OK....!!

i done a search on this subject, "Essential Arms" here on AR15.com, read all the notes for 9 months back........., & i am still a bit confused..., i have had an AR15 for a long tyme but it sat unused for a few years, i never concerned myself over the AW-Ban Law, the rifle or anythyng else, i just decided to get it out & start shooting actively once more.....

so i wanted another AR15, then another & another & so on.........!

NOW HYPTHETICALLY !!!!!!!!!!!

i am walking down a back country dirt road, i see a man walking towards me & he is carrying this "BLACK RIFLE", as we meet he asks if wud lyke to buy his rifle, i say shure.., let me look at it, it is all Black..! perfectly matching Black !! it is as beautiful as any of my Colt's or Bushies, very tight fitting, original military cleaning kit in buttstock...

on the left side magwell is "Cal .223-5.56 J 15
SN 3xxx", a lyttle further aft is, "E.A. Kr. Spr. LA"........... yes !! it is an "Essential Arms" in full preban config., the guy says $500 cash !! no questions !! no paper work!! we go seperate ways.......

can i legaly own that rifle in it's current config ?? altho i have no idea whether it was assembled in 1991 or 2001...?? would i get in trouble if i took it to the range to shoot & some BATF type got nosey ?? would it be legal in ANY circumstance if the upper were replaced wyth a "liberalized" upper ??

i have a chance to buy the above described rifle but i don't want any hassle........., oooh ..! that price is NOT the actual price !!

awwwwwwww, come on guys !! someone has to have an answer.........

if i replace the upper will it be legal ??

if i do NOT replace the upper, is it still legal ??

does ownership have to prove how long it was owned or when it was built ??

EA sold stripped lowers before the AW ban (that's the wordy way of saying its a pre-ban).

At that price, I'd worry that the gun is stolen. The thief just found a sucker willing to pay $500 for stolen property. Worrying about being busted for your weapon's questionable heritage could be the least of your problems.

DnPRK,

did you read my last line ? the gun is considerably more costly than the $500 i used as an example.., actually the fellow has a spare "shorty" upper, also pre-ban config, plus some other fluff & some spare parts......., all for only $800.......

Thank you Troy,

OK..!
next Gun Show that comes around, i'll look for a post ban upper, do you have any recomendations ?

i was looking thru Shotgun News, most seem to be priced between $250 & $300....., is there any way of telling who made "unmarked" uppers ??

one of mine has what appears to be a large "A", but looking closer, it appeared to be an upside down "A", but looking closer it was an upside down "v" over an "H" wyth slanted sides, that mark is raised lettering & is forward of rear sight in carry handle area, there are no other marks........

Essential went out of business some time before the AW ban.  Who is to know when it was built?

A_FREE_MAN,

exactly my position, BUT !! if i do take possesion of the rifle, i do NOT want any controversy......

do you own any "pre-bans"..? if so have you ever been questioned when you take them to the shooting range ?

Most of my stuff is pre-ban, and I get questions from LEO's ( I shoot at a LEO range ), but more about the fine art of AR-15'ing.  I usually let them fire off a half mag or so.  They really like the Oly UltraMatch.

Everybody buys forgings from a couple of forging houses.  Only Colt and ArmaLite have their own forging dies and control the quality tightly.  Depending on where in a die's life the builder gets his forgings, some are better than other.  It's a cosmetic issue but not a functio0nal one.