Well, I got my hands on an Olympic Arm's Plinker Plus last week and I'm pretty happy. However, I know that I'm going to want to make myself a A1 clone at some point in the future. Now, I see alot of old SP1-style uppers floating around on the internet for pretty reasonable prices, but they all have flash hiders and bayo-lugs.  Now, if I purchased one (would that even be legal in NJ? Or would I be breaking the law by having a part of an assualt weapon that could be readily combined to make an assualt weapon?) and removed both of those features by hand (grind down the lug, pull/cut the flash-hider), would that be kosher in the eyes of the law?

Why don't you just go to Adco, Model 1 Delton...etc and buy a upper and a barrel kit. Put it together and your set. I thimh it is a shame to start grinding off bayo lugs and ripping off flash hiders. You could build an upper and have a new barrel. I would also buy a bolt and carrier with it.

It should be legal, however if your caught with an upper that has a flashider and bayonet lug, could be you charged with "intent" to build an assault rifle? I'm no lawyer but if I were to buy an upper I would grind off the bayonet lug and replace the flashider with a Wilson Brake. This way it would look half way decent and you would complying with the law.

Why not have whoever you buy it from ship it direct to ADCO with a letter from you as to what
you want them to do. They can pull the F.S. base and install a "ban legal" one along with a comp.
instead of a flash suppresor. They could also turn down the bbl. to A2 demensions (skinny)
under the handguards and re-park it if you want. I've never used them but alot of guys on the board
give them high praise. I'm thinking of having a ban legal Hbar upper converted like this.

www.bushmaster.com/shopping/barrel-assemblies/abbl-20a2.asp

Sorry when I read your post the first time I didn't realize you ment the whole upper. I dont know what the price is you are seeing them for.
Either case again I say if you are going to have a barrel sent to be lightened and a brake put on then it might not be worth the price. Adco is the one to have it done but I am sure it is not cheap to have a barrel lightened. I know they charge $25.00 for the brake since I just had one done. Their work and turn around time is great.

If you look at the link above you can see what a New barrel would cost. Even if you buy one of those old SP1 it still might be cheaper to have a new barrel installed. FSB without the Bayo Lug could be orderd instead of with it.

Also you might be able to get it from Bushmaster or who ever you chose with the Brake already installed at no charge. I just hate to see a Barrel and Base Basterdized when you could have a brand new barrel.

Hmmm, I think I'll just do the "get a new post-ban barrel and work from there method" instead of mutilating something. Thnaks for the advice.

I don't see what's so terrible about modding an old surplus M16 upper.

It's the cheapest way to build a "retro" rifle.

All you need do is have the barrel cut and crowned , and the bayo lug milled flat.

And you can slap it on the lower from your Oly and go shootin!