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Repair of a class III weapon


farinacci556
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Happy Thanksgiving all.If a guy had a legally registered class 3 weapon and the receiver was rendered unservicable and could not be repaired, could a properly licensed gunsmith legally make a new receiver with the same serial number to restore the gun to lawful service? Or would the owner just have an expensive display gun? Please advise and thanks

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In my early days of looking at Thompsons, I was looking at rewats etc. A gunsmith told me there is not much that can be done to a gun that he cannot fix. I would seek out really good gunsmith for advise. Edited by ppgcowboy
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You cannot make a new one as has been said , that's a fact . But ( ain't there always a but ) I know of a case where at least one was done with BATF knowledge and approval but it was done in several steps in proper order . Each step was approved before doing .

I believe it was a 1919A4 , but it was a sideplate registered belt fed . The gun blew up and the receiver was scrap . They cut the sideplate part with the info on it out . They then welded a new side plate blank on it with the old sticking out like a flag . The plate was then machined and the gun was rebuilt and test fired . They then received the OK to transfer the info to the side of the added material ( it was not a "new " plate but another place on the repaired plate ) . Then they received the OK to remove the " flag " from the side plate .

This was decades ago and they might not allow this now , but you never know .

Chris

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The good news is that every receiver can be fixed with today's technology. The bad news is that finding those people with the combination of skills, proper equipment, and time to invest in a substantial repair is very difficult. One guy I knew that had access to tens of millions in equipment and the skills to do it, but was short on time... died. Others I know with equipment can't tie up the equipment with low return work. Gunsmithing is the bottom of the barrel for return on investment if you have skills and a shop. It's generally referred to as charity work.

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"Gunsmithing is the bottom of the barrel for return on investment if you have skills and a shop. It's generally referred to as charity work."

I couldn't agree more! You are smart to take your comment to heart and avoid doing any professional gunsmithing! I sure won't tell any of the gunsmiths I've known for many many years, who have been laboring long and hard under the illusion that their prosperity and the profits they make, in actuality, are just that: an illusion. Once they find out, unbeknownst to them, that they have been doing charity work, no doubt they will immediately take up coding and really start living the good life.....

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The one transferable I believe would be very difficult to repair after a catastrophic failure would is the Colt M16.
Those lowers are 7075 T6 Alloy.
I believe that makes them nearly impossible to repair and keep the strength in the material.
There is also the exterior finish, its noticeable when that original Colt anodized finish is not there.
Even egged out pin holes and cracks near the receiver extension would seriously affect the value.
Am I wrong? I hope so!

Richard

Edited by APEXgunparts
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Posted 29 November 2020 - 11:18 PM

 

The one transferable I believe would be very difficult to repair after a catastrophic failure would is the Colt M16.
Those lowers are 7075 T6 Alloy.
I believe that makes them nearly impossible to repair and keep the strength in the material.
There is also the exterior finish, its noticeable when that original Colt anodized finish is not there.
Even egged out pin holes and cracks near the receiver extension would seriously affect the value.
Am I wrong? I hope so!

Richard

 

 

 

It can be done regarding a complete re-weld but not many gunsmiths can do it and is expensive. The pin holes and cracks can also be repaired. However the lower will never be as strong as an original non cut/catastrophic damage version. The good news, the lower does not receive a beating on a M16. I can't speak for anodizing and looking original without the signs of being repaired. My re-weld received a beautiful paint treatment and would need to X-ray it in order to determine it was a re-weld.

Edited by NFA amnesty
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