Ok GUYS INFO ON SBR"S

[03RangerXLT]

Lets just put it this way, if you don't properly engrave your weapon according to the specs required (the ATF actually has published specs on the size of the letters and the depth of the engraving), they can either warn you, confiscate your weapom, or lock you up.

[Fen]

.003'' deep If I recall, yes. After some time in '03 as well. I've got nill to worry about though as I have no NFA items. I'm just thinking in the best interests of people I know.

[Polymerhead]

Fen, if you do happen to get it in writing, that would be stellar. By far the biggest hassle for my NFA project was finding someone locally to engrave mine. I didn't want to go through the hassle of shipping so I went to every trophy shop in town until I found one that had a laser stong enough to etch it deep enough, and it took the guy 3 passes to do it! You'd be my hero if you got it in writing and posted it.

[ckuplent]

Like I said ATF's opinion changes daily on this issue. If you don't have a letter addressed to you from them saying you don't have to- then do it and be safe. Front of the magwell, inside the agwell lips. Or find someone who's good(in person the markings are hard to see, basically engraved at the min requirements by a mfg here local to me):

[Fen]

I'll try to get a letter out this next week. When I here back from them i'll post up a pdf of the letter in a new thread.

[hardwarz]

Originally Posted by Fen

I'll try to get a letter out this next week. When I here back from them i'll post up a pdf of the letter in a new thread.

I personally think that that's the smartest option.

At the same time, any letter in writing that is addressed to single individual or company, according to the ATF is for that individual or company only.

Please post your letter, but anyonhe else that wants to do this should also contact the ATF and request a response in writing.

Hardwarz

[Fen]

Granted the letter only applies directly to the person for whom it is addressed, but if you have a copy of that letter with your SBR, you could show it to an agent that is otherwise going to arrest you and they might change their mind. I think, but i'm no lawer, it would be a nice piece of evidence in a court case regardless of whether or not it is addressed to you.

[eric_t12]

i suggest a SBR MP5 or clone.

just my suggestion...

[PackerfanXD]

So I think I'd like to build a SBR but I don't know when I'd get to it; can I buy a lower for now and sit on it and then do a build later? Or do I need to get it engraved or something right away?
Thanks for the help, you guys have been great.

[John A.]

Packerfan,

If you're definately going to register the lower as an SBR on a form 1, it needs to be engraved period. Do this BEFORE the application is approved, and preferably before the application is even submitted in case there is a spelling error on the engravers part. That would be the ultimate worst case scenario, but is still possible of a mistake since you must write in the exact text that appears on the firearm on the application. Required information is:
Manufacturer (name or trust or entity or business, etc)
County
State

Once approved as an SBR (whether it's built into anything at this point or not makes no difference) you have a lot of hassle shipping to anywhere for engraving after the fact.

There are Interstate/transit forms that you can fill out, but everything gets very hard to do at this point and is taking a lot bigger legal risk of loss after the fact and then you have to fill out special forms for that also, and expect someone from the ATF to contact you about it if it does.

After approval, If you have someone locally that can engrave it, then that's fine as long as you stay with it while it's being engraved, but I didn't have that option. I'm only talking about having to ship it somewhere else to have the work done. And Ryan is great to do business with for that (orionarms) if you do have to send it off for engraving.

There are 2 trophy shops in town and neither would engrave mine. So, I had to ship mine. Thankfully the engraving was done and lower was returned prior to approval and was correct because I wasn't aware of all this when I submitted my first form 1 so I was still in the clear, but I got lucky is all I can say.

You can be approved and sit on the lower as long as you'd like (or unless Congress passes a law that AR15's cant' be built any longer or some ridiculous crap like that), but for right now, you don't have to build it into anything and can just put it in a safe where only you have access to it until you get the parts or money or time to build it up. But the engraving is very required if you SBR it one way or another.

Hope this helps