How to LEGALLY Avoid Gun Confiscation
With the shootings in Aurora and Sandy Hook, gun control has been on the radar for much of 2012 and 2013 — and it’s not looking like it will stop anytime soon in 2014.
Feinstein has been busy pushing her S.150 bill (her “assault weapons ban of 2013”) and Obama is saying that gun-control will be the “central issue” of his final term in office.
There’s increasing pressure to shut down the “gun show loophole” as well as restrict private firearms sales, and there’s even talk of preventing the passing down of firearms to heirs (in other words, your firearms must be turned into the government upon your passing).
Let’s also not forget the UN Arms Trade Treaty that Obama is in favor of which is setting the stage for a national gun registry.
Before you brush it off as harmless, remember what happened in Hitler’s Germany – what started as an innocuous gun registry by the Weimar Republic prior to Hitler’s reign provided Hitler easy access to confiscate the firearms of those Jews who were in possession of them.
If the national gun registry were to take place here it would be no different. It would be easy pickings for those wanting complete gun confiscation — leaving you with no means of protecting yourself from a SHTF event or a tyrannical government.
The Second Amendment is there for a reason folks.
So is there anyway around this?
Getting Around Gun Registration
Many states (including mine) require all individuals who sell, transfer, inherit, or lose a firearm to report the sale, transfer, inheritance, or loss of the firearm with the state — gun registration is alive and well.
But there is a way around this…that is still completely legal (Note: please don’t take this as legal advice. Be sure to check your own state for laws and requirements)…and that is, through building your own.
Per provisions of the Gun Control Act (GCA) of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, an unlicensed individual may make a “firearm” as defined in the GCA for his own personal use, but not for sale or distribution.
And that’s the catch.
You can make one for your own personal use so long as you don’t sell it or distribute it.
This is good news for preppers.
This means no background checks and no serial numbers…again, completely legal.
If you’re thinking, “Yeah Erich, but I don’t have the skills to build my own gun.” Think again. Nowadays it’s a lot easier than people think.
Take an AR-15 for example – the dreaded “assault weapon”.
The only part on the AR-15 that is considered a “firearm” is the stripped lower receiver – the location where the serial number is normally engraved on:
All the other parts can be bought for cash from your local gun store or even online and they’ll ship it to your home without any need for an FFL or background check. Yes, that means the magazines, the barrel, the bolt-carrier group, the trigger assembly, the pistol grip, and so on.
On the other hand, if you try to purchase just the stripped lower receiver you will be required to get a background check. And they cannot be shipped to your house unless you have an FFL or you ship it to an FFL that does the transfer for you.
Well, what many preppers don’t know is they sell what’s called “80% lowers” for the AR-15 as well as other firearms. These are not considered firearms because they are not complete (they are 80% complete) and can be shipped to your home.
According to the ATF, they are nothing but a cool-looking paperweight:
They require you to use a milling machine to mill out the unfinished areas to make it a functioning lower receiver – – not something most people have the skill-set to do.
However, for the AR-15 especially, there are jigs that you can purchase that can be fitted with these 80% lowers that only require you to have some milling bits, a drillpress and the ability to follow directions and you can have yourself a functioning lower receiver completely off the books:
And even better yet, some companies are now producing 80% lowers made from polymer plastics. These only require you to have a Dremel tool or even just a normal electric drill and you can mill out your own lower receiver in about an hours time.
Here’s a video showing how this is done:
My Own Experience
I recently purchased two of these polymer lowers and plan on milling them out in the next month or so, so I’ll be sure to make a video of it for you guys to check out.
As always, I love to hear your comments so please chime in if you have some experience with 80% lowers.
- Posted in Firearms, Personal Security
How does one order the polymer lowers?
There are a number of sellers. I got mine through AresArmor.com
thank you so much.
I’ve milled several of these 80% lowers. It’s easy and they assemble like they came form the factory..
Great to hear John. Did you do these with a jig and if so, which one do you recommend?
How about handguns such as the kel-tec p3at, p11, Taurus 738 TCP, Kahr P380, etc.? Can one puchase components in the same fashion? W/a minmum of training it would seem one could assemble them one’s self. Especially DOA or even certain revolvers. As a cyclist I’m familiar w/t concept that it’s much cheaper to buy a completed bicycle than purchase separate componentry for assembly. Of couse, there’s not nearly the attention paid to them as there is to firearms. Thank you for posting this informative article.
Hi Jeff. You’d have to do some research. Typically (unless someone else knows otherwise) you’ll only find lowers for “generic” type firearm designs and not specific brands like the 1911 handguns, AR-15/M4 style rifles as well as AK-47 varieties.
Tac Intel:…….Did you get your jig from Ares too? The gold color one in the pic above. Thanks for the info.
Thank you for the RS. I’ll take your suggestion regarding research and post back with any information I dig up. I’ve seen people advertising hg lowers on various websites and the specific question was in view of the complete AR-15 lower legal question. Would a hg lower have to be in sections? So, if anyone viewing this comment section has the answer it would be greatly appreciated. Btw, even if it’s more expensive, but registration is not required that would be ideal.
cute. Now what subsequent laws incl. anything in the current legislation or in any
state legislation eliminate this option?
@Christine. None as far as I know…
Although I’m sure with time they’ll crack down on this as well. Best get ’em while you can…
ARES sells an 80% Model 1911
http://aresarmor.com/store/Category/hmg1911
In no way does this mean you are legally avoiding confiscation. You are legally avoiding registration.
I purchased a number of these from AresArmor. They appear pretty much as shown in the video. I do want to point out that there are a few additional things to be aware of. First, the bolt catch hole is not the same diameter as called out in the lower blueprints (easy to enlarge), the bolt catch roll pin hole is definitely sub-sized and requires re-drilling. This is difficult unless you have the 6″ drill bit that is mentioned in the video.
Kudos to the video maker as you provided a number of tips that will help me on future lowers. Doubly impressive is your steady hand – I use a drill press and an X-Y table to get the holes in the right place!
Where in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, I looked and can not find what you have claimed to quote.
@Joe,
The quote is actually from the ATF site on their FAQ section: https://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/firearms-technology.html
In that quote, the ATF is referring to 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44
I got the video/s and all the information that came with it. It IS worth the money. Great information to have.
If you would put these thoughts together in a concise, user-friendly guide
that makes this process a no-brainer, step-by-step set of instructions,
I’ll pay you $20.
I need instruction on websites and specs on each of these parts you mentioned
(other than the 80% receiver) and a guide on how to build the firearm and
what kind of ammo it takes, accessories, etc.
And they will not also confiscate these guns why? In an SHTF scenario with martial law, they could go after ALL weapons, whether registered, non-registered, do-it-yourself, whatever. They won’t care where the weapon came from. If the order go out to “get the guns” then all guns will be at risk. Just a thought….
Bob,
And how will they find them if there’s no record and they’re not at your home? Also, you could store them prior to building them out since they are not firearms until they are built.
Just a thought…
TI – another great read. I was at Shot Show this year and it seemed to be a constant topic of conversation. I noticed a migration from 80% lowers to now 90% lowers and beyond.
Helped my son put one of these together Christmas eve and yes the hole in the bolt catch and the trigger guard used a roll pin and was quite difficult to install without scratching the lower. We were anxious to get it together so fought it. Looking back and if I had to do it again which I hope I do,we should have put the pins in the freezer and waited until the next morning to try to get the pins in. Not garanteeing this will work but worth a try cause it does work on AKs and ring gears on auto flywheels. We used to put the flywheel in the freezer and the ring gear in the oven and they would tap right on with a rubber hammer. Hope you have a tolerant wife if you are married and try this,but no I don’t recommend putting the lower in the oven.
There were NO “shootings” at Sandy Hoax or Aurora. Nobody died and nobody was injured at either hoax event.
http://news.rtba.co/atf-agents-raid-ares-armor-restraining-order-overruled/
I got paper that says I sold all my guns except my CCW carry piece over the past few years
The new 80% Polymer Glocks are Great and far easier to finish than the AR Lowers. Unfortunately though, they’re $580-$700+ for a complete kit. Many people use dremel’s, endmill’s and files to take off the tabs, but the easiest and fastest way I’ve seen is to use end cutting pliers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEQ-u_v3PJA
(Shooting Tips and Tricks has the best method I’ve seen so far)