AR AWB Question (I can see you rolling your eyes already)

ReluctantDecoy

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Two stupid AR questions:
  • Are AR-9's included or excluded in the 7/20 rule for AWB? I saw an AR-9 lower in the classifieds that noted it was post 7/20. It was out of my price range, but got me thinking as to why it was noted as such. Wouldn't that mean it's not a viable base for a build in MA? I would have been my thought, but then looking at the price, it looked like it was priced to the MA market on hard to obtain (in this state) items.
  • How does one build an AR pistol if MA considering just about any building will include 1) Magazine outside the grip, 2) Barrel shroud, and 3) over 50oz? Isn't that automatically qualifying the weapon for the AWB, even if you are using a pre 7/20 lower? I've seen pistol builds in MA online, so I'm missing something here too.
If you haven't guessed by now, I'd like to build an AR-9 pistol or AR-9 carbine that I'll try to SBR. I don't want to break any laws though, so if the answer is that people are just scofflaw building, then I guess I'll give up for now.
 
The 7/20/16 bullshit isnt law, but good luck getting a MA ffl to see it the same way.
Supposedly the fixed magazine lowers going around are being registered as pistols so the same approach could be taken if an 07FFL decided to manufacture a 9mm option but that would be a bitch to load.
You're honestly better off finding a 9mm lower already in the state and then build it. Or go with a CX4, Sub2000, HiPoint rifle, etc. then turning those into an SBR.
Or if you're going the civil disobedience route, get a lower from out of state and build up your 9mm in accordance to the AWB as a rifle and be done with it. Dunno how well that would work with the ATF when you go the SBR route though.
 
Read the law it is posted on the GOAL site clear as day

Look, I understand experienced members don't like answering AWB questions that may have come up before, but why even bother posting if all you're going to say is "read the law"? I have, and I didn't get it, hence this question I'm posting specifically under the MA laws section of this gun discussion forum. I mean, why even have a MA law discussion forum if every one is expected to just know and be able to interpret everything?
 
Nobody builds AR pistols in MA that aren't junk without violating the AWB. (and I'm not talking healey trash either, but the old AWB thats actually law). Basically in order to comply with the law your gun has to be a
piece of shit in some way or another and there's really no way around it legally... well, you can get an 07 FFL and be AWB exempt, probably easiest way, lol

Nobody cares about Healeys 7/20/16 garbage when building guns, so best thing to do is
stop thinking about it. The original AWB problems are far worse anyways.

-Mike
 
Two stupid AR questions:
  • Are AR-9's included or excluded in the 7/20 rule for AWB? I saw an AR-9 lower in the classifieds that noted it was post 7/20. It was out of my price range, but got me thinking as to why it was noted as such. Wouldn't that mean it's not a viable base for a build in MA? I would have been my thought, but then looking at the price, it looked like it was priced to the MA market on hard to obtain (in this state) items
Verbatim text from the enforcement notice: "and shall include, but not be limited to, any of the weapons, or copies or duplicates of the weapons, of any caliber, known as..."

So if you're looking at the Healey dictum, 9mm AR is no different from 5.56 if it fails her invented tests.
That said, it's somewhat contradictory (surprise, surprise) since 22lr is exempted.
 
Look, I understand experienced members don't like answering AWB questions that may have come up before, but why even bother posting if all you're going to say is "read the law"? I have, and I didn't get it, hence this question I'm posting specifically under the MA laws section of this gun discussion forum. I mean, why even have a MA law discussion forum if every one is expected to just know and be able to interpret everything?

First, you didn't say you read the law. Second, opinions are just that and not guidance. The AWB law is very clear especially for pistols.

If there is something about the law that you don't get then why not ask about that specifically?

You aren't going to get a definitive answer on the Healy enforcement notice because there is none.
 
Can it be a copy or duplicate if it’s a dedicated lower vs one with a mag adapter? Does the operating system pass her similarity test? Blowback vs DI, bcg is a completely different design. Personally I think they’d be gtg. I am not a lawyer and not the smartest individual. So it comes down to risk assessment... assuming you find a ffl to put one in your possession. I would still build it in accordance to the actually AWB not her faq page.
 
First, you didn't say you read the law. Second, opinions are just that and not guidance. The AWB law is very clear especially for pistols.

If there is something about the law that you don't get then why not ask about that specifically?

You aren't going to get a definitive answer on the Healy enforcement notice because there is none.

Not sure how much more specific I can get from my original question.
 
Nobody builds AR pistols in MA that aren't junk without violating the AWB. (and I'm not talking healey trash either, but the old AWB thats actually law). Basically in order to comply with the law your gun has to be a
piece of shit in some way or another and there's really no way around it legally
... well, you can get an 07 FFL and be AWB exempt, probably easiest way, lol

Nobody cares about Healeys 7/20/16 garbage when building guns, so best thing to do is
stop thinking about it. The original AWB problems are far worse anyways.

-Mike

This is kind of what I thought, but wasn't sure. Thank you. I don't think I'm going to tempt fate on a pistol build then.
 
This is kind of what I thought, but wasn't sure. Thank you. I don't think I'm going to tempt fate on a pistol build then.

the 50 oz thing is a huge problem, then, even with that aside (lets say you use a polymer lower and drill a bunch of holes in it to save weight) you then run straight into the barrel shroud thing. nobody wants to run a gun with an oven mitt on a regular basis.

-Mike
 
The 7/20/16 bullshit isnt law, but good luck getting a MA ffl to see it the same way.
...
Or if you're going the civil disobedience route, get a lower from out of state and build up your 9mm in accordance to the AWB as a rifle and be done with it.
...
As an aside, these days lowers and frames aren't "long guns" according to the ATF, which means if one is buying them out of state, one is going *way* out on the civil disobedience branch. Unless one resides out of state for ATF purposes or is an FFL or something else that does not seem to apply to the OP.
 
As an aside, these days lowers and frames aren't "long guns" according to the ATF, which means if one is buying them out of state, one is going *way* out on the civil disobedience branch. Unless one resides out of state for ATF purposes or is an FFL or something else that does not seem to apply to the OP.
Could always machine out an 80% lower too...
 
Can it be a copy or duplicate if it’s a dedicated lower vs one with a mag adapter? Does the operating system pass her similarity test? Blowback vs DI, bcg is a completely different design. Personally I think they’d be gtg. I am not a lawyer and not the smartest individual. So it comes down to risk assessment... assuming you find a ffl to put one in your possession. I would still build it in accordance to the actually AWB not her faq page.

The lower only has a magwell adapter pinned in, not different design or permanent, so I could just take the 9mm upper off of mine and pop the 3 roll pins out of the magwell and drop a 223 upper on it and it would work fine.
 
There's only one way to build a worthwhile (semi auto, centerfire, detachable magazine) AR pistol in MA.

Do it with a pre-94 ban pistol lower or a lower that has never been registered as a rifle.

Unfortunately, in 1994, pistol ARs weren't really a thing, these lowers are as rare as hens teeth.
 
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