What will happen to AR-15 uppers in the event of a semi-automatic ban?

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Prophet

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... and if that is the only AR-related component in your firearm collection, what would you be doing with it right now?

This is the situation I find myself in as I apparently caught the AR bug a little late. I have no .223 ammo and it seems to be virtually unavailable in bulk right now, at least not in quantities I can afford. I have no lower, mags or sights. I'm on a budget and had intended to custom build the AR over a period of time as I could afford it.

I'm concerned that while I'm searching for parts and components to complete my build that a ban or some other such restriction will take place and I'm going to be stuck with only half a rifle. I'm considering selling it off and using the funds to purchase another semi-automatic firearm so at least I'll have something functional if a ban happens. I have plenty of 7.62x39 ammo left over from an AK-47 I owned but had reliability issues with and got rid of. I'm thinking of purchasing a Ruger Mini-30 or an SKS locally, as they both seem plentiful in the shops around here. Plus magazines seem to be very available online for the Ruger so I'd place an order on a couple of those as well (does anyone know if Mini-30 and Mini-14 mags are compatible?)

I'm aware of the back-and-forth over whether a ban will or will not happen and I'd like to keep that debate confined to the other threads. Let's assume for the sake of this thread that ban/no ban is 60/40 chance of happening. What would you do with your lonely AR upper? Thanks for any insight.
 
I would guess that uppers will still be available as they were under the last ban, and as NFA uppers are now.

As for the Mini-30 and Mini-14 mags, I'm 99% sure they are not compatible....

I would keep the upper and do my best to get a lower to go with it, but that's just me.
 
Well, I would sell it.

Late to the party I guess. If a ban comes good luck with what you have, on the other side a few sheep have bought $800 lowers and need an upper for a outrageous amount of money now. Or you could do what everyone else is saying and sell for less than ya bought it for to be fair to the rest of the folks.

:bang head


Ya could hold it until later in the game and sell for more or take your chances and hopefully pick up a lower at a later date.
 
an upper is not a firearm.....legally no different than a spare barrel. they would most likely continue to make them for the tons of lowers already sold, as well as any compliant lowers that would be made during any such ban.


if i were you, and i REALLY wanted an AR-15, ide hold onto the upper, as a lower will become available eventually.......however, if youre not really dead set, sell it and buy something you want.
 
Thanks for the input so far. Let me clarify just a little; I definitely want a semi-automatic rifle but can only afford one at this time. I went with an AR-15 because at the time it seemed to be the most practical option what with its popularity and the availability of parts, ammo, mags etc. but that is apparently no longer the case. If a ban were to be implemented before next month, I would need to sell the upper asap to fund the purchase of another rifle or trade it off for a Mini-30 or SKS before the ban would take place. It's seeming more and more to me that this would be the most prudent option at this stage of the game.
 
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Prophet;

It all depends on what does or does not get passed. After all, if (and it's a pretty good sized if) a bill got passed that banned uppers as well as lowers there would be a very irritated 900 pound gorrilla in the closet, now wouldn't there? How many uppers with zero trace-ability would there be in that closet? At absolute minimum something in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

I'd think that even the most myopic of senators and congress critters could see that salient fact. therefore, personally, I wouldn't be too concerned if I were in your situation. In fact, you're not in a bad position if you stop and think about it. If reason prevails and no arrant stupidity is unleashed upon the gun owners of America, you should be able to buy a lower at a pretty reasonable price after the hysteria goes away. The guy who bought six stripped lowers at $250.00 each is most likely going to want to cut his loses & sell. If lowers are registered, your not in violation, and can either jump through the hoops if you care to obtain a lower, or sell your upper at a probable profit.

But, whatever happens, you are going to have at least 30 days lead time to act. I don't see anything getting through the Federal legislative process in less time than that. If you don't want to go through any angst, sell the thing now & get whatever else is available that you can locate/afford.

Above all, just think it through & don't knee-jerk yourself into something you'll be sorry for later.

900F
 
Everyone is jumping on the AR ban wagon scare. Its so outrageous by just looking at the prices. People are so scared and some even are getting into debt just to get an AR thats way overpriced for what they are really worth. And worse thing is, they can t find ammo but if they do it will cost them an arm and a leg like buying another gun.

For me , i ll wait till the storm subsides . I might just settle for a cheapo .17 HMR Savage . Ammo is very much available.
 
Above all, just think it through & don't knee-jerk yourself into something you'll be sorry for later.

I'm trying, I'm trying! :D Thanks for the reality check and the insight. I hope for all the world that you're right.

I'm really not in a good condition right now as far as on-hand firearms are concerned, perhaps that's why I'm so uneasy with all of the hysteria-influenced talk that's been circulating. I ended up sending my only defensive sidearm back because of a major mechanical failure mere days following Sandy Hook, and the handgun I chose to replace it with is still not in stock (contacted Davidsons whom I purchased the revolver through and explained that I would not be comfortable with the same firearm as my one and only sidearm, they understood my sentiment and opted to replace it with another firearm of my choice... great people to deal with). I sold my AK and all of its components to fund my AR build directly before Sandy Hook. So I am currently without my two main defensive firearms and absolutely do not want to be stuck in this condition indefinitely.
 
If a ban were to be implemented before next month,

not going to happen..... It took these ***** how many months just to get a "cliff" budget passed through? An AWB will be a grudge match..


Besides stripped lowers are already dropping in prices on GunBroker... probably cause there are virtually no parts available to outfit them..
 
If a ban were to be implemented before next month
Biden's promise to the mayor of Boston aside, getting such legislation passed in a month would be difficult if the bill was a "slam dunk". As a fairly controversial bill that will ignite plenty of debate, and a House unlikely to pass ANY ban, thinking a ban could be put in place by the end of the month is nothing but paranoid fantasy (on our part) or a pipe dream (on Biden's part).
 
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