This would be designed to fire singlehand with a "short stock" so a handgun so the length requirement isnt a issue. also while doing research I found you can buy a "push rifling button" to add rifling inside any barrel.
Gun building in regards to personal use and whats legal
- Thread starter Theben169
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You asked for a list of things to avoid. If you're going to put a shoulder stock (short, long or medium) on a firearm with a rifled barrel under 16" or a smoothbore with a barrel under 18", then you need to ask the BATF for an opinion letter before you do so.
You're awful young and very interested in firearms to do something stupid and end up with a whole lifetime ahead of you and having lost the right to ever own a firearm.
You're awful young and very interested in firearms to do something stupid and end up with a whole lifetime ahead of you and having lost the right to ever own a firearm.
You'll need some kind of a press or other type of machinery to get that button pushed through the barrel with enough force to deform the steel of the barrel into rifling. I think it would be way cheaper to buy a barrel that's already rifled.
wiscoaster
Member
Everything said here is opinion. Nothing said here is legal advice. Nobody can be arrested for what's said as an opinion. It's called "freedom of speech" I do believe.
Telekinesis
Member
I get it, but there’s no such thing as an inexpensive homebuilt gun. Maybe back in the day when AK kits were <$100 you could say it was cheaper to build, but now I can’t think of a single gun that is significantly cheaper to build than buy. The best way I’ve found to deal with the cost is to buy one piece at a time, as you have the money. Yeah it’s slow, but $700 over 6 months is a lot easier to fit into the budget.
Not sure where they are now, but before the most recent panic, even 80% AR lowers cost more than completely finished lowers.
The only people now who can say “I built a gun and it cost $100” are guys with $5,000+ of machine tools (lathe, mill, etc) and who literally build their gun out of bar stock. And they’re of course not factoring their time into the cost.
“expedient” firearms have their place, but that place is right next to the Liberator pistol. And with the same, very narrow, use case.
I may have missed it, but what’s your goal in all of this? Is it to get a rifle or pistol that you can’t otherwise get? Or is it just to have fun building something?
If you just want to build something, that’s cool. I would strongly advise finding another design to work off of, as opposed to trying to redesign an open bolt SMG. You’re gonna need at least a lathe (and probably a mill) to make the conversion to semi-auto.
If you’re dead set on building something custom, spend a lot of time studying firearm design and construction techniques, with a focus on exactly why things were designed the way they were.
PWC
Member
I haven't read page 2, but the op's wbole premise is wrong and beside that should not be commented upon as encouragement. He should not just read the applicable fed, state and local laws, he should learn and UNDERSTAND how a firearm mechanism works. I understand the exuberance and impatience of youth but it is better to arrive at old age in one piece without a "record".
Welcome to THR, @Theben169 ! Please understand that I mean no disrespect with what I'm about to say.
I've read this thread and have to say: What you have proposed has MONUMENTALLY BAD IDEA written all over it. Unless and until you have a better understanding of both the workings of firearms and of the legal issues surrounding them, just don't do it.
JohnKSa has given you a pretty good list of pitfalls to avoid.
At 20, you have less than a year to go before you can march down to your local gun store (LGS) and buy a gun. Depending on NM law (with which I am unfamiliar), you might even be able to buy a pistol in a private sale already. A wait of "less than a year" beats "felony conviction" any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
wiscoaster
Member
Good advice above. Bad idea indexed by Google. Good advice indexed by Google. Pretty well balanced out, I'd say.
bdickens
Member
No. He needs to get the advice of a lawyer who is well versed on such things.
Ben, although we like to discuss laws relating to firearms here, it is important that you do not rely on internet voices for legal advice. We mean well, but you could end up in a lot of trouble even though you tried to consult with experienced people, because laws and regulations regarding firearms and destructive devices are often arcane, interpretations change, and context is important.
I don't think you intend to break the law but as you know, ignorance of the law is not a defense. Potential penalties are severe and life changing, so it is not an area in which experimentation is encouraged. Your safety is of paramount importance, and you have a lot to look forward to so the advice to exercise patience is sound.
I don't think you intend to break the law but as you know, ignorance of the law is not a defense. Potential penalties are severe and life changing, so it is not an area in which experimentation is encouraged. Your safety is of paramount importance, and you have a lot to look forward to so the advice to exercise patience is sound.
I think that the ground has by now been well covered.
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