Hello all
I want to use an 80% lower to build a 6.5 grendel hunting rifle
I have built a ct "other" but deep says you cannot hunt with them since they arent a "rifle" nor a "pistol."

There have been some very conflicting information provided to me and need some clarification, please.

I thought it was ok to build with an 80, to make a "rifle"  (as in 16"+ barrel, and pinned/ stationary stock, no forward grip)
Does this fall under the ban from 2013?
Are we not allowed to "manufacture" our own home-made firearms anymore?
Thank you in advance, from a younger gun enthusiast.

You cannot make a post ban rifle that has enough features to become an AW. In other words if you make an post ban 80% lower into a centerfire semiautomatic detachable magazine rifle then it cannot have any evil features nor be a copy or duplicate of an AR-15/AR-10 or any other banned by name firearms in subsection (B) of the AWB statute. Also a post ban semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has an overall length of less than thirty inches is likewise an AW.

Your problem is using a pistol grip. That, alone, makes a post ban centerfire semiautomatic detachable magazine rifle an AW.

Sec. 53-202a. Assault weapons: Definitions.

On the other hand, if the magazine is pinned in place and only can be reloaded by taking the upper receiver off...

OR if you make it a straight-pull (i.e. no gas system or gas port on the barrel, or a plugged up gas block)...

You have options.

So if I used (for lack of a better term) California's rules...
Ie;  a rear slanted grip, pinned mag release that requires the rear takedown pin removed for the mag to release/ reload. That would be ok?

So if a normal pistol grip is bad. Then that's nix'ed..  

Maybe a rearward angled grip, with a side charging upper receiver and no gas system?

Would a "featureless" grip be ok. Like no way for the thumb to protrude the opposing side for a full grip.

This sucks trying to get around their rules.
And thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Don't use California rules. You have to read CT's rules and work around them. CT's AWB is different than CA's or NY's AWB. Because of the CT banned by name list that includes copies and duplicates of centerfire detachable magazine semiautomatic AR-15 rifles, you either have to go preban (manufactured prior to 9/13/94) rifles, or make the centerfire rifle a; non semiautomatic rifle, or non detachable magazine rifle.

If you see the link I included to the actual CT AWB statute, you would see they leave pistol grip and action of the weapon on centerfire detachable magazine semiautomatic rifles wide open (and this assumes you can get past the copy or duplicate of an AR-15 semiautomatic centerfire rifle):

"(II) Any grip of the weapon, including a pistol grip, a thumbhole stock, or any other stock, the use of which would allow an individual to grip the weapon, resulting in any finger on the trigger hand in addition to the trigger finger being directly below any portion of the action of the weapon when firing;
....
(3) “Action of the weapon” means the part of the firearm that loads, fires and ejects a cartridge, which part includes, but is not limited to, the upper and lower receiver, charging handle, forward assist, magazine release and shell deflector;"

Of course it may also depend on how the 80% lower was initially transferred too (pistol, rifle, other), but others can get into the legalities of that when it comes to changing a "other" or "pistol" into a "rifle" as there are some strict federal/ATF rules on that aspect.

For example there is a CT manufacturer (https://www.ctlegalars.com/) who makes and sells AR lowers that don't have the magazine catch/release portion of the receiver/frame fully/properly milled out. That same manufacturer also sells a pump action kit as well so one would have non semiautomatic AR (pump action).

Now the issue comes for the home user (without a federal license) who makes a rifle from an 80% lower. It is entirely possible if they are not careful one could potentially have an illegal AW as they make a 80% lower into a  CT legal rifle due to the "parts" language of the CT AWB in addition to the copy/duplicates banned by name language. Of course how would the police know (so long as they never find out). I am not advocating going that route of violating any laws. But legally is always a different issue.

Edit to add: Oh and don't forget to serialize that 80% once finished into a firearm per the new laws from last year.
Sec. 29-36a. Manufacture of a firearm. Acquisition of unique serial number or other mark of identification. Exceptions. Penalty.