This information is not an official statement by any government agency, manufacturer, or any other entity. Data presented here is correct to the best of the webmaster’s knowledge. No warranty or guarantee of any kind is made concerning the accuracy of the following information.
18 U.S.C. sec. 921 (a) (30) (B). Traditionally, the frame or receiver of a firearm has been legally equivalent to the firearm itself. 18 U.S.C. sec. 921 (a) (3). This has led some people to believe that a pre-ban receiver, that is, one manufactured before 9/13/94, is the same as a pre-ban 'assault weapon.' Unfortunately, this is not correct.
Simply because lower receiver has a 'pre-ban' serial number does not necessarily mean that the firearm was assembled prior to the ban, only that the receiver was manufactured before the effective date of the ban. In order for an assault weapon to be 'grandfathered', it must have been configured as an assault weapon prior to the ban (the effective date of the ban was September 13, 1994.)
Possession of a post-ban firearm in an 'assault weapon' configuration is a felony unless it is possessed in accordance with one of the Federal exceptions.
If a stripped lower receiver was in a dealer's bound book at the time the ban took effect, and it is later discovered in an assault weapon configuration, it could be rather easily ascertained that it is not a grandfathered firearm. Receivers in private hands on the day of the ban are a little more ambiguous as who is to say if it was or was not in an assault weapon configuration on the date of the ban, and then later stripped? As always, buyer beware.
Relax, we had to use the term 'assault weapon' because that’s the name these types of firearms were given by the folks who wrote the laws.
According to the law, a rifle is an 'assault weapon' if it has a detachable magazine, and two or more of the following:
A folding or telescoping stock.
A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action.
A bayonet mount.
A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor.
A grenade launcher.
American Spirit Arms
Formerly 'Sun Valley Traders'.
ALL lowers are Post-Ban.
Introduced lowers and rifles in mid/late 1998.
Also, reported to be manufactured by Lewis Machine & Tool.
Armalite/Eagle
(800) 336-0184
P.O. Box 299 Geneseo, IL 61254 (800)-336-0184
Post-ban cutoff right around 30,000.
(Some Eagle lowers below the 30,000 range were determined to be POST ban by BATF - call to verify)
Armalite sells Eagle lowers and offers factory complete rifles with Armalite lowers.
Lower receiver serial numbers DO NOT begin with EA.
Bushmaster
(800) 998-SWAT (800) 883-6229
Bushmaster- Quality Parts Co. 999 Roosevelt Trail Wingham, ME 04062
S/N L063001 and over are post-ban.
Below L051000 - Assembled Pre-Ban Rifles and some pre-94 lowers.
L051001-L063000 - Mixed Pre-Ban Assembled Rifles and Pre-Sept 94 Lowers (Call to verify)
Century Arms
Marked CIA.
All are Post-Ban.
Made with Olympic Arms Receivers under contract.
Colt
Colt's Manufacturing P.O. Box 1868 Hartford, CT 06144
(203)-236-6311
All 'Match Target' rifles are Post-ban.
These are the last Pre-ban numbers in each series:
CC001616 and below are pre-ban
CH019500 and below are pre-ban
GC018500 and below are pre-ban
GC205XX (specific gun reported as pre-ban by Colt)
GS010932 made 1990 (pre-ban, no range)
LH011326 and below are pre-ban
MH086020 and below are pre-ban
NL004800 and below are pre-ban
SL027246 and below are pre-ban
SP360200 and below are pre-ban
ST038100 and below are pre-ban
TA10100 and below are pre-ban
BD000134 and below are pre-ban (AR-15A3 Tactical Carbine)
MT00001 and Above - Post-Ban
BK000001and Above - Post Ban (CAR-A3)
CST000001 and Above - Post-Ban (Began Late 1997 Production)
CMH000001 and Above - Post Ban
CCH010000 and Above - Post Ban
MT6700, MT6700C and MT6700CH series, 1998 production
Dalphon
(360) 427-6867
All are Post-ban.
Cast 356-T6 Aluminum, hard-coat anodized per mil-spec A-8625
DPMS - Defense Procurement Manufacturers Service, Inc.
(800) 578-3767 or (612)-261-5600
13983 Industry Ave. Becker, MN 55308
Below 10300 - Pre-Ban.
Mixed serial numbers, call to get the history of receivers in question.
Essential Arms
E.A.Co. - Essential Arms Co. P.O. Box 121 Krotz Springs, LA 70750
All 'should' be pre-ban.
All receivers were manufactured before the Crime Bill was signed. Almost all were
shipped before the signing. If they were assembled prior to signing the Crime Bill,
they’re pre-ban. Essential Arms never assembled or sold complete rifles, so all receivers
were shipped as receivers only. Essential Arms stopped manufacture as of March 31,
1996. One web site claimed business stopped in 1993.
Serial numbers begin with EA
(DPMS bought them prior to the Ban)
Frankford Arsenal
All are pre-ban.
Olympic Arms may have produced the lowers for Frankford Arsenal
Frankford Arsenal went out of business in 1987
Hesse Arms
All AR-15’s are post ban.
Manufacturing began late 1997/early 1998.
J.L.M. and Sons
(603) 425-1860
GRS-15 Sniper or Carbine
Pre-ban SC001-SC250
All others are post ban.
Knights Armament Co.
All AR-15’s are post ban,
Very few AR-10’s are pre-ban.
No further info at this time.
Nesard
See 'Sendra'
Olympic Arms
(360) 459-7940
Olympic Arms 620 Old Pacific Hwy. Olympia, WA 98513
Post-ban production is year-prefixed, but they too had receivers in 'limbo.'
Non-prefixed serial numbers are not a guarantee of actual Pre-ban status.
Pac-West Arms (PWA)
(360) 438-3983
Serial cutoff: Last Pre-ban lower is #35,222.
All Post-ban receivers are given a year prefix.
(Note: Some lowers are cast not forged. Out of business)
Professional Ordinance
All are post ban (including all of the pistols).
Rocky Mountain Arms
Producer of AR-15 type pistols.
Still searching for information
Sendra
Post-ban receivers have a circle milled into the side of the magwell.
All others are pre-ban. (Information not confirmed..)
Used to be NESARD.
Our goal is to keep this accurate and up to date. Please notify us if you have any further information.