Is it possible to purchase a military M16 rifle?

Answer 1

Yes but we call it an AR-15

In the United States, variants with certain features were prohibited for new sales to civilians during the period 1994-2004 by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, under the provision known as the Assault Weapons Ban. Since the expiration of the AWB, however, those features are only illegal in part or in whole in certain states. A recent ban of AR-15s in the state of California sparked a renewed interest in the rifle. It is estimated that some 10,000 California Legal AR-15s are in existence in the state. Replacing the Lower Receiver of a standard AR-15 with one that has a fixed (10 round) magazine (see below for instructions) will render the firearm legal, and able to utilize "scary features" such as a telescoping stock and pistol grip. The magazine is not detachable, and to re-load the rifle you must pull a pin, lift the (now hinged) receiver, exposing the magazine, and load either with a stripper clip or by hand, then close. Popular lower receivers for this purpose are manufactured by Stag Arms, Fulton Armory, Mega and Ameetec. Stag makes a lower receiver called the STAG-15 which is considered an "off-list" receiver by the CA DOJ and is temporarily legal. This receiver can be made into a full rifle if the following requirements are met: the receiver has a fixed magazine with no more than 10 cartridges - in which case the rifle may have pistol grips, folding or collapsing stocks, etc.; or, the receiver may have a detachable magazine but may NOT possess any sort of attachment such as pistol grips, folding or collapsing stocks, etc.

Answer 2

Yes. But you don't want to go through all the paperwork to do so. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms do issue permits for fully automatic weapons of many types. But by the time they get through with a mandatory background check they're going to know how many sheets of toilet paper you used the last time you went to the bathroom, plus dozens of fingerprint cards, photographs etc., etc. They will want to know where the firearm is stored and that is under lock and key. If you change address you will have to store the weapon with a firearms dealer with the proper Class III permits until you acquire a new permit (no modification of the old permit.). Lastly, any time you apply for a permit it is going to cost you a huge amount of money. And remember, the fees (big bucks) are for the application...which the ATF can reject. All that money and still no permit.

Too...the M-16 is reliable but if not kept clean ("Sanitary") it is prone to jam. Fully automatic fire eats up a lot of ammo ($) and wears out the barrel and other parts fast. And...no one, even the most expert marksmen, can keep any weapon on target in fully automatic mode for more than three to five rounds. Full auto is more for dense, multiple targets. In my training in the military if we fired more than five rounds in a burst the instructor would be all over us.

Answer 3

Yeah, anyone can get hold of these things. I know a guy, that knows a guy, that went to a gun show and bought an auto.50 caliber rifle. Not sure what it was called but it fired 3 round burst. Oh yeah, you can get the AR-15 and put this thingy of a majigar that you fit on the trigger and causes it to shot repeatedly and would then be considered automatic. I seen the thing at a gunshow about 10 months ago. Don't know what its called, So Sorry!!!

Answer 4

Yes, it is possible. There are various forms you must fill out, background checks to wade through, and a $200 tax stamp you must purchase (and have permission to purchase) from the ATF. But it's possible. Civilians can, after all the legal BS, purchase any Class III (select-fire, etc.) weapon produced and assembled before the National Firearms Act of 1986 was passed.

Answer 5

M16's or other full auto rifles are available to anyone that can pass a background check and pay a transfer tax. I think the cost of paperwork is $200-$350.
The background check is a little more involved than a state or federal NATIONAL "INSTANT CHECK" system(NICS)
If you do get one the police can come into your home or where you keep it at anytime for an inspection.

Answer 6

only if you want to be put on an FBI list. Or out of some dirty guys van in an alley, course he could use it on YOU and keep the money and resell the gun to the next guy that thinks he needs an M16 or a AK47 or hollow point machined armour percing bullets. If you need a gun like that you need to go back to Iraq or Iran, or Afganistan or even some street in in the USA and rethink your damn LIFE or just get a LIFE! Anyone uses a gun period for anything other than to keep their home safe, needs to not have the gun in the first place.

Answer 7

As the person earlier said, "everything is possible". With the right connections, you can find/purchase one, just don't get caught with it unless you have the proper Federal Firearms License (FFL).

The civilian equivelant is the AR-15. I have to agree with others that have answered this question. This is NOT the best of weapons. The .223 (5x56) round is no good except for varmit hunting (my opinion), the weapon jams easily, the weapon has been known to break, and it's just not worth the money.

Answer 8

The definition of an assault rifle is a fully automatic weapon like the US M-16. These are highly restricted and even illegal in many states. The guns that look like them that the media and anti gun nuts refer to as assault weapons are just semi-automatic rifles no different than thousands of hunting rifles except for their "cool" look. The term assault weapon has been spun by the politicians and the media for political gain and is completely inaccurate. In the USA you cannot buy from a manufacturer. You have to buy in person at the gun shop. You can buy semi automatic rifles in most states. Some have put bans on these rifles calling them assault weapons as described in the previous paragraph. Check your local laws.

Answer 9

Yes, they are not easy to find but yes. Also, the AR-15 is not the equivalent to the M-16, it is the M-4's equal. Furthermore, the M-16 is a semi-auto as is the M-4 and AR-15, none are fully auto.
Try G.I. surplus stores, Survival, and so on.

Answer 10

I think you can, check with a gun dealer. I was at a survival shop and they had kits to make an AK-47 fully automatic for 150.00 so you should be able to get an m16