Preban, during ban, post ban, whats the diff

[gunhummer]

After shooting Uncle Sam's standard issue M16s for 20 some years I'm getting into my own AR addiction and have seen numerous posts for pre ban AR15s.

A friend of mine has a full size A2 from peak ban days and it couldn't have a bayonet lug or flash supressor if I recall. You know those scary looking things not being on there really keep bad guys from doing bad things. Anyway is that the only things they did during the ban besides stop allowing new magazines that held more than 10? So now my new rifle has those things back on it. I guess it's a post ban. So what does a preban have that my new rifle doesn't? :huh:

Thanks in advance for your enlightenment.

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[schnackenberg]

you could refer to a new rifle as preban configuration even though it is after the ban,
post ban describes the configuration without the lug or flash suppressor. that were sold 1994-2004 and a few companies still made a while later because they didnt care

 

[gunhummer]

That's it? Wow. Okay I have another question. What's the difference between an A3 and an A4?

 

[schnackenberg]

for commercial guns nothing, they are both flat tops
the A3 was an early designation for the flat top commercial rifles as it was the next number after A2
the M16A3 was a return to a full auto trigger group in military M16 rifles
the M16A4 was the change to the flat top upper rifles in the military.

the confusion makes companies list both

 

[gunhummer]

Thanks for squaring me away.
Be safe.
GH

 

[trainsktg]

As said above, there was the '94 ban on hicaps, bayo lugs, etc, which is no longer in effect on a Federal level, though some states still adhere to the essentials (CA, NY, etc).

Although it doesn't apply to your AR, there is another ban that was initiated by and at the behest of the Bush 41 justice department which is still in effect...the '89 import ban on 'non-sporting' firearms. We still have it with us today...the infamous 922r parts requirements. This directly affects the HK, AK, FAL crowd.

Keith

 

[elsullo]

I think removable "flash hiders" and threaded barrels were banned also, but somehow "muzzle brakes" were OK. Hey, it does not have to make sense. Post-ban they are all cool now, so they are less awful than they used to be........................elsullo

 

[gunhummer]

Thanks again for additional info. I wondered about that compliance part code too... another "go figure" statute. Was it to protect domestic firearms companies' market share or was it supposed to somehow make importing them more difficult and therefore have a net effect of reducing the number of assault rifles in the hands of thugs?

I'm sure how to measure the success on that. You just buy a parts kit and add a few parts...

I think the new horizon is just regulating the crud out of the ammo... with a mentality of, "okay paranoid tea party guy you can have your gun you just won't be able to afford any ammo."

We'll see... stock up for the zombies.

If anyone else thinks of some more scoop on ban era weapons pass it on.

 

[schnackenberg]

it has more to do with the fact that the good folks that write the laws are *** hats. a weapon is considered american if it contains 10 or less foreign parts, the ammount of american parts is different depending on the rifle, on an ak you need 6...

 

[trainsktg]

If I'm not mistaken, the original 1989 ban would have required no more then two parts to be of foreign origin. We're...ummm...I guess...'fortunate'...to have had the comprimise position of 10 parts. The bill did have the effect of nearly halting imports of those evil non-sporting firearms, at least in their military configurations (this is when butthole stocks emerged on the scene) but good old American entrepreneurship rose up and began producing an abundance of US made parts for foreign rifles so that we can now deneuter them back to their original configurations. A MAK-90 can be made into a real nice Type 56 AK, and I have a splendid NHM-91 that is now an excellent Russian RPK clone.

Keith

 

[gunhummer]

thanks for the scoop on the mak90. I'm going to see about that type 56AK for mine!