Caliber not on lower, Should I engrave it?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Caliber not on lower, Should I engrave it?

Posted: 9/11/2017 10:05:46 AM EDT

Sent off my F1 on a Anderson Lower back in Feb. Had the lower engraved by a guy about 1 Hr from me. I just realized the other day that the lower says Multi and not 5.56/223.

Should I have the lower engraved with the caliber (5.56)? It will be wearing a 10.5" barrel with standard carbine handguard, No rail. So the caliber would be visible on the on barrel.

I also had 2 other stripped lowers engraved as well and the plan is to do one of them as a dedicated 22 Sbr. Should I have the 22Lr caliber engraved on it?

Posted: 9/11/2017 10:10:07 AM EDT

[#1]

There is no law that requires that the proper caliber be engraved in an AR lower.

In my case, my SBR'd lowers house both 5.56 and 300B, so "multi" is the most appropriate designation.

Posted: 9/11/2017 11:22:30 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Sent off my F1 on a Anderson Lower back in Feb. Had the lower engraved by a guy about 1 Hr from me. I just realized the other day that the lower says Multi and not 5.56/223.

Should I have the lower engraved with the caliber (5.56)? It will be wearing a 10.5" barrel with standard carbine handguard, No rail. So the caliber would be visible on the on barrel.

I also had 2 other stripped lowers engraved as well and the plan is to do one of them as a dedicated 22 Sbr. Should I have the 22Lr caliber engraved on it?

View Quote

If the caliber is visible on the barrel you'd be good.

Quoted:
There is no law that requires that the proper caliber be engraved in an AR lower.

In my case, my SBR'd lowers house both 5.56 and 300B, so "multi" is the most appropriate designation.

View Quote

Yea but there is a law that the caliber be engraved somewhere on an SBR.

Posted: 9/11/2017 11:27:55 AM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
There is no law that requires that the proper caliber be engraved in an AR lower.

In my case, my SBR'd lowers house both 5.56 and 300B, so "multi" is the most appropriate designation.

View Quote

It is in fact required by law for an NFA firearm, even one "made" by an individual.

It does not have to be on the receiver, though - the law allows for it to be marked on the "frame, receiver or barrel".

Further, the caliber can be changed after the firearm is first made, and there is no law requiring the markings to be changed to reflect the new caliber - it just has to be on there in the caliber in which the firearm was first made.

In the case of an AR lower marked "Multi", ATF will not approve a form marked with that for caliber, though they used to allow it.

Posted: 9/11/2017 2:32:38 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:

It is in fact required by law for an NFA firearm, even one "made" by an individual.

It does not have to be on the receiver, though - the law allows for it to be marked on the "frame, receiver or barrel".

Further, the caliber can be changed after the firearm is first made, and there is no law requiring the markings to be changed to reflect the new caliber - it just has to be on there in the caliber in which the firearm was first made.

In the case of an AR lower marked "Multi", ATF will not approve a form marked with that for caliber, though they used to allow it.

View Quote

Correct.

Posted: 9/11/2017 3:33:24 PM EDT

[#5]

Ok so my 10.5" 556 is good to go.

On the 22 sbr I will be building it will have a 4" barrel. Not sure if CMMG markes their barrels but if it is marked under the rail will that be ok? The rail would be easily removable.

Posted: 9/11/2017 3:58:46 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:

Ok so my 10.5" 556 is good to go.

On the 22 sbr I will be building it will have a 4" barrel. Not sure if CMMG markes their barrels but if it is marked under the rail will that be ok? The rail would be easily removable.

View Quote

My understanding is that the required markings must be conspicuous:

"conspicuous" means that all required markings
must be placed in such a manner as to be wholly unobstructed from plain
view.

Posted: 9/12/2017 11:25:49 AM EDT

[#7]

If they're coming after you for your caliber marking not being conspicuous enough- you've got bigger problems.

Posted: 9/12/2017 11:36:47 AM EDT

[#8]

I am assuming that the depth requirement applies to the caliber marking as well.

Posted: 9/12/2017 11:52:47 AM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
I am assuming that the depth requirement applies to the caliber marking as well.

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All necessary markings have the .003" minimum depth requirement. Only the SN has the additional minimum 1/16" size requirement.

Posted: 9/12/2017 1:13:16 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
If they're coming after you for your caliber marking not being conspicuous enough- you've got bigger problems.

View Quote

This is also correct.

Posted: 9/12/2017 1:33:53 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
All necessary markings have the .003" minimum depth requirement. Only the SN has the additional minimum 1/16" size requirement.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I am assuming that the depth requirement applies to the caliber marking as well.

All necessary markings have the .003" minimum depth requirement. Only the SN has the additional minimum 1/16" size requirement.

Although, I hear that they have no way or standard to measure depth.

Posted: 9/12/2017 3:00:09 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Although, I hear that they have no way or standard to measure depth.

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There may not be a standard as to how they measure, but there is for what they measure.

( b) The depth of all markings required by this section will be measured from the flat surface of the metal and not the peaks or ridges. The height of serial numbers required by paragraph (a) (1) of this section will be measured as the distance between the latitudinal ends of the character impression bottoms (bases).

Posted: 9/12/2017 10:19:07 PM EDT

[#13]

If marking anything for caliber, Mark the upper.
Marking the lower only adds confusion.

Posted: 9/13/2017 5:10:02 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
If marking anything for caliber, Mark the upper.
Marking the lower only adds confusion.

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I think I will wait and see if the caliber can be seen on the barrel if not I will mark the upper.

Any suggestions on engravers that I can mail a stripped upper receiver too?

Posted: 9/13/2017 5:46:17 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

I think I will wait and see if the caliber can be seen on the barrel if not I will mark the upper.

Any suggestions on engravers that I can mail a stripped upper receiver too?

View Quote

I like and use Ident Marking Service in Rockwall, Tx.

Posted: 9/13/2017 7:27:09 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

I think I will wait and see if the caliber can be seen on the barrel if not I will mark the upper.

Any suggestions on engravers that I can mail a stripped upper receiver too?

View Quote

Tar Heel State Firearms.

Or mark yours with a Dremel in a visible yet inconspicuous place:
1. Underside of barrel
2. Front of magwell (I did one up between the pivot pin ears)
3. Bottom of lower next to trigger hole

Posted: 9/14/2017 4:47:19 PM EDT

[#17]

As my .300 BO upper does not have the caliber marking on the barrel visible and the lower is "multi", I went ahead and had the engraver mark the lower ".300" (which is what the Stamp form has). The maker info is above the fcg holes and the caliber under the standard info on the magwell. Looks great.

Yes, I plan to use it for MANY other calibers and I won't worry about that marking in the least.

Rob

Posted: 9/14/2017 5:57:34 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
If they're coming after you for your caliber marking not being conspicuous enough- you've got bigger problems.

View Quote

This. There are lots of laws out there where LEOs aren't actively hunting people down for them. They're virtually ignored... until a crime happens. Then they ALLLLL come up as additional charges and can be used to push for a bargain. We'll drop the x y and z charges if you plead guilty to this other thing.

On top of that, many (even federal) LEOs don't have any idea a SBR even has to be engraved... they (may) know that there's some type of paperwork involved.

Many of us go to great lengths to adhere to laws, that are often very obfuscated. A person going to extremes to try to understand a law no one else knows about, and follow it to the letter is probably safe, even if they make a small mistake. TECHNICALLY a law may be broken--- and I'm not advocating doing so by any means... but don't go crazy and lose sleep over it.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Caliber not on lower, Should I engrave it?

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