I have an E.A. receiver. Some claim that EA's are all pre ban cause all they sold were whole rifles, some claim no saying EA never sold whole rifles. I'm getting confused.

What the story?

E.A. Essential Arms made only receivers. Not to be confused with E.A. Eagle Arms which made some of the best rifles out there.


According to ATF it does not matter. If it's a stripped receiver without evil features now it does not matter when it was made. Putting it into evil configuration now is making a new assault weapon.

D.H. is right on this, Essential Arms made receivers only.
If you build a pre ban configuration out of a receiver and the ATF questions you, it is on YOU to prove it was a complete rifle before the AWB.
Of note: E.A. is no longer in buisness.

For an example, my preban EA was apparantly used by the Maine State Prison system before they decided to sell em off for upgrades.  My FFL landed a couple and I grabbed one.

Essential Arms receivers have a J-15 Model Number, with raised lettering, except for the serial number, which was stamped.  They are cast, but very good cast.  I have never seen a malfunction attributable to the quality of the Essential Arms receiver.

They made ONLY receivers.  A sister company, Essential Accessories, out of the same location, sold kits with and without lower receivers, but still not whole rifles.  They never stocked barrels.  Every other part, but no barrels.  They would recommend several places to order barrels from, but I repeat, they did not stock or sell barrels... therefore, no complete rifles.  All Essential receivers were made before the ban, since the company went out of business in 1993.  Whether or not they were assembled into a complete firearm you can't say.

I had seen their kits and parts at gun shows, and they were top quality parts.  But I have never seen an Essential Arms  built with one.  They would be easy to spot... their lowers, except for the last few years they were in business, were made in the old moly gray finish.  It was offered in black as an option for a few years.  Most were gray.  They sold matching gray uppers in their kits and separately.

EVERY Essentail Arms rifle I have ever seen had mismatched receivers, gray lower, black upper.

The lowers sold back then for the princely sum of $59, or $55 if you bought in quantity.  So, these receivers attracted bottom dollar builders who bought junk kits for $250 or so, made up from torn down, worn out M16's.  (Those kit suppliers know who they are!)  I have seen these rifles built with the trashy plastic trigger guards and plastic buffers, and internals that had been reparkerized.

Some of these lowers ended up under better quality kits, but ALL Essential Arms are kit guns.  Some are true "Frankenguns".

Since it was not an issue, having to prove it was assembled before Sept of 94, before the ban, there was no reason for anyone to save receipts to "prove" it.  I have not heard of any arrests or prosecutions on this one point.

Thanks, great info. Anyone want to buy a pre ban Essential Arms stripped reciver??? $700. Email me

Just stop hopping around like a crazy man yelling I got a stripped receiver I got a stripped receiver.
That is a sure way to get it documented that your receiver does not qualify as preban.

A little subtilty never hurt.

Troy's full of crap [;)] I'll give you $80 for that stripped lower...

I thought I saw an ad in Shotgun News recently about Essential Arms or somone using that name was going to start making lowers again.

Essential Arms has been advertising in SGN that they are selling AR parts, not sure about receivers.  I'm not even sure it is the same outfit or not.  If so we can hope they are going to start again and this time make forged receivers.  Perhaps we could convince them to replace existing cast receivers with forged receivers baring the same serial number along with a letter of remanufacture like Oly Arms does.