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6/17/2011 7:56:55 AM EDT
I have two Delton stripped lowers sitting in my safe.  I have the bug to start building something and need a little advice. I recently purchased my wife a MP5 clone and feel the need to make a 9mm shooter for myself. I really like the RRA uppers in 9mm and will probably be going with them. The plan is to build a SBR. My bigger question is, Once I have the proper paper work for the lower, can I purchase  differant uppers on that same lower?

Question 2, When I purchased the lowers at my local shop, the folks there said that I could only make them into rifles. I just read on a web site that the lowers they were selling could be used to build rifles or pistols...Is there any thing saying that a stripped lower can only be made into a rifle or a pistol?

Thanks for any and all advice

The Noob...
6/17/2011 9:07:14 AM EDT
[#1]




Quoted:

I have two Delton stripped lowers sitting in my safe. I have the bug to start building something and need a little advice. I recently purchased my wife a MP5 clone and feel the need to make a 9mm shooter for myself. I really like the RRA uppers in 9mm and will probably be going with them. The plan is to build a SBR. My bigger question is, Once I have the proper paper work for the lower, can I purchase differant uppers on that same lower?YES



Question 2, When I purchased the lowers at my local shop, the folks there said that I could only make them into rifles. I just read on a web site that the lowers they were selling could be used to build rifles or pistols...Is there any thing saying that a stripped lower can only be made into a rifle or a pistol? On the form4473 the receiver should be marked as "other". If so, build what you want(legally).

If it's marked "rifle", I don't think you can build it into a pistol.



Thanks for any and all advice



The Noob...


responses in red

6/17/2011 1:19:16 PM EDT
[#2]
Thank You Sir...
6/17/2011 2:03:40 PM EDT
[#3]



Quoted:





Quoted:

I have two Delton stripped lowers sitting in my safe. I have the bug to start building something and need a little advice. I recently purchased my wife a MP5 clone and feel the need to make a 9mm shooter for myself. I really like the RRA uppers in 9mm and will probably be going with them. The plan is to build a SBR. My bigger question is, Once I have the proper paper work for the lower, can I purchase differant uppers on that same lower?YES



Question 2, When I purchased the lowers at my local shop, the folks there said that I could only make them into rifles. I just read on a web site that the lowers they were selling could be used to build rifles or pistols...Is there any thing saying that a stripped lower can only be made into a rifle or a pistol? On the form4473 the receiver should be marked as "other". If so, build what you want(legally).

If it's marked "rifle", I don't think you can build it into a pistol.



Thanks for any and all advice



The Noob...


responses in red



Not quite.  If it's never been assembled as a rifle, meaning it never had a stock and barrel on it at the same time.  It can be assembled as either a rifle or pistol.  What's marked on the 4473 does not matter.  Even if you bought a complete lower with rifle stock already installed, as long as it's never had a barrel on it, you can remove the stock and assemble it as a pistol.



 
6/17/2011 3:38:56 PM EDT
[#4]




Quoted:





Quoted:





Quoted:



Question 2, When I purchased the lowers at my local shop, the folks there said that I could only make them into rifles. I just read on a web site that the lowers they were selling could be used to build rifles or pistols...Is there any thing saying that a stripped lower can only be made into a rifle or a pistol? On the form4473 the receiver should be marked as "other". If so, build what you want(legally).

If it's marked "rifle", I don't think you can build it into a pistol.



Thanks for any and all advice



The Noob...


responses in red



Not quite. If it's never been assembled as a rifle, meaning it never had a stock and barrel on it at the same time. It can be assembled as either a rifle or pistol. What's marked on the 4473 does not matter. Even if you bought a complete lower with rifle stock already installed, as long as it's never had a barrel on it, you can remove the stock and assemble it as a pistol.



If someone owned a pistol that, for whatever reason, has been traced, would that person be in trouble if the original paperwork(4473) stated that such firearm is a 'rifle'? I mean, once a rifle, always a rifle, right?



How can you prove your case?



6/17/2011 4:29:47 PM EDT
[#5]







Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Question 2, When I purchased the lowers at my local shop, the folks there said that I could only make them into rifles. I just read on a web site that the lowers they were selling could be used to build rifles or pistols...Is there any thing saying that a stripped lower can only be made into a rifle or a pistol? On the form4473 the receiver should be marked as "other". If so, build what you want(legally).



If it's marked "rifle", I don't think you can build it into a pistol.
Thanks for any and all advice
The Noob...




responses in red







Not quite. If it's never been assembled as a rifle, meaning it never had a stock and barrel on it at the same time. It can be assembled as either a rifle or pistol. What's marked on the 4473 does not matter. Even if you bought a complete lower with rifle stock already installed, as long as it's never had a barrel on it, you can remove the stock and assemble it as a pistol.







If someone owned a pistol that, for whatever reason, has been traced, would that person be in trouble if the original paperwork(4473) stated that such firearm is a 'rifle'? I mean, once a rifle, always a rifle, right?
How can you prove your case?
The 4473 has no legal standing though.  It could say pistol or other but you built it up as a rifle first then a pistol.  The 4473 proves nothing one way or the other.  About the only way the ATF would be able to prove that you had converted a an AR lower from a rifle to a pistol, is if you bragged about it and/or posted pics of it somewhere as a rifle first, then later as a pistol.  Besides, burden of proof lies on the prosecutor, not the defendant.



Honestly, the only time I could even see this really becoming an issue, is the ATF doing a sting like Ruby Ridge.  They give their target a couple of ARs already built as rifles and ask him to convert them into pistols.  And that doesn't even seem likely, SBRs or MGs seems like a much more likely scenario there.
 
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