Need help with an AR lower!

[seanie!]

Hey guys, I have to opportunity to pick up a LMT complete lower with a DPMS lpk assembled by RGuns for $200. I figure this is a sweet deal, but of course, there's a catch. The lower is marked "PISTOL". Does this mean it can only be used to make an AR pistol? Is there a law out there that says "Once a pistol, always a pistol"? Or can I put a 16" barrel and a stock on it? I'm completely new to the AR realm, so please be nice guys.

Also, would I be able to just install a stock on the lower? Or do pistol lowers have some type of deal where you just can't install them? Thanks ahead of time.

 

[taliv]

it's not a sweet deal. DPMS LPK are about $59. you can get a good lower receiver under $100.

 

[seanie!]

Really? I thought complete lowers went for around the $400 mark. I could be, and most likely I am, mistaken.

 

[Al Thompson]

I purchased a Stag lower complete (no buttstock, but with trigger and pistol grip) for (IIRC) > $125.00.

 

[bshnt2015]

LMT lower marked "pistol" is AR pistol only. The S/N is registered as pistol, any modification such adding a stock would get you in trouble, it's not worth it. Hope this helps. Source from a buddy at another store which sells the same thing.

 

[briansmithwins]

That would depend on your definition of 'complete'.

$200 is great for a 'complete complete' lower lower, but it sounds like you still need to buy a stock, buffer tube,. Buffer, and spring. That's going to add another $100-$200 depending on what parts you use. $200 isn't bad, but you won't be done spending cash on the lower.

As far as the whole pistol marked thing, it's meaningless. If you wanted to build a pistol, you would need a lower that was sold and marked on the 4473 as a 'pistol'. Once rifle parts are put on a 'pistol' lower it's a rifle. You can't put pistol parts on a 'rifle' lower since that would be making a pistol from a rifle, which ATF frowns on.

Of course, you could just SBR the thing and put whatever barrel you want on the SBRed lower. BSW

 

[AR-15Nutt]

"assembled by RGuns for $200." run......., run away from that as fast as you can, RGuns have a reputation for screwing customers, i am certain you will get bad reports on any Gun Forum about them.

 

[Big44mag]

I see on their site that they have pistol lowers with buffer tube for $245 but they are RGUNS lowers, not LMT. They also have what they call complete without stock, which should be worded a little different like "assembled lower" for $180. Stripped rifle lowers for $125 and pistols for $135. These are not the best prices, I don't have any experience with RGUNS lowers so I can't comment on their quality. If they have an LMT lower and a DPMS LPK then $200 is about the going rate, $145 for the lower and $55 for the LPK.

As for the rifle out of a pistol, there is a nasty grey area and if you ask 10 ATF examiners you are most likely going to get 10 different responses. They ALL have a tendency to dance around the wording of the National Firearms Act and will reference that if you have a rifle with a barrel less than 16" or shorter than 26" OAL it is an SBR.

John Spencer was the Chief of the Tech Branch of ATF in 2007 and said in a letter that you can convert a pistol into a rifle, but if you were to convert it back to a pistol you would be in possession of an illegally manufactured SBR.

Sterling Nixon was the Chief in 03 and said in a letter that if it comes from the factory as a pistol it is a pistol and if it comes from the factory as a rifle it is a rifle.

I ran into a slight issue with an examiner concerning engraving a short while back. She couldn't answer my questions as to why the additional markings on a receiver had to be different form ones I had previously registered, just that that was what she was told, and said that I should contact the FTB of the ATF to find out why I couldn't have the same markings. I don't understand the rules, I just enforce them is basically what she said.

My advice would be that if you wanted a rifle, buy a receiver that does not have any pistol markings. Just play it safe and it won't raise any eyebrows.