I am thinking about building my own AK.  In order to buy flats or pre bends, do I have to go through an FFL to transfer?  And after I build the rifle can I legally sell to someone if it does not have a serial number?  Do I have to serial number the receiver myself or do they come with serial numbers already.  Can I build one for a family member?  Basically, what are the legal issues concerning home building?

Buy the flat, bend it, forget it!
As far as selling it gos, it's questionable, to be safe I'd say don't ever sell it.
ETA: I guess I should say I'm not a lawyer.

You cannot build a firearm for someone else. You cannot build a firearm with the intent to transfer it  ( sell OR give away)to someone else. That constitutes manufacturing and you need a license to do that. Unlicensed manufacturing is a felony. You CAN make a firearm for your own use. You can transfer a firearm you made for your own use at a later time. Before doing so you must mark the receiver with your name and the city where the firearm was made. No serial number is needed for an AK. The serial number is on the trunnion. My advice: don't mark the receiver of a firearm you make for yourself. That could be interpreted as intent to transfer.

The short answer: Don't build for others. Plan to keep any firearm you make for yourself forever. It's safer that way.

ETA: A flat or blank is not a receiver  'til the flat is bent or the blank has additional holes in it. No FFL needed.

ETA again: You can always rely on real estate salesman's  advice on how to build. I'd never have built my first one if it wasn't for the knowledge he shared on this board.

I believe that you can build for someone else, as long as you have them buy a 100% receiver from a dealer and you build on that. By buying the 100% receiver from a dealer, they have in fact bought a firearm, and you're just "repairing it" for them, same as if you had a 'smith refinish your 1911. I wouldn't build for someone else if it's from a flat or 80% receiver. Then again, I wouldn't build for someone I wasn't related to due to legal concerns, if the gun were to hurt them, even if through no fault of your own. However, even relatives sue one another, so beware!hinking.gif

Seen several discussion on this subject. General consenses is you can build and give to a relative as a gift. It's when you start selling that is the problem with a unnumber flat. It will need to be numered and you will need a license.

When I got into this hobby everyone said "you can NEVER transfer a home made weapon" (I'm talking about home made receivers, not 100% ones), then I heard "you can leave it to your family members in your will". Now I've even seen an AMD-65 built on a flat sold here on the equipment exchange and never heard about any ATF raid.
That's just my observation.
Personally, I don't sell any of my guns. My guns are like children to me.

Funny how shady this grey area is in the firearms laws.  If you purchase a 100% receiver, assemble an AK with it, then sell it, you might be fine...  But oh wait!  If you are assembling with the intent to sell then you are a manufacturer!

I am planning to build a few rifles for my own use.  I can see myself selling a couple of them before next year though.  Sort of a scary grey area to be in.

I would like to hear more thoughts on this topic.  I purchased 100% receivers last week for the upcoming DFW build just so I wouldn't be stuck with all the rifles I build forever.