I was thinking some more about that recent ATF airsoft seizure and came up with the following…
For your information, per provisions of the Gun Control Act (GCA) of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, an unlicensed individual may make a “firearm” as defined in the GCA for his own personal use, but not for sale or distribution.
The GCA, 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(3), defines the term “firearm” to include the following:
… (A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may be readily converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive: (B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any firearm muffler or silencer; or (D) any destructive device. Such term does not include an antique firearm.
Individuals manufacturing sporting-type firearms for their own use need not hold Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs). However, we suggest that the manufacturer at least identify the firearm with a serial number as a safeguard in the event that the firearm is lost or stolen. Also, the firearm should be identified as required in 27 CFR 478.92 if it is sold or otherwise lawfully transferred in the future.
So… According to the ATF’s citations of the Gun Control Act and U.S. Code, you can make your own firearm and you do not need a FFL.
The ATF does not specify what material you have to use, and it does not put any restriction on making a firearm out of an object that previously had another use. Hell, if you wanted to make a firearm out of a toaster, from what I understand you definitely could.
By that rationale, if you buy an airsoft gun that “Needs Machining” to complete its transformation to fit an AR-15 lower parts kit, is it not only considered a firearm once you complete it?
If you cannot drop a lower parts kit in those airsoft receivers without any machining then I think that is a VERY good argument that they are not firearms, and should never have been confiscated.
Ever since the military and law enforcement started using m16’s and m4’s produced by Colt, the company developed an elitist status because they chose largely to turn their nose up at civilian market.
Now they seem to want a piece of the market, with the new AR6720.
The fact the pricing for the Colt 6720 is being based on serial number just goes to show that you can’t shake old habits. I don’t know if the tiered pricing was decided by Colt or by Clyde Armory (the exclusive retailer of the 6720). The serial number in itself obviously only has extrinsic value… meaning no one really cares what it is, unless you can find someone pretentious enough that “NEEDS” a certain serial number that you possess. Unless of course for this model, Colt doesn’t clean or calibrate their machines after the first parts are made. I guess that would make the later ones less valuable? heheh
Here is how the pricing goes…
The least expensive guns are serial # 400 and up – $1200
Most expensive serial # 11 – $3000
#1 – #10 are apparently “spoken for”
I’ll admit $1200 isn’t TOO terrible… like Solomon at SNAFU! mentioned though, it is still quite a bit higher than similar offerings from Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, Armalite etc…
I don’t ever like telling people what to do with their money, but in my opinion if you even pay $50 more for a #300 to #399 serial you’re making a big mistake. No matter what, you are better off buying a different brand name AR-15 such as the ones mentioned above, and spending the left over money on ammo or a red dot optic.
I didn’t report on this story when it first surfaced because I thought it was stupid, and would go away quickly. But It didn’t.
TACOMA, Wash. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of 30 machine guns that arrived in an ocean container at the Tacoma Seaport last October.
Officials say the shipment of M-4 automatic rifles, manifested only as “Toys and Parts,” was valued at nearly $10,000 and was shipped from a manufacturer in Taiwan.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms found that the rifles were tooled to shoot plastic balls, but replacement of internal components with original machine gun components would render the rifles capable of firing live ammunition.
“These rifles could have had far-reaching and potentially devastating ramifications if they had gotten into the hands of individuals who wanted to do harm in the American population,” said Customs and Border Protection Area Port Director, Rolando Suliveras, Jr. “This was a good interception by our officers.”
Special agent Kelven Crenshaw has a bit of trouble with the magazine at 1:18 I guess they only teach the operation of the m4 platform in “extra” special agent school.
Interesting info from the company who got their guns seized, AirsoftOutletNW:
Now we at Airsoft Outlet Northwest, being the rational individuals we are, went out and had a gunsmith check the true compatibility of these replicas and found the following information:
The WE TTI M4’s lack any sort of functional gas tube which is integral to an AR15’s operation
The upper receiver of an AR15 fits onto the lower of the WE TTI M4
The stock trigger pack in the WE TTI cannot strike the firing pin of a AR15 bolt
The body of the WE TTI lower is several mils thinner than an AR15 lower, and shims would be needed for any AR trigger pack to work
The trigger pack of an AR15 appears to be able to fit onto the lower receiver of a WE TTI M4, one of the AR15 trigger pack retaining pins is impossible to insert without major modification, and the hammer isn’t operable with the WE TTI lower.
The full article, Airsoft: An Industry Without Standard, is actually a really good read if you have the time, regardless of whether or not you are into airsoft.
The only real issue I would say may exist, is if you could put a REAL upper on an airsoft lowers and have it fire, either fully automatic or semi automatic. The lower receiver of a M4/M-16/AR-15 is not subjected to any extreme pressures when a round is fired, so as long as the material the airsoft replica was made out of is semi rigid, it would likely hold up for a while at least. That said, I highly doubt that any of the airsoft lowers would be able to accept a REAL upper, and fire without any modification. Although the whole airsoft industry thrives on authenticity, it is not in their best interest to get attention like this, which is why I doubt the parts are exactly 1:1 interchangeable.
Basically, if the ATF claims these airsoft guns can be easily converted into real guns, they should just demonstrate the conversion, and put a couple of magazines through it. There needs to be some accountability and burden of proof placed on these government organizations.
Designed, fabricated and tested by Brunswick for the U.S. Army MIRADCOM to provide the non-dedicated riflemen with a lightweight, portable assault weapon system to defeat enemy positions in an urban and fortified combat environment.
RAW Launcher attaches to the muzzle of an M-16A1 rifle utilizing existing triggering and sights. The RAW projectile is initiated through the firing of a standard 5.56 mm ball round of ammunition. RAW does not interfere or prevent the firing of the rifle’s standard ammunition at any time. Raw produces a 14″ hole through 8 inches of double reinforced concrete and defeats light armor. Since RAW travels line of sight, It can be fired from below a canopy or in sewers and storm drains. RAW produces minimal back blast pressure and noise and can be fired from within enclosed areas.
This computer simulation depicts the operation of the Army’s Improved Magaine.
The Army has begun fielding the new 5.56mm 30 round Improved Magazine that delivers a significant increase in reliability for the battle-tested M16 and M4 weapons systems. Bolstering the already high reliability ratings of the M16/M4 systems, the Improved Magazine effectively reduces the risk of magazine-related stoppages by more than 50 percent compared to the older magazine variants. Identified by a tan-colored follower, over 500,000 of the improved magazines have been fielded to units in Iraq, Afghanistan and in the U.S.
Pretty big oversight when the Army forgets the extraction of the casing in their video. Even if they got the extraction right, the entire video would still be 100% useless.
I called a few different NATO numbers a while back and inquired about that document. All the people I talked to told me that it was not just “available” to anyone that simply wanted it. I found that answer odd though considering every other NATO document under the sun, is readily available on the internet.
My question is: if there is no STANAG 4179, where does a person get the standardized magazine measurements from? The few dozen companies that make magazines can’t have just busted out their calipers and measured an old COLT magazine they had lying around, and called it day.
Or could they have?
The original Magpul P-Mags never fit properly in “some” AR-15 lowers. To me, this means that they didn’t use the standardized model of an AR-15 magazine to create their polymer one.
Steve @ TheFirearmBlog has a post right now called STANAG 4179 does not exist! detailing how he received an email from “Roberto” a NATO employee who claims the document was never ratified which resulted it in being discarded.
If anyone has the STANAG 4179 document (if it exists ) please contact me, I’d love to see it. Otherwise I’d like to see any document that has the AR-15 magazine measurements in it, so please send it over!
By calling attention to ‘a well regulated militia’, the ’security’ of the nation, and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms’, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.”
- John F. Kennedy, April 1960
Hell will freeze over before we would ever see Obama in a photo of comparable awesomeness.
And Caesar’s spirit, raging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.
Looks like they must have hired HK’s marketing guy for this picture:
Problems:
1) Guy in front has his rifle scope on backwards
2) Guy in front has his left arm through the loop in the sling
3) Guy in rear has his sling on in a pretty akward manner considering he’s planning on shooting his sidearm with his right hand
All jokes aside, the clothing acually does look pretty nice. You can check it out at their website – HERE
Also known in Japan as “Cat Shit One”, this animated series is scheduled for release in early 2010 … It looks pretty awesome
The series follows three American soldiers (Rabbits) in the Vietnam War named Bota, Perky and Rats. All three are in the recon team called Cat Shit One. Each mission shows the daily activities of the reconnaissance group in Vietnam
The American Rabbits in this are a wordplay on the Japanese word “Usagi”, which also means Rabbit. Another way to look at it is the word as an acronym – U.S.A. G.I.
Pretty neat!
Other animals in this series according to their nationality are:
If you have been watching the news or reading any of the online forums lately, it would have been hard to miss all the talk about the M4 carbine and its “failure” in Afghanistan.
I had a number of thoughts on this topic and had a draft written up for an article I was going to post, then I saw a new post on the topic at Vuurwapen Blog which I will quote a few lines from ( because I agree 100% with them ):
I’m always a little suspicious when I see claims of M4s going down in combat.
One of the biggest problems is when Soldiers and Marines try to use their rifle in a manner other than that which was originally intended.
Unfortunately, an incorrect thought process persists among many officers and senior enlisted – that the rifles should be scrubbed clean as often as possible, and that oil should not be added to the weapon, for it will “attract dust and dirt”. Soldiers and Marines have been dying because of this absolute garbage since the introduction of the Garand in combat operations in the Pacific during WWII. Proper lubrication is vital for any semiautomatic or automatic weapon.
Check out the full article at Vuurwapen Blog – HERE
The Will Eisner M-16 U.S. Army Rifle Maintenance Booklet
Officially known as DA Pam 750-30
32 Pages on proper cleaning and assembly of the M16A1 Rifle
Issued in comic book form, and with rifle, to every U.S. soldier stationed in Vietnam.
Chapter titles include:
How to Strip Your Baby
What to Do in a Jam
Cues From Guys Who Know
Sweet 16
All the Way with Négligé
Drain Before Shooting
Also introduces “Maggie”, a personified M-16 cartridge with arms, legs, and eyelashes.
Awesome documentary on ECHO Company of the 2nd battalion 8th Marines:
As President Obama approaches a decision point on Afghanistan strategy and whether to increase troop levels, a 24-minute rough cut of the first act of Obama’s War.
heheh
I guess they only teach the operation of the m4 platform in “extra” special agent school.
) please contact me, I’d love to see it. Otherwise I’d like to see any document that has the AR-15 magazine measurements in it, so please send it over!
Entries (RSS)