[Harley]

That's afirmative, you're restricted to what ever SBR barrel lengths you register it with as far as short barrels go.  You can however put a 16 inch or 20 inch upper on it to go varmint hunting if you wish.  It's just that when you go to sell the thing, it's always an SBR and requires the $200 transfer tax and registration by the new owner before he/she takes it home.

[Basher]

Paco,

I still haven't decided if I want it as an SBR or not. This SWAT guy seems to think they're real fun (I've never shot one before), and if I can swap barrels out, it would just be something fun to mess around with. He's a nice guy and would teach me some stuff regarding how to use it effectively, etc. Like I said, though, I won't have much use for it besides the cool factor and as you said, it would be something unique that you don't see every day (I've never seen one, either!). Thanks guys!

[Harley]

Now if you really want to have some fun, spend about 2K and buy a Lightning Link for an AR15.  Then when you drop that bad boy into any AR15 (read pre-ban or post-ban) it is now a legal machine gun which means you can do anything and every thing to it and not have to worry about barrel length, collapsable stocks, etc, etc.  You still pay the $200 transfer tax and go through the backround checks and all the fun stuff, but then you're not restricted in how you go about selling your AR when you're tired of it.  So start saving your nickles and dimes and get one!

[Basher]

Any links or websites to get more info on this Lightning Link? Is it that belt-fed upper? Thanks, Harley!

[Paco]

No, it's a little $2 piece of metal that goes inside any AR-15 and changes the "semi" function to "auto".  There aren't many left that are legal (registered, certifiable pre-1986), but they are cheaper than a RDIAS.

[Pancho]

Isn't that also called an "auto sear"?

[Paco]

A lightening link is very different (generally speaking, it's a flat piece of metal with a square cut in it) from an auto sear.  However, the "RDIAS" I amentioned is an acronym for Registered Drop-In Auto Sear.

[Harley]

Here's a Lightning Link.

[leakingpen]

no spring to go in there?

[Harley]

No spring.

[Basher]

So I was talking to this SWAT guy I'm always referring to about my shop teacher (who loves his AR) who wants to know about cast/forged receivers. Then I mention that I want to buy a little something for fun over time as I get the funds. He goes off on his thing telling me to get this and that. I can't afford most of it, but it sounds like fun. Then he mentions barrels. He asks if I was going to use a 10 or 14.5" barrel. My eyebrows rose about a foot.

"16 incher," I said.
"Why 16 inches?" he asks.
"Well, that's the legal limit, right?"
"Yeah, if you want to be like everyone else."
"Well, I want to get varmint accuracy out to 300 or so yards."
"Yeah, so. We get about that out of our tens all the time."
"Really?"

So he goes on to tell me that I can build an SBR and get by just fine with the $300 tax.

Now, since I only see him for an hour, I didn't get the time to ask him this, although I'll ask him this next week sometime. But I wanted to see what you guys had to say about it.

I want a Pre-ban style rifle with this 11.5" or 14.5" barrel, if i go this route. Can I build one if I pay the $300 tax? Or should I buy a Post-ban Bushy, and then buy the extra parts, and then throw those on the day or so after the ban sets? Or should I just buy everything seperate, and then build the thing from scratch when the ban sets? I've got my M70 in .308, but .308 is crazy expensive (which I knew would happen, but I had to have one anyway). .223 is MUCH cheaper, and an AR would be multipurpose. What do you guys think or suggest? Again, I'll ask him later to get the official word on things. Thanks.