Imagine an upper and lower receiver kit that would accept an AR-15 barrel, bolt, trigger mech, return spring, buffer, magazine and furniture. But once assembled it would become a spring-assist straight pull rifle, a bit like the Troy SAR. This would make for a very good case of not being an "AR variant" since it wouldn't even be semi-auto.
Why? Because if our stroke of bad luck continues, within 2 years thousands of people will have to turn in stripped upper and lower receivers and will be stuck with a bunch of useless but expensive AR parts. A (relatively) cheap receiver kit that would allow people to find a new life for most of the high quality parts they've spent their hard earned money on would be very popular.
Obviously it isn't this simple. There are a few technical issues to solve. For example it would need to include a way to plug the gas port. A special undrilled gas block to replace the existing one on the AR barrel would do the trick. Or even simpler a gas tube-shaped plug could be made to go in the existing gas block. There would also need to be a consideration to help with initial extraction without the assistance of residual chamber pressure (Troy SARs have fluted chambers for this. Modifying the existing barrels would be impractical). The side-mounted charging handle could easily have a built-in levering effect for the first part of the bolt travel to aid for that.
If the ban fully goes through it would be great consolation if I could pay about $500 for a kit like that. Whoever makes this could make even more profit by selling dedicated parts like a lightened bolt carrier since its mass is no longer required, which would be a weight-saving upgrade.
I even have the name for it: The FT-15. (FT would stand for "Fuddle Truddle")
Why? Because if our stroke of bad luck continues, within 2 years thousands of people will have to turn in stripped upper and lower receivers and will be stuck with a bunch of useless but expensive AR parts. A (relatively) cheap receiver kit that would allow people to find a new life for most of the high quality parts they've spent their hard earned money on would be very popular.
Obviously it isn't this simple. There are a few technical issues to solve. For example it would need to include a way to plug the gas port. A special undrilled gas block to replace the existing one on the AR barrel would do the trick. Or even simpler a gas tube-shaped plug could be made to go in the existing gas block. There would also need to be a consideration to help with initial extraction without the assistance of residual chamber pressure (Troy SARs have fluted chambers for this. Modifying the existing barrels would be impractical). The side-mounted charging handle could easily have a built-in levering effect for the first part of the bolt travel to aid for that.
If the ban fully goes through it would be great consolation if I could pay about $500 for a kit like that. Whoever makes this could make even more profit by selling dedicated parts like a lightened bolt carrier since its mass is no longer required, which would be a weight-saving upgrade.
I even have the name for it: The FT-15. (FT would stand for "Fuddle Truddle")
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