Receiving an AR-15 from family

OK... I'm sure the answer is here somewhere, but MD is so... bizarre with their gun laws...

Here what I've got going on:
My son is stationed in Norfolk, VA. He has an AR-15 he wants to give me (this is my favorite kind of problem.) I live in Maryland. There are a few issues:

1) I am 99.9999% sure that it is NOT an HBAR upper. I know it's a PSA built upper, 16" barrel, so the overall length is good, but like I said... I'm sure it isn't a heavy barrel. So... anyone got a good gun shop that can swap barrels? I know that isn't a 2A question, but... I'd like to purchase an appropriate barrel, and just bring the upper receiver to them. Reasonable? Out of my mind? How hard is it to swap a barrel? I'm NOT any kind of gunsmith, and suffer zero delusions of grandeur. The USAF taught me not to shoot my toes off 20 years ago, not how to build the darn thing. Anyone know what it would cost?

2) If I understand correctly, he can actually legally lend me the rifle to use. Once the barrel is swapped, of course. Any 30 round mags he has are not legal to lend, but like anyone else, I can just purchase some in VA. Am I correct on the lending aspect? Anyone know for sure?

3) I would rather actually complete the transfer, and get everything 100% legal. So, does he need to ship it to an FFL in MD? Can it be hand carried to one here legally? Can we actually handle it in VA at an FFL if we're both present? Anyone know? Can we do it in MD if we're both present? I will pass a background check, I have purchased a shotgun in MD with no issues. And I really don't mind if I need to leave the rifle with a legit business for 7 days.

Thanks!

Bill P said:

OK... I'm sure the answer is here somewhere, but MD is so... bizarre with their gun laws...

Here what I've got going on:
My son is stationed in Norfolk, VA. He has an AR-15 he wants to give me (this is my favorite kind of problem.) I live in Maryland. There are a few issues:

1) I am 99.9999% sure that it is NOT an HBAR upper. I know it's a PSA built upper, 16" barrel, so the overall length is good, but like I said... I'm sure it isn't a heavy barrel. So... anyone got a good gun shop that can swap barrels? I know that isn't a 2A question, but... I'd like to purchase an appropriate barrel, and just bring the upper receiver to them. Reasonable? Out of my mind? How hard is it to swap a barrel? I'm NOT any kind of gunsmith, and suffer zero delusions of grandeur. The USAF taught me not to shoot my toes off 20 years ago, not how to build the darn thing. Anyone know what it would cost?

Click to expand...

Buy an HBAR upper (Find one you like on the internet and buy it), hand it to your son, pop two pins holding the upper on the lower, replace the upper, reinsert the pins. Easy peasy.

Bill P said:

2) If I understand correctly, he can actually legally lend me the rifle to use. Once the barrel is swapped, of course. Any 30 round mags he has are not legal to lend, but like anyone else, I can just purchase some in VA. Am I correct on the lending aspect? Anyone know for sure?

Click to expand...

If he does the lending out of state he can lend you, and you can bring back into MD, the 30 round mags. You are correct on the rest of the lending aspect.

Bill P said:

3) I would rather actually complete the transfer, and get everything 100% legal. So, does he need to ship it to an FFL in MD? Can it be hand carried to one here legally? Can we actually handle it in VA at an FFL if we're both present? Anyone know? Can we do it in MD if we're both present? I will pass a background check, I have purchased a shotgun in MD with no issues. And I really don't mind if I need to leave the rifle with a legit business for 7 days.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

In an HBAR configuration, the transfer can be done at an FFL in either state and both of you need to be present at the transfer in any case. Cash and carry transaction, no 7 day wait required.

dblas said:

Buy an HBAR upper (Find one you like on the internet and buy it), hand it to your son, pop two pins holding the upper on the lower, replace the upper, reinsert the pins. Easy peasy.



If he does the lending out of state he can lend you, and you can bring back into MD, the 30 round mags. You are correct on the rest of the lending aspect.



In an HBAR configuration, the transfer can be done at an FFL in either state and both of you need to be present at the transfer in any case. Cash and carry transaction, no 7 day wait required.

Click to expand...

That clears some of it up, especially if we can just handle it in one state or another.

In regards to swapping uppers, it all comes down to cost, I suppose. If it's cheaper to swap barrels... I like the upper it has on it now. If not, I can always just buy a new upper and sell the old one.

At least uppers aren't regulated. Yet.

If you have to buy a bbl and pay a 'smith to do it, not much price difference from buying a prebuilt upper on sale.

dblas is spot on. Changing the upper is literally simple enough that a child could do it.... or an absent minded professor :-)

If you get a second upper, you keep the "good" upper, which you can use outside of MD. If you want to swap barrels, many of the IPs can handle this for you. I typically use Engage, Duffy's, or Bolingers. Whichever is most convenient.

Some FFLs will accept hand carry for transfer, others will not. Check with them first.

As has been said, transfer can be done in VA also, but some VA FFLs will not transfer anything to MD resident, as they do not want to take the time to learn MD laws. So check with FFL first. It has to be HBAR to transfer to you in VA (has to be legal in both state of transfer and state of resident of the recipient).

Thank you for the replies and suggestions, everyone.

Doctor_M said:

dblas is spot on. Changing the upper is literally simple enough that a child could do it.... or an absent minded professor :-)

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Even I can push two pins out... I've field stripped enough AR's to know it's dead simple. And if I see a decent one on sale that I like, I might just do that. I actually walked my 16 year old through it when we cleaned it after shooting it in VA beach a few weeks ago. I think he might have shot more rounds through more firearms in his life than I have... But he had never disassembled an AR. Yeah, it's a great design for being easy to work on.

Pinecone said:

If you get a second upper, you keep the "good" upper, which you can use outside of MD. If you want to swap barrels, many of the IPs can handle this for you. I typically use Engage, Duffy's, or Bolingers. Whichever is most convenient.

Some FFLs will accept hand carry for transfer, others will not. Check with them first.

As has been said, transfer can be done in VA also, but some VA FFLs will not transfer anything to MD resident, as they do not want to take the time to learn MD laws. So check with FFL first. It has to be HBAR to transfer to you in VA (has to be legal in both state of transfer and state of resident of the recipient).

Click to expand...

I'll probably just bring it to an FFL in MD with my son to make it easier. Just depends on when he gets up here next. I'll work a telephone before I go driving all over with it.

Sucks trying to to things the right way... I'm sure this gets beaten to death, but sometimes the laws being restrictive just push people to not bother following the laws. I've already had people say to me to just use it here and don't sweat it, no one at a range is going to check it anyways... But I've also had a friend in law enforcement take one look at the picture of it that I sent to him and say "I'm not even going to ask about what barrel is on that." He lives in MD, he knew better at a glance that it was problematic here.

Years of living in FL and I never had a gun around (kids in the house, didn't want to worry about it) and now I live here with the youngest 16 and very responsible... MD is great in some ways, but it sure is different when it comes to firearms!

wonder if those same folks who feel not following the law is not a big deal also think losing your gun rights is not a big deal.

most members here certainly do.

when it comes to firearms law, being lazy or nonchalant is a really bad idea

Bill P said:

I'll probably just bring it to an FFL in MD with my son to make it easier. Just depends on when he gets up here next. I'll work a telephone before I go driving all over with it.

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Did he purchase it before 10/1/2013?

It not, it is not legal for him to bring it into the state in the current configuration.

If he owned it prior to 10/1/2013, then he could bring it to MD FFL, but they cannot transfer it to you until the barrel is changed or an HBAR upper is installed.

And has been said, you can probably get an HBAR upper for about the same price as a barrel and the work swapping it.

swinokur said:

wonder if those same folks who feel not following the law is not a big deal also think losing your gun rights is not a big deal.

most members here certainly do.

when it comes to firearms law, being lazy or nonchalant is a really bad idea

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^This
Which is why I'll jump through the appropriate hoops on this rather than lazy it up.

Pinecone said:

Did he purchase it before 10/1/2013?

It not, it is not legal for him to bring it into the state in the current configuration.

If he owned it prior to 10/1/2013, then he could bring it to MD FFL, but they cannot transfer it to you until the barrel is changed or an HBAR upper is installed.

And has been said, you can probably get an HBAR upper for about the same price as a barrel and the work swapping it.

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It is not a pre-2013, and even if so... wouldn't help me much in the long run. One way or another the barrel's got to go to get it here. I had an offer from someone to give me hand swapping the barrel if I get a correct one. I'll probably just take up the offer and swap it, then when my son gets here bring the assembled rifle to an FFL and transfer.

Nothing worth doing is easy, right?

Nope, it is not.

But easiest is get an HBAR upper. And have him bring up the lower only. Slap on the HBAR upper, and take to FFL for transfer.