[hga]

No, it takes a semi-auto 80% receiver and finished the remaining 20%. (And after that, "Some assembly is required," e.g http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=11004/learn/ .)

But if you want to be concerned, look at how utterly simple a full auto (simpler that way, e.g. firing pin is a bump in the bolt face) 9mm Sten gun is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sten

(A semi-auto AR15 is a much more capable weapon, BTW.)

[angersock]

What's darkly funny to me is that those things are illegal. Perhaps the biggest event in favor of keeping such weapons outlawed was the North Hollywood shootout (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout, basically IRL Payday), and yet only two people--the robbers--were killed!

[hga]

Actually not. Only ones manufactured after 1986; there are roughly 250,000 in private circulation (and I can dig up a current case where a police department is selling a vintage 1920s Thompson sub-machinegun so they can buy stuff they need).

ADDED: per the NRA's page on California gun laws, in theory its even legal to have and transport one, although evidently the permits to do so are never granted (well, I assume except for Hollywood...).

2 known illegal uses of legal machine guns in private hands in the US ... one by a cop....

[sudowhodoido]

This. Sten plans to give you an idea how easy this is:

http://stevespages.com/pdf/sten_mk2_complete_machine_instruc...

Really don't need much of a machine shop to knock one of them out.

[diydsp]

Sorry, i forgot to mention the numerous modifications which can make an AR-15 automatic.

It's true this device alone doesn't make an automatic weapon, but it certainly catalyzes the process of making an untraceable automatic weapon.

Once you have made an untraceable semi-auto AR-15 with this device, you can then make it untraceable auto with numerous ways.

[hga]

It turns out the BATF has a metric in terms of tools, skill and time needed to turn a semi-auto gun into full auto, and has banned ones that fall below that threshold, like MAC-10 and -11 clones with fixed firing pins in the bolt face.

And, no, it doesn't catalyze this, or at least no more than allowing the sale of millions of finished AR-15s. Those are a lot closer than a 80% receiver and a pile of parts, "Some assembly required".

[ctdonath]

It turns out the BATF has a metric in terms of tools, skill and time needed to turn a semi-auto gun into full auto

The metric is absurd. As one gunsmith noted, he could turn a VW Bug (car) into a machine-gun well within the BATF metric.

[diydsp]

> the sale of millions of finished AR-15s

ITYM millions of traceable AR-15s.

If someone wants an untraceable machine gun, they can buy this device and perform mods.

∴ This device catalyzes making untraceable machine guns.

[seanflyon]

What makes those guns traceable? The fact that they have a serial number on them (which can easily be filed off)?

[hga]

And why do we give a damn about tracing? It very seldom solves crimes, since the vast majority of guns used in crimes are stolen, or otherwise illegally procured, like most machine guns (all but 2 used in crimes to our knowledge.

If you really want this you have probably either watched too much TV or want to score political points and harass gun stores, distributors and/or manufacturers. See Fast and Furious for the most notorious example of this.

[diydsp]

> And why do we give a damn about tracing?

Because you and others have been hostile toward me, claiming this device doesn't catalyze untraceable weapons.

Now you're moving the goalposts, claiming tracing doesn't actually matter.

You might interpret your own hostility as an attempt to extort confirmation in the face of invalidating evidence. You will feel much better when you admit you were wrong and go back and undo your down votes.

> It very seldom solves crimes

1. So, by your own admission, it does solve crimes, at least sometimes. So that's one reason to give a damn about the production of untraceable machine guns there. Mind you, I'm using your own words to prove my point.

2. It prevents crimes from happening. That's a second reason to give a damn about the production of untraceable machine guns.

So, where do you feel like moving the goalposts to next? Or do you want to just concede you acted to rashly and misspoke? It's a small point really and you'll feel much better if you just admit what your own words have demonstrated - this machine catalyzes the production of untraceable machine guns.

[lwhalen]

Your belt-loop, or a rubber band, can make any semi-automatic firearm (pistol or rifle) 'automatic'. Check Youtube videos for 'bump-firing'. It's worth mentioning that fully-automatic firing tends to be a waste of ammo if you're trying to do any kind of accuracy shooting. Even the US Military doesn't recommend firing the M-16 (looks identical to the AR-15 you're panic-pantsing about, but only available to active duty military or those with a VERY expensive ATF 'green card') in full-auto due to accuracy concerns.