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Can't afford an EBR. What parts should I buy?

2K views 27 replies 0 participants last post by  wombat13 
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#1 ·
I know very little about eerie black rifles, but HR1022 has me thinking that maybe I should invest now (I'm assuming that any ban would include a grandfather clause). My understanding is that a quality rifle would cost at least $1,000 or thereabouts. If so, I can't afford a rifle right now, but I could buy a few key components that would be included in a ban. So with that background, I have several questions:

1. Would focusing on the AR-15 platform offer me the most options when it comes time to complete my rifle.

2. I think my first purchases should be a lower and high cap mags. Is that correct?

3. What exactly is meant by the term "lower?"

4. I'm left handed. Is the lower the portion of the rifle that would have key left-handed features?

5. I've seen Stag Arms ads for left-handed rifles. Are they a high quality manufacturer?

6. Since I live in New York, I can only legally possess high cap mags that were manufactured prior to October 1994. Anyone know of a good source?

7. What are good sources for EBR parts in general?

8. Since I know so little, I might not even be asking the right questions. What other issues should I be considering?

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
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#2 ·
wombat13 said:
I know very little about eerie black rifles, but HR1022 has me thinking that maybe I should invest now (I'm assuming that any ban would include a grandfather clause). My understanding is that a quality rifle would cost at least $1,000 or thereabouts. If so, I can't afford a rifle right now, but I could buy a few key components that would be included in a ban. So with that background, I have several questions:

1. Would focusing on the AR-15 platform offer me the most options when it comes time to complete my rifle.

2. I think my first purchases should be a lower and high cap mags. Is that correct?

3. What exactly is meant by the term "lower?"

4. I'm left handed. Is the lower the portion of the rifle that would have key left-handed features?

5. I've seen Stag Arms ads for left-handed rifles. Are they a high quality manufacturer?

6. Since I live in New York, I can only legally possess high cap mags that were manufactured prior to October 1994. Anyone know of a good source?

7. What are good sources for EBR parts in general?

8. Since I know so little, I might not even be asking the right questions. What other issues should I be considering?
1. Yes.
2. Sounds great.
3. The lower portion of a weapon, ie the trigger group etc
4. No. You can put a ambidextrous saftey selector switch later ($20.00)
5. Yes.
6. No.
7. AR15.com and their sponsors
8. Sounds good to me; know your laws and limitations, and use AR15.com / us to your advantage.
 
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#5 ·
i'm a lefty, and was skeptical about buying a "right-handed" ar. after buying one, and shooting it a bunch, i'd say that the lefty ar is not important, and could perhaps hurt you, depending on what parts you need after a (possible) ban...i'm assuming the BCG operates in the opposite direction for a lefty upper...
 
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#6 ·
You can get a Stag upper for 495.00; the lowers are significantly lower in price.

You can get a complete for about 895.00. I would build one personally, and not get a Left handed model because they run about 100 more. Plus, you should shoot ambi with rifle anyways.
 
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#7 ·
Thanks for the info hellagerms. It's my understanding that the receiver is the key component that would be banned in HR1022. Is the receiver part of the upper?

Sorry for the basic questions. I appreciate your time spent answering my questions.
 
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#8 ·
wombat13 said:
Thanks for the info hellagerms. It's my understanding that the receiver is the key component that would be banned in HR1022. Is the receiver part of the upper?

Sorry for the basic questions. I appreciate your time spent answering my questions.

Yes the upper is part of the receiver; it's my pleasure to help you.
 
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#10 ·
The lower being the other part of the receiver. The lower is controlled by the ATF and requires the FFL transfer. But during Clintons ban, it didnt effect the lower but only the upper. But with this proposal it can jeopardize both.
 
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#11 ·
I too have a Bushmaster, actually two. But for building I think Stag is the way to go. Look around AR15.com also, there is an equipment exchange there that vendors and members sell things new and used.

As jnclment stated, you can get a lower for really cheap. Get a trigger kit for about 50.00, a buttstock for 40.00 etc.
 
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#13 ·
I'd buy a stripped lower (or two) and a nice stash of 20-30rd mags. Lowers are relatively inexpensive, and that will be the hard part to get if HR1022 should happen to pass. Although I don't think we can count on anything being grand-fathered in at this point.

I saw forged (stripped) lowers at Sarco (I think) for $90. I paid $100 for my last (Stag, forged) stripped lower receiver at a gun show. I think I'll pick-up a few more at the next local show, though... HR1022 and all... I'm thinking of giving ARs as gifts to everyone I know this Christmas! :D
 
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#14 ·
I'd get a couple of lowers right now. They are becoming more scarce as people are stocking up on lowers. Most of the stripped lowers right now are around 100 or so. I plan on picking up a couple more just in case. Probably order a POF and a Magpul lower once it becomes availible.
 
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#15 ·
Anybody notice that ALL that assault rifle stuff is going up, even though there is no ban yet? Even the prices of ratty Romanain AKs at gunshows are way up.

I am trying to resist the panic buying...if this thing takes a dive, we'll all be sorry we frantically ran out and bought at higher prices. The gun retailers are secretly loving this, you know.

- Brickboy240
 
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#16 ·
Get a stripped lower for an AR and a stripped receiver for an AKM. And buy 12 AR mags and 12 AK mags.

I would rate the odds of the new ban passing as pretty low as things stand right now, but all it would take is another bad school shooting or another N. Hollywood shootout to tip the scales.

Buy what you can to hedge your bets, but most important, WRITE YOUR CONGRESSCRITTERS and STOP THIS BAN! And pin down every gun owner you know to write also. If this does pass it will be because we didn't speak up loudly enough!
.
 
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#17 ·
Brickboy240 said:
Anybody notice that ALL that assault rifle stuff is going up, even though there is no ban yet? Even the prices of ratty Romanain AKs at gunshows are way up.

I am trying to resist the panic buying...if this thing takes a dive, we'll all be sorry we frantically ran out and bought at higher prices. The gun retailers are secretly loving this, you know.
Yes. I knew it would happen, which is why I started buying as soon as the craps won the last election. Partly because of the possibility of another ban, but mostly because I knew the prices would shoot up.
.
 
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#18 ·
I don't know that the gun dealers are loving this. I am sure they would rather make $30 profit on a thousand rifles over the next twenty years than make $90 off of $100 right now with no future ability to sell them.

It is a question of supply and demand. With the scarcity problem particularly acute right now, the market discipline that leads to an efficient allocation of scarce resources drives up the price. That is the way the world works. It is all question of risk and reward. Do you want to avoid the already inflated price on the risk of not being able to buy the rifle at all in the future (or havng to buy pre-ban models after the ban, should it pass, at the even more inflated prices). It is all about risk allocation.

To the Original Question, I would go with the lower, as to my current understanding, for several reasons. One is that you may want a telescoping buttstock, which you could buy with the lower and have that ready in case of a ban, another is that, if the administrative judges decide the same, pre-ban parts will be allowed to be installed after the instating of a ban on pre-ban lowers.

Finally, don't just try to buy the rifle. Fight the ban with all you have got to keep it from happening in the first place.
 
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#19 ·
If we fail to foil the plot of the ban, all parts of the AR would most likely be driven to extinction eventually. The anti's would make sure nothing can be grand fathered and supplies for the replacement parts die out. I have no doubt in my mind that's their "grand scheme."

So I would try to at least get all the parts that are enough to build a complete rifle first; if you are unable to afford a complete rifle now. After that I would stock up for wear and tear items such as mags, barrels, bolt carrier groups, and trigger assembly.

Of course, spend some time and financial resources on things such as writing to your congressmen and supporting NRA may prevent all these from happening.:cool:
 
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#20 ·
You can build a quality AR from Stag parts for under $700 if you shop around for the best prices, and don't need the fancy stuff (like Magpul stuff, free float gas tubes w/ railed handguards, and an Eotech).

you can ALWAYS add fancy stuff later. just get the barrel length and basic confuration you're after in a stock build, and then move forward in the future.
 
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#21 ·
fastboy said:
Of course, spend some time and financial resources on things such as writing to your congressmen and supporting NRA may prevent all these from happening.:cool:
Thanks to everyone for their responses. As far as taking action to stop the ban, I agree completely. I've already contacted all of my representatives and I'm a life member of the NRA.
 
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#23 ·
You should buy the rifle, or pistol you want now, with the mags you might need ASAP.

I don't know if any of guys where around for the last ban (I'm kinda old), but (and I haven't read the bill) if they say some thing like "assemble" even if you have all the parts, but still in part fourm, and then put the parts together after the bill is singed into law, well you just broke the law.

This is the so called "Loophole" they (Sara Brady, and friends) cried about like little girls last time.
You could put your AR together with "PC" parts, but a threaded barrel, flash hider, and you were a felon.
And you could buy high-cap mag parts all over the place, on-line to fix unusable or broken mags, but if you bought them to assemble a "New" mag, again it was a felony
So it's hard to say what will happen.

I would get what you want now, and thank all you friends that voted for the Dems after the ATF kicks your doors in, and take all your gun with them when they leave because you fell into one of the new loopholes.
 
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#24 ·
I don't know if the AK is legal in any format in NY. But if I were looking for a just in case evil black rifle and money was any kind of object, that is what I would get.

Assuming an EBR ban comes around again, you are likely to be the owner of an illegal rifle and will not be able to shoot it much or find certain parts for it. From that standpoint, the ak makes a lot of sense. Additionally, the cost of an AK is much much lower and you can get one starting around 300 bucks +/-.

If you have the money, the ar is nice but you can get two ak's for the price of an AR.

Personally I faced the same choice for the same reasons and I bought the FN-FAL after I saved up for a few months. They run 800 for good kit guns, up to 2000 for a new DSArms.com or original Belgian FN's.

Tis your choice but I would make sure I shot at least one of each before I plunked down 1000 bucks on an AR. An M1 Garand may even be a better choice if you want to shoot it after an AWB that doesn't have a grandfather clause.
 
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#25 ·
40SWXDSHOOTER said:
You should buy the rifle, or pistol you want now, with the mags you might need ASAP.

I don't know if any of guys where around for the last ban (I'm kinda old), but (and I haven't read the bill) if they say some thing like "assemble" even if you have all the parts, but still in part fourm, and then put the parts together after the bill is singed into law, well you just broke the law.

This is the so called "Loophole" they (Sara Brady, and friends) cried about like little girls last time.
You could put your AR together with "PC" parts, but a threaded barrel, flash hider, and you were a felon.
And you could buy high-cap mag parts all over the place, on-line to fix unusable or broken mags, but if you bought them to assemble a "New" mag, again it was a felony
So it's hard to say what will happen.

I would get what you want now, and thank all you friends that voted for the Dems after the ATF kicks your doors in, and take all your gun with them when they leave because you fell into one of the new loopholes.
I agree.
That's why I think buying or getting together a complete rifle has its merit. In a ban scenario, one is more likely to be allowed to buy parts to fix existing guns than to buy parts to assemble into a complete gun. Just look at all those registered automatic NFA guns; that's the future the anti's have in mind for all our AKs, ARs, FALs, etc.
 
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