Lightening Link question

[macrobert]

Does the host rifle need to be pre 1986? Or is there special paperwork for using a host made after 1986?
I read on another forum that the host must be pre 1986 also. I figured the LL only needed to be pre 1986.

If I can use any rifle as the host, would this one be built well enough to stand the wear and tear of the LL? I can't tell if this one has the clearance for the LL tho.

Aero Precision AC-15. Sorry about link if I am not supposed to post it here.

http://www.primaryarms.com/aero-precision-ac-15-complete-rifle-apcr100015

 

[emmagee1917]

The link itself is the registered part . What you put it into has no bearing on the legality of the weapon platform .
Chris

 

[wrongrecroom]

Yep to above use in what ever gun you want .... Look for lowers marked "low shelf for RADIS" or the like some wont work or will need work to work ..I know Spikes is sold as being ready for it

As for your gun it is a baisc entry AR it should be ok ..Me I would go with a HBAR gun and a gun with a M16 bolt carrier as that should help a lot ...Really any rifle is not really made for heavy long term full auto fire ..Me I would just get a lot of cheep PSA uppers and use them and burn them or one of the belt feed uppers or the like ..Either cheep or one made to stand up

Also links might need paddles on them ( forgot the tearm on them ) to help proteced them from wear and tear ..And some LL ( Maybe the Cobray ones ) need work on them to get them to work a 100


Also last I looked I think they only go Full auto no semi but if you get good you can burst fire with them ( I migth be wrong I only looked at this when I was picking M16 over LL for getting into NFA stuff )

 

[Bugzy]

Macrobert,

Here's a link to some older stuff that was posted in 2004 on the quarterbore Site that is relevant to your questions and may help educate you with regards to fit, function and the legalities of ownership of a lightning link.

http://www.quarterbore.com/nfa/lightninglink.html

If you cruise the Site a little bit, you'll find some other very interesting information.

Enjoy the Brain Food.

Bugzy

 

[Esox]

macrobert,

I own an RLL and can answer a lot of your questions...please ask or PM to avoid making newbie mistakes that others have made. For starters, I'd recommend watching this little video I made a while back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=732Zwy7egu0

The host rifle can be any AR based platform, regardless of date of manufacture. The receiver needs to have a 'low shelf' to allow room for the link. It also needs a 0.500" clearance on the inside to allow for the link body to be inserted. Sometimes this clearance is not cut all the way to the 'shoulders' of the link, requiring that to be milled out as well. You will also need to be using an "SP-1" style carrier instead of the now more common M-16 carrier. Finally, do not use the link without some type of link protector installed on it.

The paddles are semi-consumable and not the registered part. They come in different thicknesses to help 'time' the dropping of the hammer based on the particular lower/carrier/disconnector combination. A taller paddle is also available for AR-10 use. Some will provide opinions (no proof) that this is not legal, but there is no ATF ruling on it either way...much like there is no ruling on the use of an RLL for a 9mm AR platform. It is a gray area, so proceed at your own risk. I personally don't see why the ATF would care one way or the other. The fact is that RLLs have been used in AR-10s well before the May 19, 1986 cut-off date (AR-10s have been around longer than AR-15s) and some are even registered in .22 and .308.

I do not think the rifle you have linked will be 'drop in' compatible with the RLL, and it will not have an SP-1 carrier. I have some SAA lowers (re-branded Aero lowers) and, while they are 'low shelf', they required some minor clearance machining for the shoulders of the link.

v/r,
Esox
btw, these machining processes, including converting an M-16 carrier to SP-1 style are extremely easy to perform.

 

[Funner]

Looks like they are fetching above $15,000 after stamp.

Here's one that was posted in Dec. 2016.

http://www.subguns.com/classifieds/...sults_format=long&db_id=28160&query=retrieval