What are the laws about building an AR pistol from an 80% lower?

crasher · Feb 19, 2018

I want to put an AR-15 pistol together and I don't know if there's a comparable HBAR restriction like carbines.

Additionally - I don't know yet what I have to do to make a pistol assembled with a lower finished from an 80% blank legal to have in a residence or shooting on private property.

This would be in Queen Anne county, if it makes a difference in laws.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for details, please?

TylerFirearms · Feb 19, 2018

Maryland is a state-wide gun law state. Nothing is different between jurisdictions.

There are no restrictions on building what you want that I can think of. Build away and have fun... LOL

Rab1515 · Feb 19, 2018

Are pistols have no additional MD regulation. The heavy barrel requirement only applies to .223/5.56 rifles, and doesn't apply to pistols. No vfg unless the oal is 26''+. There is nothing you need to do to legally make an AR pistol from 80%, other than follow all the NFA rules.

annihilation-time · Feb 19, 2018

What laws.

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TinCuda · Feb 19, 2018

Rab1515 said:
Are pistols have no additional MD regulation. The heavy barrel requirement only applies to .223/5.56 rifles, and doesn't apply to pistols. No vfg unless the oal is 26''+. There is nothing you need to do to legally make an AR pistol from 80%, other than follow all the NFA rules.

I do not mean to hijack the thread but I never did understand the Heavy barrel requirement in law. What is the significance that law makers are trying to regulate?

.,

Rab1515 · Feb 19, 2018

TinCuda said:
I do not mean to hijack the thread but I never did understand the Heavy barrel requirement in law. What is the significance that law makers are trying to regulate?

.,

No one really knows. The lawmakers in all thier wisdom banned ar15s exept for colts heavy barrel are. Hence heavy or hbar barrels are ok.

erwos · Feb 19, 2018

TylerFirearms said:
There are no restrictions on building what you want that I can think of. Build away and have fun... LOL

This is not true. From PS 5-406:
(1) Except as provided in § 5-402 of this subtitle, a person may not manufacture for distribution or sale a handgun that is not included on the handgun roster in the State.

The only even remotely plausible exception in 5-402 is:
(2) manufacture a prototype handgun model required for design, development, testing, and approval by the Board

Right now, the MSP could, in theory, bust someone for building out a pistol that's not on the roster and that they have no obvious interest in submitting later (especially when you post on the interwebz about how you want a non-registered handgun). This is why, when Polymer80 gets around to producing licensed frames, it really would be better for someone to submit those.

Ranchero50 · Feb 19, 2018

TinCuda said:
I do not mean to hijack the thread but I never did understand the Heavy barrel requirement in law. What is the significance that law makers are trying to regulate?

.,

The MGA wanted to do away with all AR-15 and AK platform firearms. The shooting sports folks lobbied that they would lose money from out of state competitors not being able to shoot at MD competitions if the AR-15 platform was banned completely so they allowed the Colt Sporter HBAR rifle and it's copies to remain legal in MD. Pistols and SBR were forgotten in the original law.

80% lowers fall under federal law regarding S/N's. There is no restriction on what you build and as long as you build it as a pistol first you can swap configurations. The only collapsible stock carbine or rifle length rifle configuration needs to use a heavy barrel. SBR's follow fed law plus need to be 29" (I think) in MD.

TylerFirearms · Feb 19, 2018

TinCuda said:
I do not mean to hijack the thread but I never did understand the Heavy barrel requirement in law. What is the significance that law makers are trying to regulate?

.,

If you have a lightweight barrel, you will kill children. If you have a heavy barrel, you won't kill children. That is called "liberal logic".

Mark75H · Feb 19, 2018

TinCuda said:
I do not mean to hijack the thread but I never did understand the Heavy barrel requirement in law. What is the significance that law makers are trying to regulate?

Rab1515 said:
No one really knows. The lawmakers in all thier wisdom banned ar15s exept for colts heavy barrel are. Hence heavy or hbar barrels are ok.

Incorrect. The HBAR is deemed to be a legit sport target shooting device and std barrels only useful for mass murder because they are easier to swing around at more targets.

Rab1515 · Feb 19, 2018

erwos said:
This is not true. From PS 5-406:
(1) Except as provided in § 5-402 of this subtitle, a person may not manufacture for distribution or sale a handgun that is not included on the handgun roster in the State.

The only even remotely plausible exception in 5-402 is:
(2) manufacture a prototype handgun model required for design, development, testing, and approval by the Board

Right now, the MSP could, in theory, bust someone for building out a pistol that's not on the roster and that they have no obvious interest in submitting later (especially when you post on the interwebz about how you want a non-registered handgun). This is why, when Polymer80 gets around to producing licensed frames, it really would be better for someone to submit those.

Manufacturing for personal use is not manufacturering for sale or distribution.

TylerFirearms · Feb 19, 2018

Rab1515 said:
Manufacturing for personal use is not manufacturering for sale or distribution.

And the ATF calls an individual a “maker”, not a manufacturer.

outrider58 · Feb 19, 2018

annihilation-time said:
What laws.

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No stocks

crasher · Feb 19, 2018

erwos said:
This is not true. From PS 5-406:
(1) Except as provided in § 5-402 of this subtitle, a person may not manufacture for distribution or sale a handgun that is not included on the handgun roster in the State.

The only even remotely plausible exception in 5-402 is:
(2) manufacture a prototype handgun model required for design, development, testing, and approval by the Board

Right now, the MSP could, in theory, bust someone for building out a pistol that's not on the roster and that they have no obvious interest in submitting later (especially when you post on the interwebz about how you want a non-registered handgun). This is why, when Polymer80 gets around to producing licensed frames, it really would be better for someone to submit those.

In the spirit of bonhomie and cooperation, I appreciate your help and insight.

I don't intend to skirt the law, I just don't know what/which laws apply in this case pertaining to a 'made' pistol Vs a legally 'made' long rifle. Hence - 'What must I do to comply?'

I bought a few 80% lowers on a whim for a hobby/project, as a curiosity, and because I could have them shipped to my home without having to pay an FFL several times to take shipment of an item that I could legally possess after I milled a few ounces of aluminum off of it in several places.

Now I just want to know what restrictions apply to weapons (in this case a pistol made from most of the same parts I can make a legal long gun from) and how best to comply with the legal stuff.

:thumbsup:

Biggfoot44 · Feb 20, 2018

And your specific questions are ?

zoostation · Feb 20, 2018

erwos said:
This is not true. From PS 5-406:
(1) Except as provided in § 5-402 of this subtitle, a person may not manufacture for distribution or sale a handgun that is not included on the handgun roster in the State.

The only even remotely plausible exception in 5-402 is:
(2) manufacture a prototype handgun model required for design, development, testing, and approval by the Board

Right now, the MSP could, in theory, bust someone for building out a pistol that's not on the roster and that they have no obvious interest in submitting later (especially when you post on the interwebz about how you want a non-registered handgun). This is why, when Polymer80 gets around to producing licensed frames, it really would be better for someone to submit those.

I usually agree with you erwos but here I believe you are wrong. As long as someone is not manufacturing for sale or distribution they are fine IMHO. You are extrapolating too much from a latter clause which does not affect the former.

Racer Doug14 · Mar 20, 2018

I'm in a discussion with a coworker of legality of polymer80 handguns. I can only see the transport of a finished working one being an issue if questioned by LEO. Still no solid answers on this.

outrider58 · Mar 20, 2018

Racer Doug14 said:
I'm in a discussion with a coworker of legality of polymer80 handguns. I can only see the transport of a finished working one being an issue if questioned by LEO. Still no solid answers on this.

AFAIK, as long as you built it yourself, you don't need a serial number on it.

aquaman · Mar 20, 2018

zoostation said:
I usually agree with you erwos but here I believe you are wrong. As long as someone is not manufacturing for sale or distribution they are fine IMHO. You are extrapolating too much from a latter clause which does not affect the former.

I've looked and I can't find anything in MD law that says you can not build a banned weapon (legal under federal law)

Rab1515 · Mar 20, 2018

aquaman said:
I've looked and I can't find anything in MD law that says you can not build a banned weapon (legal under federal law)

Wrong. Sb281 bans posession of a banned weapon if it was not posession before October 1 2013.

What are the laws about building an AR pistol from an 80% lower?

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