Hypothetical situation.

I have a manufacturers license. I don't have the machinery to make a billet lower, so I partner up with a guy in another state who does have the equipment but can't get insurance to make firearms at his facility. He makes a 80% lower, ships it to me and I finish it to 100%. I ship it back to him or some other location for anodizing. And then I sell the lowers commercially.

Is this all legal?
Can I have my manufacturers license in one state but have my machine facilities in another?

I'm not trying to skirt the laws but operate within them.

Shipping him a 100% lower is illegal unless you go through an FFL. You could have a local place anodize the receivers if you are there with them.

I think place of manufacture must be the place on the license.

If we ar co-owners in the same business, why is it illegal to ship a lower to him? If we have a FFL why can't the lower be made in one state and anodized in another if the lower stays within company hands (except when being shipped)?

You will probably need to have 2 FFL licenses. To ship a firearm across state lines, the firearm MUST be shipped to the exact address on the license. If you have a FFL in each state you would be legal. If you just have an FFL in one state and just ship a 100% receiver to a facility to have it coated, you are breaking the law.

Interstate commerce, govt controls it. Any transfer of firearms between states is the federal governments business and must go to an FFL, unless way old or C&R.

Thanks for the info. It's a wonder anyone can make a firearm with all these anal laws.

You would be fine if you had 2 FFLs. Other than that, you cannot transfer firearms across state lines without going through an FFL. You can't even ship them to the same state without FFL, gotta be face to face.

Now I dont know what machining is necessary to convert 80% to 100% but if its not too much he could coat them, then you could finish them