Something I Learned at the Gun Show

I want to share something I learned at the Los Alamos Gun Show last weekend. I've been tempted to buy at least one semi-automatic rifle in a caliber like 9mm, 7.62mm or .223 that is common, fairly inexpensive, and easy to get. I fully expect that the Obama administration will attempt to ban what the gun-haters call "assault weapons", which is really any semi-automatic long gun.

The major barrier for me has been the idea of spending over $1000 for a good rifle. Since President Obama's election the price of an AR-15, the civilian equivalent of an M-16, has skyrocketed.

So I parked the kids and the dog at a table with a snack and talked to a local dealer about his AR-15 models. He told me something most of you probably already know: You can buy an AR-15 in steps. Only the lower receiver is actually considered a firearm. And one can purchase an AR-15 receiver for as little as $150.

The photo shows a stripped lower receiver (image courtesy of Rock River Arms, www.rockriverarms.com ). Once you have this part, which you can store in a safe or in a box under your bed, you can buy the other parts to the AR-15 with little or no problem, even via mail order. There is no background check required on the parts except when one purchases the stripped lower receiver, which the law defines as the actual firearm.

And perhaps most important of all, even when there was a ban on "assault weapons" the ban did not include parts other than the lower receiver (the actual firearm), because those parts are not considered firearms.

The other advantage is that many receivers are caliber independent. Therefore, you could later purchase a 9mm upper if .223 ammo becomes scarce.

So if you have any inkling that you may need one of these weapons at some time, then you should buy one (or several) lower receivers and tuck them away for a rainy day.