Pinned flash hider may be a future issue?

[ryno31]

I've been following the talk of gun bans for the last year and then following the insanity of this last panic I've seen many gun owners split right down the middle as to what will happen. I don't want to start a debate on any possible awb because Lord knows there are enough of them out there but I do have some specific questions I'm hoping for some feedback on. I have a BCM 14.5" inch upper with the flash hider permanently pinned to 16". Now with this set up would I just be up a creek if they passed legislation banning flash hiders with no grandfather clause? Is it possible to remove a permanently pinned flash hider without ruining a barrel? Would it be wise to order another barrel with a removable flash suppresor (if I could even find one right now). Please forgive my ignorance on this subject and thank you for any feedback in advance.

 

[JustinJ]

I would not worry about it. If there is any type of ban there will almost certainly be a grandfather clause. If there weren't the AR would be probably be banned with our without a flash hider given it can accept high cap mags and has a pistol grip.

Nobody has a crystal ball but i think the chances of the flash hider on an existing rifle being the issue is extremely remote. For arguments sake, if they did outlaw flash hiders with no grandfather clause there is no reason to think barrels would not be available in the future.

 

[rcmodel]

Fear not.
Any halfway decent gunsmith can get it off.

A blind pin just means the hole through the flash hider wasn't drilled in one side and out the other side.

SO after the pin is driven in, there is no hole to punch it back out from the other side.
It may have even been spot welded over the hole it was driven into, closing that one too.

But thats what they make drill presses, milling machines, and angle-grinders for.

Once it is removed, an extended Comp could replace it with another blind pin, if comps are still allowed.

Otherwise an extended "bloop tube" could be used to extend the barrel to a legal length.

rc

 

[243winxb]

Without the flash hider, the 14.5 barrel may become a NFA short barrel rifle?? http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/national-firearms-act-short-barreled-rifles-shotguns.html

 

[Girodin]

I wouldn't worry about it for the following reasons:

1) I think that they will not be able to get an AWB through the house of representatives. They will have a pretty hard fight to even get it through the Senate.

2) Although we cannot know until the bill is actually drafted, it is extremely likely that whatever they draft will grandfather in what you already own.

3) Even if your flash hider suddenly became contraband, you could take the upper off, send it to a competent smith, and he or she could remove the flash hider and add a brake or extension.

4) You could remove the hider and use it on a registered SBR lower (although you may simply want to buy another barrel if you have no other SBR lowers/plans to own other SBR uppers).

 

[Hacker15E]

The notes on Feinstein's website that came out today about her proposal indicate that flash hiders and bayonet lugs have been removed from the evil features list.

 

[Girodin]

But any kind of AR would still make her ban list. She calls for your gun to be grandfathered provided it was owned legally on the date of enactment and registered with the ATF like an SBR.