what makes a rifle,

[bradaz11]

I am sure I have seen a rifle where the mag housing and trigger guard are one unit with mag............

I mean the actual trigger mech, like in an AR15/etc layout. even if it is self contained, and sits in the stock, but comes off the rifle with the stock. As that is about the only difference with an AR layout that I can think of.

The upper could be seen to be pressure bearing as it holds the barrel to the breach.

[Sim G]

But it doesn’t have to be pressure bearing in order to be a component.

Can you be more specific with your train of thought?

[bradaz11]

But it doesn’t have to be pressure bearing in order to be a component.

Can you be more specific with your train of thought?

just purely wondering what makes a lower different from any other more traditional wooden stock.

as I say, I can kinda see why an upper would be controlled, as in this case, it forms part of the relationship between the barrel and bolt. it's more of a receiver, as the barrel is attached to it and the bolt runs in it.

but what is the lower? the only thing it houses differently from a more traditional bolt action stock, is a drop in assy trigger. other guns have mag wells or magazines themselves and arent controlled.

TBH, it was an early morning rambling thought, where I thought it might be cool to get it painted up, something like this.... but it's the sort of thing that takes an hour while you wait

and no, I don't know why there aren't any 9mm cases around this 9mm rifle

[Sim G]

Now I think I get you. And the answer is really straight forward. The two parts that are referred are actually done so in an abbreviated form.

A receiver of a firearm is the part that mates the barrel, bolt, cylinder, hammer, trigger, magazine and what have you, together. On a semi auto shotgun, that’s easy to see. On a revolver, that’s easy to see and likewise, on a M1 Garand or M1 carbine, that’s also easy to see.

Come tha AR, according to a 1960s parts diagram, the upper is referred to as an “upper RECEIVER” and the power is referred to as an “upper RECEIVER”!

They are two elements of the same part, the receiver of the weapon.

[Blackstuff]

And there in lies the rub. I remember years ago when I had a spare lower receiver for an AR pattern rifle (which Durham made me add to my FAC as a firearm in its own right - like a sound moderator), but when I came to sell it not one single person I spoke to (8-9 people from different parts of the country) thought/had been told by the FLD that it was a controlled part and people apparently have them without being on certificate because different (many) FLD's didn't regard them as licensable parts

[Mattnall]

The upper could be seen to be pressure bearing as it holds the barrel to the breach.

The straight-pull upper doesn't contain any pressure, the bolt is locked into the barrel extention that is screwed to the barrel. All the pressure is contained here.

But the point is both upper and lowers are controlled as far as I'm concerned when it comes to selling them.