Remembering SARCO's pile of A5 recievers as a teenager, I took a chance to visit the SARCO website...

Lo-and-behold, they still have a mess of them.

It is my understanding, these have never been built as a full firearm and are over-runs and have not been just simply stripped for parts.

In the 70's they were in the white.

So, knowing this, could they be built into 14" non-NFA "shockwave" configuration using a donor gun?

Interesting possibility!


http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/rec-...inwhitereceiver.aspx

I believe that Bonnie Parker was a fan. Or of the similar Remington.
I would guess that a Whippet build is possible. I think the recoil system dictates barrel length.

It is my understanding, the Auto 5 will function at any barrel length.

That's why it was so successful barrel was cut to match the magazine tube.

Of course, I have no working hand knowledge.

Though, I worked with a Vietnam vet who says he used one with buckshot while on point in heavy brush.

quote:

Originally posted by BillyBonesNY:
It is my understanding, the Auto 5 will function at any barrel length.

That's why it was so successful barrel was cut to match the magazine tube.

It was somewhat popular after bonnie and clyde... not successful. Short barreled A5s are finicky.

You will have to 922r according to a letter I received from ATF when I looked into making one an SBR years ago.

Why? If the reciever was never built as a "shotgun" wouldn't the same provision that permits the "shockwave" apply?

I can't own any NFA items in NYS... if I couod, I would!

Thanks
Billy

quote:

Originally posted by BB61:
You will have to 922r according to a letter I received from ATF when I looked into making one an SBR years ago.

the A5 does rely somewhat on the mass of the barrel to cycle the action. theoretically, there is a point where it will not work but I don't know what point that is.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BillyBonesNY:
Why? If the reciever was never built as a "shotgun" wouldn't the same provision that permits the "shockwave" apply?

I can't own any NFA items in NYS... if I couod, I would!

Thanks
Billy

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BB61:
You will have to 922r according to a letter I received from ATF when I looked into making one an SBR years ago.

I was looking into cutting a barrel I had bought down and adding a plus 2 magazine extension. ATF told me that I would have to follow 922r even for a receiver made in the 1970s. I looked at a Remington 48 but passed as part of the reason I like the A5 so much is the speed loader which is a feature the Remington 48 does not have. I’m assuming the Sarco receiver is Japanese or even Belgium made. If it is a US made receiver, then it shouldn’t matter. For $40, I’m thinking of getting one just as a spare part - not that I’ve ever heard of an A5 receiver cracking.

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense really, but blanket 922r answers from them seem to always be that way.



You're making a non importable gun... but you're not trying to import it. It's a gun that's already been imported, 20+ years before the importation law even existed. Why don't pre ban guns have to be brought up to 922r compliance then too?

BillyBones has a point, does 922r apply to something that's not a rifle, shotgun or handgun? (if you made one out of these "never been" receivers.) I don't see how it could, if they didn't write them in anywhere else, I seriously doubt they wrote them into 922r 28 years ago.

Something to keep in mind is that the only Bolts that Sparco has in stock are for 16 gage. Have you checked on the availability of 16 gage recently? If you do you may conclude this may not be as sweet a deal as it appears. Of course I could be wrong, perhaps out there on the Net is a site that does nothing but sell parts for the A5 in it's near infinite variety and barrels, bolts, and every other item required to complete the firearm are as easy to purchase as items to build an AR.

You'd end up buying a donor gun and using those parts, otherwise it would take years and a small fortune to put together.

Correct, it would be a donor gun project.
Remember, in my area I’ve seen an awful lot of heavily used A5’s for reasonable prices.

Sadly, I walked away from one recently that was real nice, with a bulged barrel for $325.

Barrel was bulged 6” from muzzle.
I’m sure I could have gotten it cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
You'd end up buying a donor gun and using those parts, otherwise it would take years and a small fortune to put together.