Specifically, the Smith M&P Sport II AR 15.  Sold everywhere with the iron sights and 30 round mag.  Want one to shoot on and near my remote rural mountain property in far far upstate NY, and will travel to and from this property from out of state, by auto, on interstates and state highways.

Gun shops with armorer service in NY are telling me it takes a flash suppressor removal, recap barrel end and weld, somehow pinning the stock so no retract, and of course the 10 round mag "permanently" fixed.

Others say no, just do the 10 round fixed mag, and do the little white epoxy thing that makes it so a competent DIY can change things out again so you can use your 30 round mags when at home in your free state.

No one here in my FL location can help as they, the gun shop salesmen and the gunsmiths, don't know the ins and outs of the NY law.

Have you read up or posted in our NY Hometown subforum?

From some reports it looks like most people go with the pistol / other firearm setup with AR15s in NY as it gets you pretty much everything but a stock.  

I'm sure someone from occupied NY will be able to help, but that seemed to be the case at the West Point shooting event a member posted awhile back.

There is no definition of what makes a mag fixed except some county DA said bullet button + epoxy counts however there are a few options

Fixed mag = all the features you want

Detachable mag need goofy grip, fixed stock and no threaded barrel.

As you are out of state I’d suggest getting whatever you want, getting these https://crossarmory.com/shop/cross-armory-ar-fixed-mag/

And

https://www.compmag.net/ar-15-compmag/

Another option
https://www.stagarms.com/catalogsearch/advanced/result/?name=NY%2FCA-COMPLIANT&price%5Bfrom%5D=&price%5Bto%5D=&product_list_limit=36&sku=&product_list_order=price

NY HOMETOWN FORUM

A compliant ar requires either one of two possible choices

Non threaded barrel, with a fixed non adjustable stock, and no pistol grip (spur grip or the funky fin grip making it impossible to hold)

The second option  is a permanently fixed pinned 10 rd magazine and its not reversible with out some serious work.  (IE drilling / milling  out the lock)

The five Boroughs there is no compliant AR A mini -14 is GTG, a Flite Lite ACR is GTG specifically within the five boroughs.  A semi auto rifle with the word AR in the description is illegal

There’s several options. Tier5 bolt catch, you can keep all the features, Mag locks etc, also a “other firearm” from a stripped receiver with a pistol brace and foward vertical grip with a minimum overall length of at least 26 inches and you can keep all the other features because is not banned by the safe act by definition.
You can use ten round magazines unless you qualify under the various safe act exceptions. There is alot of conflicting information and you will get people arguing with each other that the other person is wrong. There also isn’t any guarantee that you don’t run into a law enforcement person  that really doesn’t fully grasp the statute

It looks like compliant can also include not being semi-automatic.

For an AR15 that could include eliminating the gas system.

Here's a fun fact: there isn't a true NY compliant AR15. No matter what anyone tells you. The law is written so loosely and no one has tried it. The fact is no one is going to come after you for using epoxy or a permanent attachment because 1) it may nullify their AWB laws if you decide to push it all the way up to the SCOTUS. and 2) there's no case laws that really set any sort of precedent. So it is doubtful they're going to go after some random person at a range and then try them and hope they're right. The only way they're going to go after you is if you break an outright law such as using more than 10 rounds, or failing the feature test of the rifle that makes it an AW.

Recently someone got arrested in NYC for transporting a handgun from one area to the other that crossed NYC. NYC has a local law that says you can't transport a handgun, even from your own home. He went so far as going to the SCOTUS but it got thrown out because NY lawmakers were so scared it would overturn their AWB that they re-did the law specifically for NYC so people can transport. The case was set to erase NY AWB and had the backing of numerous gun rights organizations but it ultimately failed in the SCOTUS because NY lawmakers were so scared they held an emergency session to get it rewritten so it could be thrown out from SCOTUS.

So reality is no gun shop has a "true" spec on what makes a NY compliant AR15. You're correct that a fixed mag, remove bayonet lug, and all that will likely not put you under the radar. But again it really depends on LOCAL laws, not STATE laws. That's how bad AWBs are because you could be in NYC and you'd get blasted but in other parts of the state, nope, nobody is going to comply.

So I would check into your LOCAL CITY and not the entire state law. Even though you may be complying with STATE laws you may be breaking LOCAL laws. It's dumb.

My advice is to go into a LGS next time you're up there and see what sort of ARs they have and then build an AR to that spec. If you can, maybe buy it there so that way you can at least say you got it locally and they really can't get you on "not knowing the law" if you bought something lawfully.

Thanks, all.  I did a post over at NY Hometown.

Good info from you guys here.

Buy something else for NY.

Agreed, get a Mini14 or a Garand instead.

Ares/fightlite SCR lower with a non threaded barreled upper or a Mini 14 is your best option, if you can find one.
Fixed magazine sucks balls.

Options I have personally owned.

Mini 14 with no features except a detachable magazine.

Ares SCR with a crowned barrel and no bayonet lug.

AR pistol made on a NY-10 non-detachable mag lower.

AR rifle made on a NY-10 lower with all features.

AR rifle made on a Thorsden stock, crowned barrel, no features other than detachable magazine.

NY compliant M1A Scout rifle with crowned barrel and no bayonet lug.

Keltec SU-16 first generation that CANNOT be fired when in the folded takedown position.

Out of all of those the Ares is the best choice if you can find one. No weird compliance stocks or grips, handles like an old-timey hunting rifle. You can change uppers and calibers. I need to get a compliant 6.5 Grendel upper for it.

Don't bother.  Seriously.  Just get a Mini-14.  WHATEVER YOU DO, don't go fixed mag AR.

Been wanting a ares for a while.
Can't find a lower that doesn't cost the moon.

I lucked out and found a used ARES is VT with a Sig Tango scope and a bunch of other goodies that weren’t much but found homes on other rifles. They wanted $900 I think and I traded them a bunch of 9mm I bought at $4 a box back in the day for $35 a box. That was about a year ago when 9mm was fetching $50 a box in that area.

Fightlite SCR is hands down the best option. Unfortunately they don't seem to make it anymore.

Keltec RDB Survival "should be" complainant if you fix the "stock"

While it isn't 5.56, Ruger PCC is a great gun and it takes Glock mags

(Old pic, but this is the thordsen stock with a 20" hbar upper.)
Attached File


This is a spur grip and pactrick henry trigger guard.
Attached File

I ordered a Sig P320 magwell insert off of eBay, hoping to try it this weekend... then again it is supposed to be 95 degrees so maybe it can wait.

With 3D printing they can make them for just about any mag.

John Stossel did a you tube video about transporting a firearm through NY very informing.

Fightlite is such a great rifle. It’s unfortunate they do such a shitty job of actually producing them. Would love it if PSA bought them out.

I would sell the land in NY, forget about the state, move on. Buy land elsewhere.

Maybe in addition to job listings this site needs a section to list properties for sale in gun friendly states.....

PSA would probably not ship them to NY.