The ATF’s Definition of an AR-15 was Just Struck Down by a Judge

10/14/2019 | Black_Rifle_Gunsmith

[Who is John Galt?]

I could make the same argument about housing the “bolt or breechblock” being housed when it is sitting in a box on the workbench, completely removed from the firearm, along with the rest of the lower receiver. That does not make that box a receiver.

Actually, the bolt carrier group does not occupy "a box on the workbench" during the normal operation of an AR15. However, the BCG does occupy a portion of the lower receiver/receiver extension every time you fire an AR15, if it is functioning properly.

A firearm is a device being in a capable of firing condition not with the bolt locked away, essentially removed from that firing condition, requiring action from the user to be put back into operation, whether it is reassembly or loading and unlocking.

Really?? Perhaps you should tell that to the ATF, the next time you want to ship, or transfer ownership of, a stripped receiver. As a reminder, I think we are discussing a court case, and legal (rather than practical) definitions...

[JamesP81]

Title is inaccurate.

The BATFE agreed to drop charges to avoid this type of ruling.

[William Tell]

After the next Revolution, the Second Amendment will be re-written to forbid the government from mandating serial numbers on arms. That would go far toward preventing infringements.

Perhaps a future Supreme Court will recognize that.

[Swordmaker]

li>Really?? Perhaps you should tell that to the ATF, the next time you want to ship, or transfer ownership of, a stripped receiver. As a reminder, I think we are discussing a court case, and legal (rather than practical) definitions...

Since when has legal had any relationship with reality, or in fact, practicality, especially after ignoramus bureaucrats have had their hands on the regulations? Oh, could I tell you some stories. . .

You know that warning labels an signs are creations of bureaucratic regulators who are convinced people who are too stupid to use a tool correctly are going to read their required labels, right? People just like them. Obviously they themselves will obey their signs completely. So I designed a bureaucrat trap. Works very well.

Take any inside office with only one entrance. On the door, put a sign reading

OFFICE OF NEW
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
MANAGEMENT ENTRANCE ONLY

On the inside of the door, you put a sign that says:

NO ADMISSION
WITHOUT PROPER ID AND
WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION!

As soon as the stench is too great, wall up the office door. . .

[FreedomPoster]

I don’t think Reddit threads are allowed as thread OPs at Free Republic. They weren’t the last time I tried.

The Knob Creek Gun Range people are having huge fun with this bit of ABC fake news. And they’re getting tons of free publicity.

https://i.imgur.com/9QInXB7.png

https://magaimg.net/img/9772.png

https://old.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/dhzsew/knob_creek_fullon_taking_abc_news_to_the_woodshed/

[Darth Mall]

BFL

[bruoz]

My two cents worth: The definition of a receiver that the defense quoted was probably based upon revolvers and most common pistols that where the main target of the 1968 gun control act. In fact I can't think of any common semi-auto rifle patterned after a military model (except AK types) that would meet that definition. The trigger groups are all relatively easy to separate from the barrel and bolt housing(called an upper in some cases). As someone else pointed out, The ATF, by rule making, determined (wisely IMO) that the serial number would be placed on the lower receiver. Otherwise complete full auto AR lowers, early on, would have been legal to own (like M-2 carbine kits) without being registered. Also, as a precedent, military M-16s (although not subject to ATF rulings) had their serial numbers on the lower.

[sauropod]

Hmmmm....

[nralife]

Okay, thanks! Great links too.