hey guys, I just got into the gun hobby and like many of my other hobbies, i tend to get pretty extreme.  within a month my collection (only had guns right now) includes: (2)HK usp40 compact, (1)HK usp45 tactical (ordering a II-a carbon fiber suppressor with it!!!), (1)HK mk23, (2) beretta 92fs, (1) springfield xd-9, and a baby browning...anyways, my friend came back from the military recently and he has a few ar-15's including an olympic, bushmaster and colt preban sporter.  My questions is, what is the advantage of owning an ar-15 such as the colt preban over a post ban.  i am extremely new to this sport so please excuse my ignorance.  my next two purchase will be an mp5k-pdw (if i can find one the way i want!) and an ar-15.  i've been trying to read through the stuff in this forum, but there are so many things on here that its kind of hard to search and come up with the specific thing i am looking for.  any help is greatly appreciated!!!  this is a great site with so much content!!

there is no advantage if your only goal is to shoot an AR and have fun with it.
some folks, including myself, prefer pre ban rifles due to the fact that some asshole said we can't have 'em.
i'm a preban Colt collector, it's only about personal preference.
prebans are slightly higher, it just depends on what YOU want.
cc, out.

so functionality is the same? but what if i want to modify it later?  will i be limited with the post-ban vs the preban? and thanks for such a quick reply!

function will be the same.
modify it? perhaps you will be limited. that depends on what you want to modify.
you know there are certain things you can not put on a post ban.
my advice is if you want to modify it in the future, go ahead and buy the pre ban.
some folks will say "wait and see what the AWB will do next year.
hell, that's almost a year away, but one now, have fun with it, and enjoy!

yes, everyone's talking about the ban being rid of next year...i can't wait that long, and i'm more than willing to shell out a couple of hundred bucks!  and if the issue with the ban goes through...GREAT..more guns at cheaper price for me :)

Like a suppressor.  You mention buying a can for one of your H&Ks.  If you decide you want a can on an AR, the AR (at this time, at least) must be a pre-ban.  Plus, the flash suppressor is nice if you ever do any nighttime shooting.  If you want a collapsible stock, you'll need a pre-ban.

Welcome to the board and the addiction!

Where you from in OK?

my family is in tulsa...i am in norman for school.

If you tell me I can't have it.  Just watch me.[nana]

YOU CAN ADD A SUPPRESSOR TO A POST BAN.
You just have to remove the pistol grip and ad either the ZM Weapons alternative grip or the Gogogadgets.net vertical grip instead. Both are ATF approved as non pistol grips. The threaded barrel/flash hider/suppressor combo then becomes your one bad part.

Most of the Heckler & Koch MP5 PDWs I have seen for sale are either Class III post samples which require LE certification for purchase, or are over $8000+$200 tax.

If you have that kind of disposable income, why even think about it. Buy an N.I.B. Colt preban, it's peanuts compared to that.

Hard to believe someone who has only collecting guns for a month is buying a an imported H&K submachinegun, but hey, I'm just jealous if it's true.

Hell if you have the paperwork for class3 weapons and silencers just by a pre 86 M16.why even bother with a semi auto pre or post ban.sounds like you have about $20,000 worth of stuff already why not spend another 10 on a real 16.

Well I went postban myself. I thought about pre-ban but the money isnt there for what I like doing with an AR. Im buying it mostly so I can hang with my cousin who was ina special section of the airforce and lived with rifle everyday. His skills are second to none and his training will be the best Icould get in firing an AR as tactical and sniper style roles. Look out pumpkins and paper targets IC you.

How about some pics.....

First off, nice collection and welcome to ARFCOM

Second, you mention you are going to school, are they paying you for school instead of you pay them?? [;D]

On to your question

A pre-ban rifle can have:

- collapsible stock
- threaded barrel
- flash suppressor
- bayonet lug

A post-ban rifle can have:

- none of the above, but can have a fixed muzzle brake and fake collapsible stock. So, if you are going for the looks aspect instead of functioning features then go post-ban.