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Posted: 1/24/2010 8:08:16 PM EDT
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Never fired transferable M16s are available for sale in the $20K range. If a person were to purchase one and to go through the transfer process to buy a complete weapon, would that be equivalent to buying an RR? Asked differently, would the lower on this rifle be able to legally be put on any AR15? If so could an M16 Colt lower be put on an Armalite AR15 upper with no issues? Thanks |
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Never fired transferable M16s are available for sale in the $20K range. If a person were to purchase one and to go through the transfer process to buy a complete weapon, would that be equivalent to buying an RR? It would not be "equivalent to" –– it is exactly what you would be doing. Asked differently, would the lower on this rifle be able to legally be put on any AR15? Yes. If so could an M16 Colt lower be put on an Armalite AR15 upper with no issues? Yes. But why trade a factory made-for-full-auto upper for an equivalent semi upper? Isn't that equivalent to buying a Corvette and swapping in a turbo V6? Thanks |
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Quoted: Quoted: Never fired transferable M16s are available for sale in the $20K range. If a person were to purchase one and to go through the transfer process to buy a complete weapon, would that be equivalent to buying an RR? It would not be "equivalent to" –– it is exactly what you would be doing. Asked differently, would the lower on this rifle be able to legally be put on any AR15? Yes. If so could an M16 Colt lower be put on an Armalite AR15 upper with no issues? Yes. But why trade a factory made-for-full-auto upper for an equivalent semi upper? Isn't that equivalent to buying a Corvette and swapping in a turbo V6? Thanks Thanks If the Colt lower were to be put on an AR15 upper....wouldn't the AR15 be full auto as well? I have a number of AR15s set up for different purposes. By being able to put the M16 lower on any of them would they then not become full auto versions of the semi-auto AR15s? It looks like the M16s have a permanent iron site on them with no rails to take a Trijicon or other device. Being able to switch lowers would be simple and add to the versatility if it can be done. Thanks again |
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If the Colt lower were to be put on an AR15 upper....wouldn't the AR15 be full auto as well? I have a number of AR15s set up for different purposes. By being able to put the M16 lower on any of them would they then not become full auto versions of the semi-auto AR15s? It looks like the M16s have a permanent iron site on them with no rails to take a Trijicon or other device. Being able to switch lowers would be simple and add to the versatility if it can be done. 1. Uhhh......yes, if the upper has an autosear cutout and you use a FA compatible bolt carrier, etc. Uppers do not "become full auto". 2. Again, yes, and no. Your uppers (see #1) will probably support FA use. But they don't "become" full auto uppers. They are just uppers. The lower receiver is the registered MG (and it's a darn good thing that's how ATF defines it, registered sears excepted of course). So you still only have one MG. Nothing happens to change all those AR15 uppers into MGs. 3. Yup, we love versatility. Sam |
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If a person were to purchase one and to go through the transfer process to buy a complete weapon, would that be equivalent to buying an RR? Some terminology. A "registered receiver" is a particular type of machinegun, where the receiver is the registered machinegun, as opposed to a device or part or collection of parts which make a registered machinegun conversion. If the receiver came from the original manufacturer in a machinegun configuration, then it's a "factory RR". If the receiver used to be semi-auto and was converted to machinegun configuration, then it's a "RR conversion". Both machineguns are "registered receivers". |
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Quoted: Quoted: If a person were to purchase one and to go through the transfer process to buy a complete weapon, would that be equivalent to buying an RR? Some terminology. A "registered receiver" is a particular type of machinegun, where the receiver is the registered machinegun, as opposed to a device or part or collection of parts which make a registered machinegun conversion. If the receiver came from the original manufacturer in a machinegun configuration, then it's a "factory RR". If the receiver used to be semi-auto and was converted to machinegun configuration, then it's a "RR conversion". Both machineguns are "registered receivers". Thanks for your response |
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So what do I have to do to use the factory RR and maybe other M16 components interchangeably in other semi-auto ARs to legally make the other ARs full auto while the parts are in them? Is the process a simple one? I am looking for instructions so I know in advance what I am getting into if someone is willing to tell me. |
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So what do I have to do to use the factory RR and maybe other M16 components interchangeably in other semi-auto ARs to legally make the other ARs full auto while the parts are in them? Is the process a simple one? I am looking for instructions so I know in advance what I am getting into if someone is willing to tell me. To run what you are calling an AR15 upper on a RR lower, you need to remove the semi-auto bolt carrier group, and replace it with a full auto carrier group. TRG |
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Quoted: Quoted: So what do I have to do to use the factory RR and maybe other M16 components interchangeably in other semi-auto ARs to legally make the other ARs full auto while the parts are in them? Is the process a simple one? I am looking for instructions so I know in advance what I am getting into if someone is willing to tell me. To run what you are calling an AR15 upper on a RR lower, you need to remove the semi-auto bolt carrier group, and replace it with a full auto carrier group. TRG Thanks. This may go without saying but can the full auto carrier group from the M16 be used in the AR for this purpose? |
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This may go without saying but can the full auto carrier group from the M16 be used in the AR for this purpose? There's really no such thing as an "AR-15 upper" or an "M16 upper", except as functional descriptions. There are some front pin size issues with some years' worth of Colt semi auto production, but those notwithstanding: Any M16 upper can be swapped onto an AR-15 lower. Depending on the construction of the semi auto lower, the M16 bolt carrier group may be able to be used, or a special Colt semi auto bolt carrier might have to used, instead. Any AR-15 upper can be swapped onto an M16 lower, and used as-is, but the M16 would only function semi-automatically unless the upper had a sear relief cut, and unless an M16 bolt carrier were substituted for the semi-auto AR-15 bolt carrier. Take a look here http://biggerhammer.net/ar15/uppers/ under the heading "M16 Sear Relief" for the only physical difference between an AR-15 and M16 upper receiver. You can use a full auto carrier with any full auto lower, and most semi auto lowers, but it will only function automatically when used with the full auto lower. You can use a semi auto carrier with any lower, but it will only function semi-automatically, even when used with a full auto lower. |
| You seem to be changing terms around. If you get an M16 (either lower only or as a complete rifle) you can use any upper on it you want. You can change to a 9mm upper, it never makes the upper a machine gun, the lower was and always is the machine gun. I would not buy a new in box M16 if you want to shoot it. I would look for a nice used Colt M16 for 12 to 13K or a nice conversion for 9 to 10K and then use what ever upper you want on it. |
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So what do I have to do to use the factory RR and maybe other M16 components interchangeably in other semi-auto ARs to legally make the other ARs full auto while the parts are in them? Is the process a simple one? I am looking for instructions so I know in advance what I am getting into if someone is willing to tell me. You are not going to "make your other ARs full auto" with an M-16 Registered Receiver (RR). The serial-numbered M-16 Registered Receiver itself is a NFA registered (restricted) firearm, just as the serial-numbered AR-15 receiver is a Title 1 (unrestricted) firearm. Anything else attached to the lower receivers of BOTH firearms is just considered PARTS. You can use PARTS off of your AR-15 on an M-16 RR, but this does not MAKE your AR-15 firearm (the AR-15's RECEIVER) into a full auto firearm. Using the upper off of your AR-15 on an M-16 is about the same as using your AR-15's pistol grip, or handguards on an M-16 RR. In other words, you can use any and all uppers (an upper = parts) on an M-16 RR. HOWEVER, any upper you install onto your AR-15 rifle's lower receiver MUST have a barrel at least 16 inches in length, UNLESS the AR-15 is registered as a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR). The serial-numbered lower receiver is the firearm, and it dictates the legal status of the firearm. |
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Think of it this way. You aren't putting the M16 lower onto your AR-15 upper. You're putting your AR-15 upper onto your M16 RR lower. You're just changing parts out on your M16 basically. And while most all AR-15 parts are compatible with an M16, they may not allow your M16 to fire FA like it was intended.
You're not making your AR-15 upper shoot full auto; you're putting your AR-15 upper onto a gun that already shoots full auto. Its a small detail/difference, but its a very big difference from the legality end of it. Don't give the ATF any ideas here. |
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