Legal Questions - AK,AR, pistol receivers, and more:

[Archangelos]

Hi,

Please forgive me for being a bit risk-averse here; I'm trying to perform as much research as possible before I proceed with a course of activity that could inadvertently land me in prison!

If anyone with legal (federal) understanding could help me with these quesitons, I would greatly appreciate it!

(1) [GENERAL] It seems that a great many people are building home-made receivers, and the FAQ section of the BATF's website seems to endorse this activity. But . . . I can't find any federal statutory (or CFR) provision that directly states that people can build _____ number of receivers without a manufacturer's license.

So . . . is it true that you can build your own receivers (say, for an AR-15 or AK-47), provided that you abide by the 922(r) part stuff? If so, is there a limit on the number that you can build per year?

(2) [PISTOLS] If it is, in fact, lawful for a person to build / bend their own receivers, logic would seem to indicate that pistols would not be subject to the 922(r) "assault rifle" provisions. And, as far as I understand, the receiver in an AK or AR pistol is structurally the same as a rifle receiver.

SO, if I were to build / bend an AK receiver (or 80% AR receiver), could I "stamp" it as "Pistol Only," complete it with a short barrel upper, and avoid prison for possession of a short barrel rifle?

(3) In addition to any personal knowledge, can anyone point me to BATF letters / rulings / etc. that answer these questions one way or another?

Thank you so much (whoever) for helping. I would ordinarily send a letter to the BATF for an official ruling, but the current political enviornment has caused me to complete these projects with a bit more haste.