Liberty peepul when you want them? Sipping latte in some trendy upscale bourgeiou
s cafe I bet).

 

[alan]

When guns or things related thereto become involved, they seem to strangely loose interest.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Good info! Thanks!

So I guess starting a web page that explains in detail how to convert to a full auto would be legal, but then you would be opening yourself up to lawsuits.

 

[mercedesrules]

Gary said:

Regarding the "moider" book, recall that Paladin Press printed one on something along the lines on "how to be a hit man" or "how to hire a hit man." Sumbuddy killed his wife and the family sued Paladin. Paladin defended on First Amendment grounds and lost.

It was a civil suit, right? The Southern Poverty Law Center, Morris Dees' outfit, goes around suing KKK and skinhead groups if one of their members kills a black person after hearing the leader encourage it. He has bankrupted a couple of the groups. I don't like these suits; too close to thought crime. It still doesn''t mean that the info is "illegal"; just that if some moron acts on it, a jury might just side with the victim.

MR

 

[444]

"So I guess starting a web page that explains in detail how to convert to a full auto would be legal, but then you would be opening yourself up to lawsuits."

I think that the result of something like that would be more government scrutiny and possibly harrassment. I hate to say this, but since the conversion of a semi-auto firearm to full auto is illegal for the average Joe, why bring put yourself under the microscope ? I am certainly against any banning of books or information. In fact I am against the fact that any one can't do a full auto conversion, but there are rules and we have to live by them. If you have a burning desire to own a full auto firearm, buy one legally and examine how it works. Or ask someone who owns one to let you examine it and discuss it with them.

 

[alan]

on semi to full auto conversions

Years ago, Gun Week used to run ads headed as follows.

WHY WALTZ, WHEN YOU CAN ROCK AND ROLL.

The text that followed offered what were described as "drop-in auto sears" and other parts, which at that time, were legal to sell, and to own, so long as they were NOT installed in a previously "semi-automatic rifle". Of course, the ATF came along and changed the rules, so they no longer are legal to own, UNINSTALLED. I've always wondered as to exactly how they legally managed that, but let that pass.

The fly in the ointment was as follows, from what I had heard. Most of these "conversions" either didn't work at all, were quite far removed from "drop in", or were less than reliable, causing me to wonder as to why the hell anyone would have bothered. No accounting for personal taste though.

As another poster observed, if you really can't live without an automatic or selective fire weapon of some sort, and you live in a machine gun legal state, look into buying one and being legal. All it costs is money, and if the price is to steep, foreget about it. If you live in a state where machine guns are proscribed, consider moving, or once again, forget about it, unless you want to become politically involved, who knows but what miracles might still happen.