Law question regarding AR lower anodizing

[Lockheart]

Hi all!

Since I will soon be ghetto rich (refund coming this week), I will be building a .300 blk AR.

I was considering having the lower, upper, and quad rail anodized. I asked the LGS about the legalities involved with handing a stripped lower (transferred as "other" of course), to an anodizer (non ffl) and did not get a straight answer. He spun off that the only way to be 100% safe would be to allow him to put a stock on it and do the transfer as a rifle.

I dont buy this.

Does anyone have experience with this/can anyone point me in a direction to find out?

Thanks!

[Gun]

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/lice...iring-firearms

Is a license needed to engage in the business of engraving, customizing, refinishing or repairing firearms?

Yes. A person conducting such activities as a business is considered to be a gunsmith within the definition of a dealer.

[Delkal]

With the new rules I don't know how to get a receiver anodized. This takes specialized equipment that Gunsmiths don't have. Same with plating.

But DO NOT put a rifle stock on an "other" receiver if you want to make it a pistol later. As nonsensical as it seems, once you put the buttstock on the receiver then becomes a rifle forever. It would then be illegal to make it into a pistol. There are some exemptions like for a Contender pistol but not for an AR-15.

I don't know why adding a buttstock would make a difference anyway. A non-FFL can not work on a rifle either.

[Lockheart]

Thanks guys. Thats what I needed to know. Wonder if it would be worth investing in the stuff to just do it myself.

[Delkal]

Anodizing is almost impossible to do for a hobbyist (and even for a well stocked gunsmith). You need multiple tanks of caustic chemicals and dyes. Then you need an accurate voltage source (it is similar to electroplating). Then you need to figure out how to get rid of the toxic waste. Then your home made finish will look like crap.

Anodizing and plating are to be left to the experts. Some type of powder coating would be much easier.

[Lockheart]

A bucket of 50% or less sulfuric acid is hardly multiple tanks... and doing some quick searches it looks like a simple DC power device like used for tattooing will suffice.

Anyway, Ill try a couple of other places and see if they have any sources. Not the end of the world. Worse case theres a place out here that does in house cerakoting.

[danhr]

With the new rules I don't know how to get a receiver anodized. This takes specialized equipment that Gunsmiths don't have. Same with plating.

But DO NOT put a rifle stock on an "other" receiver if you want to make it a pistol later. As nonsensical as it seems, once you put the buttstock on the receiver then becomes a rifle forever. It would then be illegal to make it into a pistol. There are some exemptions like for a Contender pistol but not for an AR-15.

I don't know why adding a buttstock would make a difference anyway. A non-FFL can not work on a rifle either.

100% incorrect. A stock does NOT make a receiver into a rifle.

[Armor Snail]

100% incorrect. A stock does NOT make a receiver into a rifle.

Exactly. A barreled upper makes what it is...

OP can stay with the item if the finisher does not have an FFL.

[Lockheart]

Exactly. A barreled upper makes what it is...

OP can stay with the item if the finisher does not have an FFL.

Thats what I was thinking... but with the new rules, as Gun shared, they would still need to be a "dealer", unless Im reading incorrectly.

[Rosco the Iroc]

If it's done under a day, you stay with it, it would be ok. But you leave it he would have to be an smith and enter it as such.