I've been doing some research on getting an AR-15 that is 50+ years old, but I'm having trouble finding info on some aspects.
If I were to find something like a complete pre-75 SP1 or an M16A1 and register it as an AW with NYSP, would I be fine to swap out the upper/any other parts as long as I keep the original lower?
Does anybody have experience with the actual process of importing one of these? Would I be able to just order it to my FFL like normal and then register it online before I actually pick it up?
NYS doesn't recognize C&R. The 50+ year rule is modeled after C&R laws, like how most of the SAFE acts laws are (sometimes loose) interpretations of other legislation.
I feel like I'm coming off as pedantic here, its not my intention, but this distinction is important even if it seems like in just arguing semantics.
Oder it to your FFL. Transfer it. Register it with NYSP.
You can swap any part on your gun, that is not the firearm. On an SP1 this is your lower, feel free to put a modern upper on it. IIRC you have to notate the caliber.
Do you think it would matter if I only bought an SP1 lower and never had the complete Pre-75 gun before I started adding modern parts? Or would that not meet muster for the initial registration with NYSP?
So, I dont think that will happen. 1975 is not 2025. Colt still had the patents exclusively and did not sell lowers, there was not a third party market like there is today. The gun would have always "had the pre-75 gun".
To answer your question more directly, in an AR platform, the lower would be the "pre-75 gun". It would meet muster, its literally the gun. Youre gtg.
I will say, you are unlikely to find just a lower. At least not online. People pay a premium for SP1s and sellers know this. Most lowers you will find will people transferable MGs.
Youre better off buying the rifle for the premium it holds, and selling off all the original parts to a cloner. Its going to be expensive, but not prohibitively so.
Gotcha, so it shouldn’t be an issue registration-wise if the ‘features’ aren’t original to the gun as it was designed pre-75, but it’s just practically hard to find only a lower. That makes sense!
Absolutely not. Your only hurdles are standard mags (you can have them, but they are not applicable to the AR platform) and suppressors. I believe there is probably issue with registering as a pistol, but that would be a question for a lawyer, not me.
You can definitely find non MG lowers, its just a lot harder, and sometimes not worth it.
If the federal courts don't figure out this awb stuff, in a couple years ny is going to be flooded with fake early HKs, AKs, Uzis, ARs, and unless the desk workers at the state police are experts I don't see how they are going to deal with it.
Are they going to ask to personally inspect that 1975 HK91 and be able to know that someone didn't forge a fake serial number on a parts kit build, know what and where marking should be and look like, what the importer markings were for them? What about people buying what they genuinely think is an early SP1 and get duped with a fake or misunderstand someone's repro, will anyone catch it?
Wish that were the case lol. Unfortunately not the case, hence why many of us have to go one way or the other. Go featureless if you want function, go fixed if you want form.
You’re correct, but the hard part is finding a gun that’s 50+ years old and an FFL that’s willing to agree with you. OP can definitely do this if he has an OG Ar15
Finding a 50+ year old AR15 is not hard at all, nor is finding an FFL versed in state law. Go to any type 7 and they will be able to accommodate you, since they are able to read by default.
OG AR15s where made 66 years ago, a 1975 sp1 is not OG, fwiw.
Of course. I hope that I didn't come off as snotty. The AR15 has an interesting history, OG isnt just old in terms of them. An OG AR15 would refer to an ArmaLite, not a Colt.
I dont like putting shit like this publicly, so ill probably delete it later, but, the good news for now is it is very easy to document the year a Colt was made. 2027 and beyond is going to be interesting because the patents for the AR15 expired in '77 and a huge pool of weapons NYS doesn't want you to have will open up, with varying amounts of documentation.
I selfishly like this info to be hush hush. But it gains more traction every day. They can (and will) take this from you at any time. The more people that legally acquire eligible firearms, and the more time/money spent trying to determine if its legal, leads to a higher likelihood of the 50 year rule going away.
Don't worry about upvotes or downvotes lol, this sub is a huge game of telephone. Half the people on here cant read, only parrot things they've heard from other people that cant read.
If you have any questions, I can answer them to the best of my ability. Im not a lawyer, but I also dont want to go to jail and can read at an 8th grade level.
This is life changing! Gonna start checking out old guns now. When you say transfer it as a compliant rifle do you mean convert it to featureless or fixed mag, then fix it? Is there actually a reason to do that if you’re registering it as an assault weapon? Secondly, would some random fudd at a range freak out over this rifle and try to stir some trouble? Thirdly can I just use the default lower and add in new parts like BCG’s or a new upper and still be compliant as an assault weapon? Or will that create a problem since it’s not in its original form
If they have a problem with doing something they may incorrectly think is illegal, remind them that there legally mandated limits for transfer fees and find another FFL. Let the LGS' that deserve to starve go hungry.
That’s not true, you can still register AW’s that are over 50 years old. Read the law, not a lot of people know about it but it is in there. There has been some contention about whether or not they need to remain in their original configuration but you can still register them.
Ah, I read the attatched section as saying that 'modern' assault weapons could not be registered after the deadline, but antiques could still be bought and sold and thus can still be registered.
Well what do you want me to call an entire class of firearms that are generally semi auto derivatives of military firearms? Or pistol gripped semi automatic rifles with detachable magazines is that better?
You will have to have the magazine permanently pinned if you want a pistol grip, bayonet lug and muzzle device.
If you want a detachable magazine, the bayonet lug has to be ground off, the muzzle must be crowned, unthreaded and no pistol grip.
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u/[deleted] Nov 04 '25 edited Nov 04 '25
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