hey guys, I’m interested in building a ar 223 pistol. what do I need to do? I have built my own rifle before so I know how to assemble, question is do I need to do any thing different to make a pistol? especially I heard you have to permantly attach buffer tube to reciever? (not sure on that) out side that I know no stocks and no handguard pistol grips. not making a aow, sbr, nfa gun.
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Make sure your lower receiver has never been used in a rifle barreled action with a stock on it. Meaning a stripped lower does not have to be marked pistol, however should you decide you want to have it engraved, go ahead.
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If you use a receiver extension/buffer tube other than a pistol tube make sure you cannot affix a stock to it. Fill in the slot/holes with epoxy or JB Weld. I read someone even plastic-dipped it like you would with tools. Great idea. Cover with a foam cover if you don’t want it baking in the hot sun against your face. It does not need to be permanently attached.
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I’d strongly consider having your lower built up before ever having a <16" Upper at your house. This removes the “constructive intent” of making an unregistered SBR because you didn’t have a pistol lower ready to receive a pistol upper.
I used a commercial RE on my AR pistol and I filled the position holes with epoxy and covered over it with electrical tape. I then added a foam cover to it because it was black and was sure my face would be very uncomfortable during the summer months I was out to the range. Why did I use a commercial diameter RE? Because all the stocks at my house are milspec, and none of them will fit anyway.
how do I know reciever has never had a stock on it? is buying a stripped lower, make it a virgin gun.
The likelihood of a receiver never having a stock attached to it is good if you bought it stripped. Calling the manufcturer and asking them to send you a letter dictating it had never had a stock on it while a barreled receiver was attached to it is something you can do. Assembly of the stripped lower into a lower with a stock on it does not disqualify the lower from being used until it actually had a receiver attached to it and had a rifled receiver also attached. The ATF did write a letter to someone and it said that even if the lower had a stock on it that the stock could be removed and a pistol tube installed as long as it had never had a barreled rifled action installed.