The BUILDERS SQUAD Project
by dropdbombnow
The Basics
The AR15 rifle (the semi-automatic civilian version of the military M16) is composed of two basic parts groupings. These are the "Upper" (which consists of the upper receiver, barrel assembly, bolt and bolt carrier) and the "Lower" (which consists of the lower receiver housing, that contains the trigger, hammer, and fire control parts, and the butt stock assembly). All of the bits and pieces of the AR15, with the exception of the lower receiver housing itself, are considered to be merely "parts" and are subject to no Federal firearms regulation whatsoever. The lower receiver housing however, since it is the portion of the rifle that bears the manufacturers name and serial number, is considered, in and of itself, to be a firearm and is subject to all Federal firearms regulations. This means that anyone wishing to assemble an AR15 from parts, can buy everything needed to complete the weapon, without restriction, except for the lower receiver housing itself. This one critical part may only be purchased through a dealer who holds a current Federal Firearms License (FFL) and the sale of this item is subject to all of the requirements and paperwork that would pertain to the purchase of any complete firearm.
Anyone that's found this web site is undoubtedly aware of the fact that one can purchase lower receiver castings for the AR15 rifle that are at the point of being "80% complete". As these receivers have not been 100% finished, they are viewed by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) as being "non-guns", and as such, are not subject to any Federal regulations pertaining to firearms. This means that, as long as the castings remain in their original 80% state, with no additional work being done to them, they can be purchased without paperwork, shipped across state lines, sent through the U.S. mail, and can be freely bought and sold. Of course, in this 80% "non-gun" state they're pretty much useless. Simply interesting paper-weights or good conversation starters.
But I'm not interested in collecting paper-weights?
Well, that's the whole purpose of this web-site. To serve as a sort of guide to turning that 80% finished paper-weight into a 100% finished lower receiver ready to be assembled into a functioning AR15 type rifle.
Is all of this legal?
Well, I'm not a lawyer (and I don't play one on TV), but basically, as I understand it, the answer is "Yes". It is all perfectly legal. With a couple of stipulations. The following quote from the BATF web site pertains to the manufacture of firearms by un-licensed persons.
"With certain exceptions a firearm may be made by a nonlicensee provided it is not for sale and the maker is not prohibited from possessing firearms. However, a person is prohibited from making a semiautomatic assault weapon or assembling a nonsporting semiautomatic rifle or nonsporting shotgun from imported parts."
1. provided it is not for sale - A "licensed manufacturer" is a person (or more commonly a "company") that manufactures firearms for sale to other parties and that is approved and licensed by the BATF to do so. A "nonlicensee" can only manufacture firearms for his "own use" and cannot offer them for sale. As far as the AR15 is concerned, the term "firearm" pertains only to the actual lower receiver housing itself and not to the entire rifle. The other parts and components of the rifle can be freely sold/traded. But not the completed lower casting. Once you complete all of the machine work on one of these 80% castings, you're pretty much stuck with it.
2. the maker is not prohibited from possessing firearms - Means pretty much what it says. If you're a convicted felon, an illegal alien, a drug addict, an under-age kid, or anyone else who would be prohibited from owning firearms in your locale, then you are also prohibited from manufacturing your own firearms.
3. from imported parts - As almost all of the parts for the AR15 are manufactured right here in the good ole USofA, and as they are all readily obtainable from domestic sources, this limitation poses no significant problem.
"But I thought that semiautomatic assault weapons were outlawed by the Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) provisions of the Crime Bill of 1994? You are correct, Sir! They were. You cannot assemble a "Pre-Ban" type of AR15 on your home-built lower receiver (unless you can somehow convince the BATF that you actually made the lower and had assembled it into a completed rifle prior to September 13, 1994). Your finished lower can only be assembled in a "Post-Ban" type of configuration, which means, basically, no flash-hider (or threaded muzzle), no bayonet lug, and no collapsible butt-stock. Period.
If you want more info about legal issues pertaining to firearms, go to the BATF's FAQ page or visit their main web site. Also, be sure and check into the laws of the State and City where you live. Many areas (Kalifornia?, NY, MD, etc.) have other restrictions pertaining to what you may legally possess and what you may not.
So what exactly is the "Builders Squad"?
Well, the Builders Squad is just a group of ten guys that met (that may be the wrong word to use here as none of us have ever actualy "met" one another in person) over on the Build-It-Yourself forum of ar15.com in the Fall of 2001. The basic idea was that we would each contribute $25 to buy one of the OSI drilling jig fixtures and ship it around to each other so that we would each be able to finish up some of the 80% castings for ourselves. Sounded like a good idea. If you're interested in the whole story, click here.
Enough of the introduction - On to the Specifics - The Jig and the Tooling