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What constitutes a "machine gun"


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If you have a 3 round burst trigger group, complete, don't get caught with it and the AR in the same location. Some newbie BATFE agents will even bust your balls for the bolt carrier. Keep them in different locations and you are "supposed" to be safe. They aren't supposed to be able to nail you for "intent", but I wouldn't want to test that theory.

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Actually, I was reading an old book written by Duncan Long that I forgot I had. It was written in 1981. I was just wondering how much had changed since then. He brought up the Gun Control Act of 1968 and seemed to think that just the parts were classified as such.

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Yup. Hell, for a while the damn SELECTOR SWITCH was a 'machine gun' according to ATF. Until a judge got tired of hearing 'administratively determined', and told the agent representing ATF that he was going to be cited for contempt of court... :evil grin:

 

But the safest answer is any firearm that shoots more than one bullet per barrel per trigger pull, or any parts that will allow a firearm to do so.

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If you have to ask then it's most likely illegal, but as far as the bolt carrier that been widely know as fine and legal in a semi auto ar15. In fact a lot of makers ship their rifles with m16 bolt carriers. They are heavier and function a little better.

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I was pretty sure that it's only the FCG (and lower receiver) that's different in the AR platform, not bolt/carrier.

 

Old AR lowers (pre-87, I think) were the same as M16, since you could drop in the auto sear. New AR lowers don't have the space machined out for the auto sear in the FCG at the factory.

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I was pretty sure that it's only the FCG (and lower receiver) that's different in the AR platform, not bolt/carrier.

 

Old AR lowers (pre-87, I think) were the same as M16, since you could drop in the auto sear. New AR lowers don't have the space machined out for the auto sear in the FCG at the factory.

 

Nope. Some receivers will fit a DIAS (drop-in auto sear) and some will not. Having a receiver that will fit a DIAS does not constitute possession of a machine gun. Having a DIAS made after '82 (or whenever they issued their opinion on the subject), or a DIAS made before then, as well as an AR receiver, constitutes constructive possession.

 

Some modern receivers still have the shelf milled out. Any receiver then, as now, that had the hole drilled in the receiver for a proper auto-sear, is a machine gun as defined by federal law.

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Yep any m16 fire control parts in a semi ar15 is illegal even if it won't fire full auto. And it's true that a DIAS will get this..... Drop in an ar15. But a true m16 auto sear will not fit any legal ar15 recover. Also bolt carriers are very different. In fact there are three different carriers. M16 has the shelf on the bottom that actavites an auto sear and makes it heavier. The regular ar15 one with a shorter"shelf" and colt made a carrier with the whole bottom "slot" open. The reason was there was an insert to put in the bottom of an ar15 carrier to make it activate an auto sear the colt bottomless carrier would not allow this part to install. However like I said m16 carrier is ok.

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  • 1 month later...
Hell, the ATF ruled that a shoestring used in a certain manner, constituted a machine gun... No shit.

well Chile, I always thought that sounded absurd, too. Then I read up on the case, and it's actually sorta legit... Basically the guy tied a shoestring to the trigger and to the charging handle, wrapped around the trigger guard as a pivot point, so that the shoestring became the trigger - when it was pulled, the weapon fired, and as soon as the weapon was in battery again, the charging handle pulled the shoestring, pulling the trigger again - bam, fully automatic fire.

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...don't forget the spring in the Akins stock was ruled a machine gun.....AFTER it was ruled as NOT a machine gun, and Akins tied up $$$$$ in manufacturing costs.

 

F-Troop made everyone who bought one mail in their spring (WITHOUT compensation), thus rendering the stock useless, or be found guilty of possession of an unlicensed MG.

 

What a bunch of shit.

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