Creating AR15 Lowers for SHTF Time

[Reptile]

This is regarding making 80% lowers into usable AR15 lowers with a Ghost Gunner
It has occurred to me that a Massachusetts resident can make an unlimited amount of said lowers. As long as they are ever mated to a complete upper - there is no reason to FA10 them. I realize that GG are normally not FA10'ed anyway but that is technically breaking the law.

In the mean time, a person can buy one of these GG machines and crank out hundreds of lowers.
That is totally within the law and no law can be written to stop this.

There should be no fear of owning a GG machine since you are not breaking the law.
If 80% lowers become banned, I predict that Cody Wilson (creator of GG) will enable the machine to cut a lower out of a solid block of aluminum.

Cody's win against the government should embolden people to buy these machines and get cranking.

 

[Tallen]

$1600's a bit steep when you can get high quality jigs for much less. Personally, I'm going to wait until a system like this hits the $10-20k range. Print the less-critical components in 6061 aluminum and more critical components (including the barrel!) in 17-4 PH.

 

[mibro]

In the mean time, a person can buy one of these GG machines and crank out hundreds of lowers.
That is totally within the law and no law can be written to stop this.

I'm not sure why you'd want to do this in the first place but unless you're a lawyer yourself I'd hesitate to jump to that conclusion. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will be along soon but I'd say you'd be putting yourself at risk in several ways - firearms manufacturing without a FFL, constructive possession and very likely more.

 

[patsfan1986]

$1600's a bit steep when you can get high quality jigs for much less. Personally, I'm going to wait until a system like this hits the $10-20k range. Print the less-critical components in 6061 aluminum and more critical components (including the barrel!) in 17-4 PH.

$1,600 is insanely cheap relative to CNC machine equipment.

$1,600 is very expensive relative to a JIG for someone making 1-2 lowers.

$1,600 is worth every penny for someone making 20+ lowers.

 

[whatluck]

This machine can cut 1911s too. This makes it awesome. Split the cost of the machine with a ghostly friend. Make 20 1911s and 20 ARs. Sell the machine on ebay. Then use the recovered funds rent a boat together and sink it, with all of your completed lowers on board. The cycle of life.

 

[kalash]

A better plan for SHTF would be to not post about your plan online.

 

[amm5061]

You're forgetting the fact that you still need to actually buy the 80% receivers. The machine doesn't magically create them, just finishes them.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

A better plan for SHTF would be to not post about your plan online.

View: https://youtu.be/HNGXsgLRkXU

 

[Mr.E]

You're forgetting the fact that you still need to actually buy the 80% receivers. The machine doesn't magically create them, just finishes them.

Not with an attitude like that it won’t

 

[nordic alien]

SHTF; just going to grab my dsa fal carbine 308: 20 rounds of spatter power in a small package

 

[slap shot]

You're forgetting the fact that you still need to actually buy the 80% receivers. The machine doesn't magically create them, just finishes them.

Just buy them cheap from all the scaredy cat mass guys that bought them. I just scored 2 raw and 3 anodized for $100.

 

[kalash]

What SHTF plan are we even talking about here? Clearly not an end-of-the-world situation because I hope no one would be stupid enough to worry about registration at that point. Is this about a total ban and confiscation of ARs, AWs, semis, or guns in general? That's as unrealistic as when the antis propose it - you're simply not going to have SWAT teams going door-to-door with FA10 lists to confiscate your guns, that's just begging for a civil war (plus I feel like most LEOs are pro-2A anyways so I can hope that they wouldn't obey such orders).

Really in hindsight you should've bought extra finished lowers before the edict by Her Majesty. No FA10 necessary and no milling required.

 

[DPR]

What SHTF plan are we even talking about here? Clearly not an end-of-the-world situation because I hope no one would be stupid enough to worry about registration at that point. Is this about a total ban and confiscation of ARs, AWs, semis, or guns in general? That's as unrealistic as when the antis propose it - you're simply not going to have SWAT teams going door-to-door with FA10 lists to confiscate your guns, that's just begging for a civil war (plus I feel like most LEOs are pro-2A anyways so I can hope that they wouldn't obey such orders).

Really in hindsight you should've bought extra finished lowers before the edict by Her Majesty. No FA10 necessary and no milling required.

Thanks for the heads up Nostradamus

 

[Dennis in MA]

$1,600 is insanely cheap relative to CNC machine equipment.

$1,600 is very expensive relative to a JIG for someone making 1-2 lowers.

$1,600 is worth every penny for someone making 20+ lowers.

Ahhhh, perspective - lobsters can't live at 12K feet deep. . So miracle followed by crushing drowning or starvation.

A better plan for SHTF would be to not post about your plan online.

Blah blah blah, Fight Club, blah blah. Party pooper. LOL

What SHTF plan are we even talking about here? Clearly not an end-of-the-world situation because I hope no one would be stupid enough to worry about registration at that point. Is this about a total ban and confiscation of ARs, AWs, semis, or guns in general? That's as unrealistic as when the antis propose it - you're simply not going to have SWAT teams going door-to-door with FA10 lists to confiscate your guns, that's just begging for a civil war (plus I feel like most LEOs are pro-2A anyways so I can hope that they wouldn't obey such orders).

Really in hindsight you should've bought extra finished lowers before the edict by Her Majesty. No FA10 necessary and no milling required.

One could also buy 5 of the complete Fixed Mag lowers and just store them. They are easily converted back to regular lowers with a few tools. (Except for one company that makes NO MAG lowers.) For the same $1650 you have 5 assembled lowers. I would say break-even, all said and done, is probably 10 (LPK, stock, 80% lower costs included).

I can't imagine a SHTF scenario where I need 10 of these things. Or 5. Well, five MORE I mean.

 

[Reptile]

I'm not sure why you'd want to do this in the first place but unless you're a lawyer yourself I'd hesitate to jump to that conclusion. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will be along soon but I'd say you'd be putting yourself at risk in several ways - firearms manufacturing without a FFL, constructive possession and very likely more.

I don't think having finished 80% lowers is constructive intent.

No more than having a few lower receivers that have not been registered.

 

[BUMPA01603]

If the SHTF how many AWs do you really need? IMHO there should be a bigger emphasis on multiple PB hicap mags and plenty of quality ammo, among other things. You can't bug out with a bag of lowers ...

 

[Matt-CZ]

I can't see how buying one of these strictly for personal use can be financially justified. I'm sure plenty of people buy it because they are home manufacturing technology enthusiasts or are libertarians buying one out of principal. As said above, it's much easier and cheaper to unlock most fixed mag lowers if that's the goal.

I suppose an entrepreneurial individual living in MA could make some scratch buying one of these and making it available to others for a small rental fee. $20 for a couple hours rental and you've made your money back after 80 customers. I imagine this would draw a lot of unwanted state attention your way, even though it's legal. Maybe some rich NESer wants to start a jig lending library

Is there a big market for second hand ghost gun machines and 80% lower jigs? Seems like an expensive item that most people are only going to use once or twice.

 

[Mesatchornug]

I can't see how buying one of these strictly for personal use can be financially justified. I'm sure plenty of people buy it because they are home manufacturing technology enthusiasts or are libertarians buying one out of principal. As said above, it's much easier and cheaper to unlock most fixed mag lowers if that's the goal.

I suppose an entrepreneurial individual living in MA could make some scratch buying one of these and making it available to others for a small rental fee. $20 for a couple hours rental and you've made your money back after 80 customers. I imagine this would draw a lot of unwanted state attention your way, even though it's legal. Maybe some rich NESer wants to start a jig lending library

Is there a big market for second hand ghost gun machines and 80% lower jigs? Seems like an expensive item that most people are only going to use once or twice.

Careful on that. There's some history that says if you rent a machine shop to someone that uses it to "manufacture" a firearm, you are in the business of manufacturing firearms. It's unclear that the GG wouldn't fall in the same category.

 

[TomMontana]

Rather than seeking what you personally need in the most direct way, this reads like one of those overly complicated Dr Evil plans.

 

[drgrant]

Can it be used to make Florbert parlor rifles?

-Mike

 

[Varmint]

Ahhhh, perspective - lobsters can't live at 12K feet deep. . So miracle followed by crushing drowning or starvation.

Assuming they could get out of the tank, they'd be ok for a while. Don't see why 12k feet would kill them. They could eat each other, and the kitchen probably had a lot of seafood. Nobody lives forever.

 

[Golddiggie]

Rather than seeking what you personally need in the most direct way, this reads like one of those overly complicated Dr Evil plans.

It's not 'Dr Evil plans' without frickin lasers!!

Assuming they could get out of the tank, they'd be ok for a while. Don't see why 12k feet would kill them. They could eat each other, and the kitchen probably had a lot of seafood. Nobody lives forever.

You do know that lobsters can actually 'swim' right?? They're not limited to just moving on the sea floor...

Living in a non-F'd up state means NFG from this guy. I also have plans to get a good sized milling machine in the not too distant future. That will give me MUCH greater capabilities than a small device can. I also know someone that managed to machine a 100% working AR15 lower from a raw block of aluminum. I'm sure I could get his 'notes' from the exercise if I wanted to do it myself in the future.

 

[Varmint]

It's not 'Dr Evil plans' without frickin lasers!!

You do know that lobsters can actually 'swim' right?? They're not limited to just moving on the sea floor...

They can swim but they can't float, so they can't swim up from 12k feet. Maybe they could migrate to shallower water, dunno how smart they are, but wouldn't surprise me.

 

[oldguy68]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy a house in New Hampshire and live there instead?

 

[Chevy 2 65]

Ammo

 

[Noreaster]

$1,600 is insanely cheap relative to CNC machine equipment.
$1,600 is very expensive relative to a JIG for someone making 1-2 lowers.
$1,600 is worth every penny for someone making 20+ lowers.

I love the GG. Unfortunately, i hate it too. The main problem i have with it is it appears to be a rather cheaply made purpose built machine that wouldn't last all that long. I would happily pay 2 - 3k to have a desktop CNC rig that can do what the GG does, but also machine any small parts that i may want to make, like if i wanted to make a mini steam engine just for fun of it.

 

[Golddiggie]

I love the GG. Unfortunately, i hate it too. The main problem i have with it is it appears to be a rather cheaply made purpose built machine that wouldn't last all that long. I would happily pay 2 - 3k to have a desktop CNC rig that can do what the GG does, but also machine any small parts that i may want to make, like if i wanted to make a mini steam engine just for fun of it.

IIRC, you could build up a small/desktop CNC mill configuration in that $2-3k range. Of course, you could buy something already made for more than that. Or you could get a more capable mill to start, and then add components to make it CNC over time. Of course, if you have the room, there are full sized CNC configured mills out there for sale from time to time too. At pretty cheap rates (for what you get).

 

[Noreaster]

IIRC, you could build up a small/desktop CNC mill configuration in that $2-3k range. Of course, you could buy something already made for more than that. Or you could get a more capable mill to start, and then add components to make it CNC over time. Of course, if you have the room, there are full sized CNC configured mills out there for sale from time to time too. At pretty cheap rates (for what you get).

Yeah, size is an issue. A few of the desktop size rigs i saw could not mill something the size of a lower. There may be a solution, but it was beyond what i could research on 1 night and that is about the amount of effort i put into it.

 

[Golddiggie]

CNC Machines: CNC Milling Machines - LittleMachineShop.com

 

[Evadd]

In the mean time, a person can buy one of these GG machines and crank out hundreds of lowers.
That is totally within the law and no law can be written to stop this.

Hold my mustache and watch this...