dumb question about compliance (U.S. made) parts

[mitchstoner]

"Compliance parts" simply means U.S. made, right?

If I buy steel and make something out of it, will the country of origin of the steel enter into whether the part is legal or not? If the steel is of U.S. origin, will the origin of the different elements in the alloy enter into it? Or if I buy wood of foreign origin, and build a stock, is it a legal compliance part stock, or an illegal foreign made stock?

So what if I buy something like a laminated stock made outside the U.S., but just use that as raw material (like a stock blank), and shape my stock out of it? Or what if I just buy the foreign made laminated stock and slightly alter the shape? Or what if I buy the foreign made stock and just refinish it?

See what I mean? These laws are so stupidly artificial. They have no purpose other than 1) making life difficult for us, and 2) satisfying idiots who hate guns but know absolutely nothing about technology, mechanics, engineering, or anything else in the material realm.

but hey, I'm preachin' to the choir here ain't I?

[Kevin Quinlan]

If you want to "make" something "make" a U.S.A stamp set small enough for the FCG, and one big enough for stocks. :evil:

[Max-Guy]

I recently read a thread on this forum that said that a part is US made if 51% or more of its value is from work done in the US. Therefore, the origin of the raw materials has little to do with being a US made part.

-- GLA

[KernelKrink]

Source of the raw materials is irrelevant, as long as they are raw materials such as steel barstock or unshaped lumber. Modifying an existing part does not change it's origin in most cases, unless we are talking something like taking a buttstock and carving a pistol grip out of it. Modifying a foreign buttstock to a different shape does not make it US made.

Starting from something like a casting or forging of foreign origin but finish machined here is where you get into the grey areas and "51% rules". To be certain and to CYA you would have to submit a couple samples to ATF, a before and after where they can see what machining was done here to make the determination of US made or not. In the end, it is their opinion, right or wrong, that any prosecutions would be based on.

[Carp Killer]

Has anyone ever been even charged with breaking the "US parts" rule?

[KernelKrink]

AFAIK, no one has ever been charged. After several conversations with my atty on this subject, it is his opinion the regs as written are very difficult to successfully prosecute and he could probably get any charges tossed. Which is probably why they have never charged anyone. OTOH, the compliance parts are less than even 1 hour of his time and I have no desire to be the "test case". Do you want to be?

[mitchstoner]

"Test case" another term for
"spending a ton of money on lawyers"

no thanks