Anyone have x-ray pics of a reweled m16 receiver and x-rays of a uncut M16?

Where would the cut be in the general area since most were cut in the different locations?

Thanks!

You are correct in that they were cut wherever the guy with the saw felt like doing it. I've seen 'em cut through the magwell, and others through the trigger area. Back then, ATF and DOJ did not have precise requirements of where to cut, like they do today.

But the cut pieces were not sold in sets –– instead, they were mixed together in 55-gal drums and sold as scrap metal. Very, very rarely will the front and rear sections be from the same gun.

Instead, the 07/02s who did these would buy a few drums and sort through looking for a longish front section and a longish rear one. They they would put each piece in a jig and recut them both to match, then weld them together. In some cases, the front and rear sections were not even from the same manufacturer.

There was no single location, but in most cases, they were trimmed to a single vertical line before welding, so that's usually what shows up. In addition, if it was cut through the magwell, the rollmarks had to be restored, so that's a giveaway. Same for the maker's marks over the trigger. In addition, I've seen some that despite refinishing, you could see the difference in surface texture or general wear between the front and the rear.