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Posted: 8/17/2011 4:52:11 PM EDT
| I am going to college for criminal justice, planing on getting my bachelors and doing the police academy. once i get hired by a department, is it even possible to buy a factory machine gun? if so, with what difficulty. |
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Yep, department can issue a PO and almost any manufacturer will be happy to provide. You, as an individual LEO, will be no more able to purchase a post-86 machinegun than you are now. Damn.. alright. I was just asking b/c I was looking at buying an m16, and wanted to see what my potions were. I'd rather have somthing new vs an old 86 m16. |
| An "old" M16 isn't much different as far as the receiver is concerned, A2's and newer have some additional reinforcements around the front take-down pin holes and around the back of the receiver where the buffer tube attaches, but other than that a stripped M16 receiver hasn't changed much. From stripped it is extremely easy to rebuild it to a modern configuration. Many old school M16's (mine included) are in better shape than a lot of newer dept weapons I've seen, so don't rule out a transferable M16 if you want one for yourself. You could always pay a little more for an A2 variant and build a weapon equivalent to any M16 platform your dept will be using IMHO. |
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Who ya calling "old", punk!?!?!
I bought this Colt M16A1 in 1994, and since then I've put about 50,000 rounds through it, using more than a dozen different uppers. The finish is 100% original, just like the day it was made the Hartford factory (March 7, 1978) –– all I do is handle it carefully and keep it clean. As Fredmisery says, there is no functional difference between this and an M4 ... except IMHO the build and finish quality is better on mine than the QC I see in most brand-new Colt M4's made today. I've got one of those (Colt 6933 M4LE), too; put 'em side by side and the dif is obvious. YMMV. 
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curious, I thought lifetime of an M16 lower was quote much lower than 50k rounds by the military. Or is it a difference in the level of care or just the KNS pins? The KNS pins are insurance. The rest is handling, maintenance and only using top-quality ammo. I routinely change the springs every 5,000 rounds, like changing the oil in my truck, to keep them fresh and in-spec; does the military do that? Unlike military-issue M16s, mine has never gotten wet. It has never even touched the ground, except on a shooting pad or blanket. Ditto on shooting benches –– it never touches the wood or steel, I always place it on a fireproof pad or blanket. It has never jumped out of an airplane. It has never been used as a prybar to open a crate, or as a hammer to pound in a tent stake. It is not a convenient stand for my helmet. It has never been outside when the temp drops below 40 degrees, though it has seen 100-plus here in FL. There's a rental range in Vegas with an M16 that runs all day long in the hands of tourists. At around 250,000 rounds, they had to sleeve and redrill the holes for the hammer and trigger pins ... then put it back on the line, and last I heard it was around 450k rounds and still going strong. Properly cared for, a quality M16 will still be running perfectly when it is inherited by your great-great-grandchildren.
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| If you take proper care of it the lower will last as long as you want it too. The KNS pins are nice too, I felt a lot better about spending the money on a Reg Rec after I picked up a few sets, and some of their sear pins as well. I don't feed mine top quality ammo all the time, but it still really works well with the silver bear I use. You'll wear out plenty of barrels without wearing out a lower, just keep the internals in good shape and don't beat the shit out of it. |
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Don't forget a RDIAS. New gun whenever you want. My sear looks like the day I bought it 9 years ago with no wear Although I keep telling myself I'm gonna buy a Colt RR just so I can say I have a "real" M16 I finally got my real M16. Just waiting on the transfer to my dealer. Took a while to find the right one, but can't wait on my pony. 
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Don't forget a RDIAS. New gun whenever you want. My sear looks like the day I bought it 9 years ago with no wear Although I keep telling myself I'm gonna buy a Colt RR just so I can say I have a "real" M16 Definitely wouldn't forget the RDiAS, I just had to have a Factory Colt M16A1. A lot of that comes simply from the military history of the weapon, me being a bit of a history buff, and just wanting an original. It's actually the only Colt firearm I own, but it's the original and the real deal. All boils down to personal preference, either option can last a lifetime and then some as long as it's taken care of. and Congrats damcv! |
If OP insists, there are still NIB, as is "unfired" transferable M16s that hit the market. Not the most cost effective option, but anything for a price is still in effect. They are all still from before the 86 ban, and command collector prices north of $16k. That is a lot of overtime.
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I am going to college for criminal justice, planing on getting my bachelors and doing the police academy. once i get hired by a department, is it even possible to buy a factory machine gun? if so, with what difficulty. One a realistic note, departments that allow officers to carry personal guns are the minority. I bet only a handful or less of departments nation wide would allow you to carry a personally owned full auto. As already mentioned, an individual officer cannot buy/own a post-'86 machine gun. The department can buy them but there aren't many departments that issue full auto's to general patrol officers (excluding the few departments that have DRMO M14's or M16A1's). |
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I have a few military hand me down M16A1's in my arsenal and all of them have a TON of rounds through them (probably date back to the late 60's) and all of them have functioned flawlessly. We don't use them much anymore, but keep them as back ups should anything fail in the new Commandos... Which oddly enough happens much more than failure of the 16's....
Now back to your reality. I've been in law enforcement for 13 years and on a SWAT team for about 6. I've been an armorer, firearms instructor, trainer, equipment tester and purchaser, and just about everything that has to do with guns and equipment for my PD for at least 5 years. It took me a long time of being a road dog, learning the job, attending training and schools and building my skills and experience to earn my way onto a SWAT team and further to earn a leadership role. With that being said; if you join a department that has any level of professionalism you ain't gettin a select fire rifle for patrol duty unless you find your way onto a specialized unit and that's very unlikely to happen within the first 5 years of a job you don't even have yet.... Sorry, but the entire undertone of your original post comes off as if you simply want to pursue the job not as a dedicated career but so you can get around the law and get your hands on a machine gun... If that's the case, file the paperwork, get a stamp and buy the gun yourself. This line of work is not for you if your only interest is being able to play with cool toys and get around legal loop holes. |
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Other quick, if not-so-easy ways:
Open a private prison. Once you get a state or county contract you can be classified as "law enforcement" and get post86 toys. Run for sheriff, police chief or constable of a very small polity. Get elected and outfit your force to your liking. Start a transit line (bus or train or vans, etc) and get a state charter - presto, you can organize your own transit police. Buy up land in the middle of nowhere and get a charter as a town or village, start a police department. Buy a small town that's already got a charter - There's that one in California I believe, that stays listed on eBay. There are probably also defunct ghost towns which still possess charters here and there. Buy land there and become mayor/police chief and head dogcatcher of a town with population: you. |
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Other quick, if not-so-easy ways: Open a private prison. Once you get a state or county contract you can be classified as "law enforcement" and get post86 toys. Run for sheriff, police chief or constable of a very small polity. Get elected and outfit your force to your liking. Start a transit line (bus or train or vans, etc) and get a state charter - presto, you can organize your own transit police. Buy up land in the middle of nowhere and get a charter as a town or village, start a police department. Buy a small town that's already got a charter - There's that one in California I believe, that stays listed on eBay. There are probably also defunct ghost towns which still possess charters here and there. Buy land there and become mayor/police chief and head dogcatcher of a town with population: you. It's cheaper and easier to just get an FFL/SOT. |
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Your chances of being hired by department that will allow you to purchase a full-auto firearm through the department is about zero. If this is your reason for wanting to become an LEO you need reevaluate your career options. This isn't my only reason, i just got thinking about it and wanted to know the possibilities is all. |
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Don't forget a RDIAS. New gun whenever you want. My sear looks like the day I bought it 9 years ago with no wear Although I keep telling myself I'm gonna buy a Colt RR just so I can say I have a "real" M16 my only question about that is where can i find a RDIAS? I've been looking for some time and havn't been able to find any. |
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Your chances of being hired by department that will allow you to purchase a full-auto firearm through the department is about zero. If this is your reason for wanting to become an LEO you need reevaluate your career options. This isn't my only reason, i just got thinking about it and wanted to know the possibilities is all. Pretty much slim to none unless you are a one man department. It has happened but it is very rare. |
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Don't forget a RDIAS. New gun whenever you want. My sear looks like the day I bought it 9 years ago with no wear Although I keep telling myself I'm gonna buy a Colt RR just so I can say I have a "real" M16 my only question about that is where can i find a RDIAS? I've been looking for some time and havn't been able to find any. They come up for sale every now and again. Post a WTB on strum. You'll get a couple of offers in a day. Prices will run from $12-$15k. |
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