Sports

Are AR-15 Pistols Legal in Texas?

Published

6 months ago

March 19, 2022

The AR15 is prized for its modularity. Anyone can pick an AR-15 up, say “hey, I could probably make this fit me better” and go through a series of steps to make a truly unique AR-15. However, not all modifications to the AR-15 are legal. In fact, there are very definable traits an AR-15 cannot have whether it is a pistol or a rifle.

Texas has long been a state of firearms, being one of the main staples of the Old West back in American history, during the westward expansion of the United States. While much has changed in the country since then, the state of Texas has remained firm on its stance of firearms, and with the culmination of the AR-15 in the civilian market, Texas has made a pretty firm stance on its continuation of the preservation of the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

The AR-15, being one of the more controversial firearms, does have a place in Texas. But what does the state make of the AR-15 pistol?

What is an AR-15 pistol?

Having gone through many adaptations throughout its history since its exception and such a perception in the 1950s the air 15 Is not in firearms like any other. Rather AR15 is now more of an umbrella term to describe the style of a rifle or a pistol.

An AR15 pistol is by all accounts legally considered a pistol. It follows the criteria of the national firearms act as all firearms sold in America do. That is apart from the firearms that are deemed as any other weapon, short barrel rifles or short barrel shotguns. The AR15 pistol, much like it’s rifle counterpart, shoots the 223 cartridge however through a barrel that is significantly smaller in length.

The AR-15 pistol is characterized by its criteria which is taken directly from the National firearms act of 1934. This act outlined the details of firearms, legally in the United States. As such, this is a federal act which must be adhered to by all states given that they are part of the union.

Criteria for an AR-15 pistol:

Must have an overall length less than 24”
Barrel length must be less than 16”
Cannot have any vertical forward grips on any part of the gun for stabilization
Must not have a buttstock or an adjustable buttstock for stabilization

In order to not be considered a rifle or any other weapon(AOW) the AR-15 pistol must meet all of these requirements. The AR-15 is not equipped with a buttstock, but a brace, a fin, or it is left bare with an exposed buffer tube. Most AR-15 pistols have 5 inch to 10 inch barrels, keeping them well within their legal limits for overall length and barrel length.

Is an AR-15 pistol considered a handgun

When it comes to what makes a handgun in federal law the requirements are the exact same. On a federal level the AR15 pistol is by all rights a handgun just like a Glock 19. Therefore the AR15 pistol follows the same state regulations in Texas as any other handgun.

These laws affect the concealed carry and open carry of the AR-15 pistol. However seeing as Texas is A state which has constitutional carry there is really no need for a concealed carry license. Concealed carry laws are given by the state where a resident resides. In the case of Texas seal carry is not necessary as a gun can be carried openly without a license.

The state must adhere though 2 federal law federal law in that the AR-15 pistol must still meet these requirements in the state through a transfer of ownership of ownership Or modifications done by a resident of the state. Because these are handguns and guns they must still go through an FFL background check and R2 and are typically looked at with If or scrutiny then rifles. However there are no laws barring anyone from buying an AR-15 pistol legally.

Is the AR-15 pistol a military grade weapon

AR15 in the 1950s was originally designed to be a military implement. That is because armalite at the time was seizing a meal using a military contract 2 to design and engineer the next American military standard issue rifle.

The AR15 15 today is primarily based on its military specifications. Being the easiest to modify as many aftermarket parts are made to the same specifications. That does not mean however that the AR15 pistol is a military great weapon. That is because the AR15 pistol must rely on certain criteria that does not make it suitable for military service.

The absence of a clear stock hinders the stabilization of the AR15 in a combat situation where shouldering the AR15 comfortably is harder to do. The absence of a forward grip also hinders the stabilization of prolonged handling of the AR15 which is especially necessary in combat environments.

The caliber of the AR15 and the barrel length originally or originally were designed in coherence with each other. That means that the barrel length is optimal for the ballistic capabilities of the cartridge itself. The AR15 having a smaller barrel length actually does not provide any significant boost to the ballistic capabilities of the cartridge shoots. In fact it actually reduces the longevity of the gun and provides less muzzle velocity and speed of the projectile in its flight. That is because not all of the powder is burnt inside of the board of the AR15 but outside where it creates a louder louder sound and wider is whiter Flash.

The Flash of an AR15 pistol cannot necessarily be taken away just slightly mitigated with a particular muzzle device Is called a flash hider. Flashlighters are common with standard AR15 for its capability to significantly reduce the Flash however in a combat situation a situation the Flash of an AR15 pistol would still be too apparent for enemies to see. It heavily reduces its efficiency in nighttime excursions and provides a less suitable firearm all around.

What are Texas gun laws?

In a new law passed in 2021 Qualified individuals under the law are permitted to cancel a permit to carry a handgun in public in Texas without the need for a license. This license is not simply a concealed carry but a license to carry. The qualifications of anyone who is at least 21 years of age has had no prior felony convictions or misdemeanors for specific crimes or any other restriction to own a firearm and federal law can make use of this Texas state law. While the law is mainly targeting handgun carrying ink there are no laws 4 Long gun carrying so long as the person is able to own a firearm legally.

Also Read: What is Mil Spec AR-15?

Sports

What is Mil Spec AR-15?

Published

6 months ago

March 22, 2022

Albert Woodruff

For decades shooters and gun enthusiasts Han enthusiasts have been tossing around the term millspe As the II expect that a civilian gun can be. All it is true that especially most AR15S are made to move spec that does not Mean it is the best or the only specification out there. What is a Mills back AR15? What does mil spec encompass for an AR15.

Anything that is not spec is required to be set to specific standards made of certain materials and tolerances that pass military inspections and testing. It must also be done by male specs certified Engineers. In order for something to be truly millspeck it must be certified to meet the military standard. How does mil spec translate into a civilian market? The specification for AR15 must be done in meticulous detail to retain compatibility within the parts of the same compatibility.

History of the Mil Spec AR-15

Armalite first developed the AR-15 in the 1950s pursuing a military contract for the new standard issue of the US armed forces, however, failed in the pursuit. Its creator, Eugene Stoner, along with Armalite sold the rights to the model to Colt in 1959 from which point, Colt seized the opportunity to tweak the design in order to receive that contract. And in 1963, Colt won the contract to produce the new standard issue rifle for the armed forces. This implement was known as the Colt M-16 automatic rifle.

Shortly after the military contract success, Colt ramped up production on law enforcement models in the first iterations of the Colt LE models, as well as the Colt SP(Sporter) series for the civilian market. These were made semi-automatic however, while the military variant remained fully automatic.

The history of the AR-15 after the 1970s was still a bit rocky as the Raegan ban in 1984 saw the first major push back by the US government against the AR-15. The civilian market was barren on these rifles, however, the law enforcement models were still in use, and therefore have garnered a large community with demand only for these specific models.

The Clinton Ban in 1994 saw another push back by the US government as well. And in 2004, at the end of the ban, the platform came back to the civilian market. Demand for the AR-15 skyrocketed overnight into what many thought would be a complete overhaul of the civilian gun market. And in many ways it was. However, the ATF came out with many letters over the course of the next two decades to limit the sale and modification of the AR-15.

In the 1970s, Colt’s patent on the M16/AR-15 expired, pushing many manufacturers, like DPMS, to create their own versions, whether in mil spec or out of mil spec, of the acclaimed civilian rifle. Thus, the modern AR-15 was born. Even Armalite took to recreating the AR-15, albeit to a different specification than the military spec,however without Stoner’s input on the model. The AR-15 as Stoner envisioned it would never really gain popularity until the late 2010s.

What is Mil Spec?

Mil spec is short for military specification. It is the specification to which an item of the military has been made. As the AR-15 was devised to be a military service rifle, most AR-15s throughout history have been made to this spec. As it is the longest standing specification for the AR-15, that also means that it’s the specification with the most amount of modifications.

In order for an AR-15 to be Mil-spec, it must be made a certain way, with certain materials that the government deems fit for the military standard. That being said, Nothing outside of the military is actually mil spec, but everything outside of the military can be made to the same specifications. Not that it is a fabrication to say that it is not, but technically the military is the only one capable of actually producing mil-spec AR platform firearms. The civilian market can merely copy the spec, not that it would do any worse than that.

Is Mil spec the best?

Mil spec is tried and true. For AR-15s which have been in production since the 60s essentially, the specification has remained pretty much the same with slight deviations due to advancements in metallurgy and polymer technology. So mil spec goes with the times essentially, as we know from the AR-15s robust history. However. Armalite has made their new spec AR-15 with slightly different features.

While they perform almost identically, there are slight differences in the way the platform specs look. The Armalite AR lower is not curved at the end, which for a long time was better, because pressure cracks would form less often than the traditional lowers. The civilian market had been host to a series of different trials of materials, even polymer, that led to different problems for engineers in the market to fix.

The AR-15 platform is a great platform because of its modular design, which has nothing to do with the specifications or the tolerances. That being said, the platform can be modified, changing the spec, but retaining the things about it that make it great. Using stronger aluminum, Engineers were able to create the AR10, a beast of a rifle made to the same design as an AR-15, but chambered in the .308 Winchester cartridge as standard. This made it great for hunting, as well as longer distance shooting as it could facilitate the increase in ballistics of these larger calibers compared to the AR-15.

The AR-9 is also an example of an AR style rifle that is not mil spec, but also changes the design of the AR-15 slightly as the AR9 does not have a gas system, but is a blowback operated system like many handguns are. It is made for pistol cartridges and uses the functions of handguns in order to produce devastatingly accurate results with the AR platform.

The mil spec AR-15 is the most commonly seen AR-15 on the market. It utilizes the T6 7075 aircraft grade forged aluminum in its construction which has long been the standard for AR-15s made in the military and in the civilian market. However, there are different materials you can use as a civilian, like billet aluminum and even polymer, which has garnered a larger following recently for its inexpensive nature and ease of production.

Whether you want to dabble in the mil spec is up to you, however it is good to know what else is out there, as you may end up liking something else. The Mil spec is still the most consistent and solid specification out there because it is designed to be reliable enough for the military.

Also Read: Are AR-15 Pistols Legal in Texas?