What does "pre-ban" reffer to in an AR15
- Thread starter Dezynco
- Start date
Respectfully, except in the case of high capacity feeding devices, "Ban" status referred only to complete weapons.
If a semiautomatic rifle had a detachable high capacity feeding device, i.e., a box magazine, and also had more than one evil ugly feature (folding/collapsing stock, "prominent" pistol grip, flash suppressor, grenade launcher, bayonet lug), under the 1994 Crime Bill (which included the "Assault Weapons" ban) such a rifle was designated a "Semiautomatic Assault Weapon," or "AW" for short.
By this definition, only complete rifles could be "pre-ban," as any or all of the proscribed parts did not constitute an AW. Only the rifle could be so designated. Thus, there were no "pre-ban" lower receivers, as a lower receiver has only the proscribed pistol grip, thus by itself was not an AW.
Semiautomatic rifles with detachable high capacity feeding devices (such as the AR-15-type rifles) built after Sept 14, 1994 (and up until the ban sunset on Sept 13, 2004) could have only one dreaded evil ugly feature, and the pistol grip was it. Thus, "post-ban" AR-15 types were to be found with muzzle brakes, faux flash suppressors (e.g., the Fulton Armory "The Look"), fixed collapsible stocks (now, there's an oxymoron!), and the like. If your complete rifle was manufactured before Sept 14, 1994, you could keep your rifle configured with two or more dreaded evil ugly features, as it was grandfathered as a "pre-ban" rifle.
You can get a flavor of what a nightmare this all was, particularly for manufacturers. Want a couple hundred barrels that have to be cut down and threaded, 'cause they were made to conform to the AW ban?
Of course, all of this was pure cosmetics, as zoomie has pointed out. It was yet another harassment of gun owners and the gun industry. If the Democrat candidate is elected President, with a Democrat-controlled Congress we can expect reinstatement of "reasonable" regulations, such as the AW ban (and more, the imagination of the enemies of liberty is without bounds), though I suspect the AW ban will be written more competently to block the manufacturing of AR-15-type rifles altogether.
Regards,
Walt
PS The M14-type rifle (e.g., Fulton ARmory M14, S, Inc. M1A) could be equipped with a flash suppressor as its one dreaded evil ugly feature, as it did not have the proscribed "Prominent Pistol Grip."
PPS California bans "AWs" compoletely; New York has continued the AW ban on a state level, so "pre-ban" still applies in NYS.
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45_Shooter
New member
An easy way to tell if a rifle is pre-ban (or made after the ban expired) is the presence of a bayonet lug on the front sight block. Almost all manufacturers deleted this feature during the ban years in favor of keeping other features like the pistol grip stock. Just think how many bayonetings this prevented from occuring 
MeekAndMild
New member
sevensixtytwo
New member
It needs a flash hider.
Seriously, the detachable high-capacity feeding device is not one of the dreaded evil ugly features. The dh-cfd is one of the two initial qualifiers, the other, "semiautomatic rifle." As for the others, you had a choice of one (1) dreaded evil ugly feature .By the way, does that model come in pink?
Regards,
Walt
One of the funny quirks of the AWB and ATF is that a "pre-ban" firearm could lose its pre-ban status and this is the only firearm in the history of ATF that could do that. ATF claimed that if you removed the evil features and then sold your gun to another person without those evil features, that gun was no longer a pre-ban and never again have those evil featues put back on it. This conflicts with their "once a machinegun, always a machinegun" and once a "rifle" and/or "shotgun", always a rifle and/or shotgun rulings. Basically, you can't take a machinegun and convert it to semi-automatic and remove it from the machinegun registry.
The reason you keep hearing "pre-ban" is some states still have an AWB in their state laws and some grandfather pre-bans, even those that might be in another state. While they cannot buy a new AR-15 with evil features, they can still buy a pre-ban and bring it into their state.
3StrikesNC
New member
Just for "Political Correctness", I believe the original question;
Wasn't it the "Clinton Ban" and not the "Pre-Clinton ban"? If so, I'd just like to make sure credit goes where credit is due.
has an error.
Wasn't it the "Clinton Ban" and not the "Pre-Clinton ban"? If so, I'd just like to make sure credit goes where credit is due.
3StrikesNC
New member
Thank You!!
And Thank You for remembering Joe Biden. I need state no more...
Oh, how I love Alaska...
And Thank You for remembering Joe Biden. I need state no more...
Oh, how I love Alaska...