Can anyone explain the difference to me between a "pre-ban" stripped lower and a "ban" version? Thanks much.

For people in MO, there is no difference.  For people trapped in communist states, it means that the receiver is either a pre Sept 1994 production or post Sept 1994 receiver.  It allows people to have all the evil features (preban)or limited features (postban).

Thanks man, I just wondered if collapsible stocks were under the banned items or not. I thought it was just folders.

Quoted: Thanks man, I just wondered if collapsible stocks were under the banned items or not. I thought it was just folders.

Collapsable stocks, flash hiders, bayonet lugs, removable mags and pistol grips.  Those are the evil features.  You can have any, but not more than, two of the banned features on a post ban weapon.  That's why postban guns didn't have flash hiders, bayonet lugs or collapsable stocks, because, by default, the weapon already has a removable magazine and a pistol grip.  

It was an exercise of how ignorant  (luckily so, in a way) our politicians were when making this useless law.

I hear ya man, I'm just more knowledgealbe of pistols.