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Posted: 6/13/2008 2:00:58 PM EDT
| Gunshop just called, they are assembling several ARs for customers. The lowers are CMMG and the kits are M1S. The M1S grips are not fitting onto the lowers. He says that a take-off Bushmaster grip fits very tight, but will go on. However the M1S grips need to be about 1/16" wider to fit on the lowers. He also says that he can't get the detent pin for the front pivot pin to go far enough into the lower to install the pivot pin. This is not the first AR he's assembled, so he knows how it all goes together. Has anybody else run into this problem ??? |
| I recently assembled a CMMG lower with a DPMS kit and had no problem at all with the handgrip or pivot pin fit. Fit with CMMG upper was very tight and took a lot of finesse to get the takedown pin in (but there's absolutely NO slop between upper and lower). I'm very happy with how everything went together. |
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Your gunshop is treading a thin line by assembling lowers for their customers. the ATF could construe that as manufacuring... I've assembled an M1S LPK where the grip was VERY hard to get started unto the lower as well. Tell him to keep trying, it should go. These are injection molded, so it's not like they are going to suddenly change size from one part to the next. More likely the "ears" of the grip have kinda developed a "memory" from having something heavy sitting on top of htem over a fairly long period of time... As far as the detent, try chasing out the hole with an appropriately sized drill. If that fails I've read where guys have trimmed off one coil at a time on the spring until it goes in and functions ok. |
| Thanks gang. I went down there and helped him put everything together. The grips were very tight, just like you stated. The "ears" on the grip were closer together than the slot at the bottom. I also had to trim several coils off of the detent pin. I bet he hasn't really thought about the "manufacturing" thing before, and I'll make him aware of it. These are the first lowers that he has assembled for customers, as the others he has done before were for him personally. IIRC, if an FFL / gunsmith assembles less than 50 guns per year they are exempt from the mfg tax. Is this what you are refering to ? |
No way...... The manufacturer (CMMG) is the "maker" of the gun, not the person that assembles the completed rifle. The smith can assemble all he wants on previously manufactured, transferred lowers without fear of ATF reprisal. |
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