Who was around for the last "Assault Weapon" ban.

[CitiusFortius]

All,

I'm 29, most of my friends are also late 20's. When the last AWB went into effect I was only 11 or 12 years old. As such, I don't have memories about what it was like in the past.

So the big question, while the ban was in effect, did retailers still carrying .223 and other rifle ammo to the degree that they do today?

Could you still find accessories (sans hi-cap mags) such as rails, scopes & mounts, grips, flashlights, ect?

Though collapsible stocks are part of an "assault weapon", could you get replacement stocks only?

Just curious, thanks.

 

[griffin]

Prices on pre-ban rifles were higher, hence my first AR15 has a muzzle brake on it and ban-legal. Also hi-cap magazines for some pistols were in short supply. Mags for military rifles weren't so bad as there were a lot of mil-surplus ones still around, but factory new was in short supply/expensive. Ammo and other accessories, no problem. Believe me, if Feinstein could find a way to eliminate ammo, she would.

 

[Psode27]

I am 26 now but shot a lot with my dad. Even during the ban I remember 7.62x39 was 70-80$ otd at the Fort Wayne gun shows. We plonked with that as if it was 22 back in the day. I remember holding a brand new CHEAPO 30rd or so 10/22 mag and almost bought it for 80$, a good price back then. I don't remember a whole lot about .223 and more modern rounds. My dad had a C&R back then and all we shot was mostly milsurps. Those were the good old days even compared to several yrs ago. Still fresh in my mind are 3-fer deals of Turkish mausers, 40$ each shipped to your door! Sorry, I'm rambling and headed way off topic.

I really remember hi-cap mags mostly bringing killer money.

 

[Stang51d]

It was a joke. ARs had stocks that looked like the 6 pos stocks, but were one piece. Other stocks looked like folders but were not. No bayonet lugs, because THOSE are used every day, lots of thumb hole stocks and no flash hiders. Mags were still around but cost a little more and if someone had something "pre-ban", they thought they were hot *****. That's it in a nut shell.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

I was unable to find usable higher capacity 10/22 mags, many pistol mags had somewhat dried up, and AR's and AK's existed and were readily available for purchase, albeit without some features I really didn't care for or feel inclined to fight for at the time - this was 2000-2001.

 

[nipprdog]

It was a joke. ARs had stocks that looked like the 6 pos stocks, but were one piece. Other stocks looked like folders but were not. No bayonet lugs, because THOSE are used every day, lots of thumb hole stocks and no flash hiders. Mags were still around but cost a little more and if someone had something "pre-ban", they thought they were hot *****. That's it in a nut shell.

Yep. Not mention the fact that after it passed, clinton waited a few weeks to sign it, so mags were being produced by the gazillion, but they cost more.

 

[SSGSAD]

I was here, didn't bother me any at all.... It "sunset" in 2004, anf then I started buying again ..... Prices were higher ..... Panic buying, like now...

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

It was a pain in the keister to find Glock 23 mags. Those were selling for $100 each. AR mags jumped from $4 each to $10 each. Rifles had all sorts of useless mods to them. Ammo was still available but powder and primers were in short supply. The libs patted each other on the back with righteous congratulatory attitudes for "making America safer".

 

[Lock n Load]

I worked part time at Bradis during the '94AWB.... it was crazy then too. I was able to get 2 Colt ARs, a couple AKs etc... and lots of mags stockpiled.

Accessories really werent out like they are today, ie weapon mounted lights, rails (had the cheesy samco rail IIRCC)... and not too many stocks available to replace the CAR stocks.

Glock mags were about $10-$12 went to $25-$30 right before the enacting date and then $100+ at gun shows afterwards !!!

 

[wakproductions]

What did they call the AR-15's and AK-47s during the 1994 ban time? Were the receivers any different?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

What did they call the AR-15's and AK-47s during the 1994 ban time? Were the receivers any different?

The same thing as they've always been called. They were either "Pre-ban" or "post-ban" depending on when they were built. Pre-ban could have all the "evil features", post ban couldn't. The vast majority of the "evil features" were cosmetic.

Other than prices, there was basically no difference. It was business as usual. My "post ban" AK is the exact same as a "pre-ban" AK other than no bayonet lug. Same receiver, same barrel, same stock, etc. etc. I still bought plenty of steel 30 and 40 round mags for it, etc.

Ammo wasn't affected.

 

[LarryC]

What did they call the AR-15's and AK-47s during the 1994 ban time? Were the receivers any different?

As I recall there were no AR's on the market at that time. There were AK's - preban's had bayonet lugs and hi-cap mags. Norinko AK's were converted to make them legal by calling them "Sportsters" and sold with a 10 round mag. Bayonet lug was removed and flash suppressor Hand grip removed & stock replaced by POS thumbhole stock (evil items removed). That's also when the 922r law took effect also as I recall - may be wrong- no more than 10 foreign parts in the gun (as described in the ATF rules). SKS inports were restricted as I recall. I don't remember ammo being particularly high priced.

 

[Indy317]

Nothing really changed. The M4 style AR-15s had really just started getting popular. There were still a lot of 20" ARs with the traditional stock. Back then, the AR-15s were said to be ranked A, B, and C, with Armalite being the best, followed by Bushmaster, then finally Colt. Don't know if that was really a fair assessment or not. They had "sound suppressors," which they claim helped reduce sound but honestly they didn't do anything with the sound. However they couldn't call them flash hiders or whatever. The stock was pinned or welded to the fully open position. With the AKs, they just had no bayonets and they had stocks that had thumb holes cut in them.

Basically the ban did nothing in terms of the actual firearms. I got to shoot a thumb hole stock AK and it was no different than shooting one with a pistol grip. Mags for AKs were in such abundance, I don't recall very high prices. I also knew of a source for used USGI mags for $15 +/-. Prices on pistol mags went through the roof, with hi-cap Glock mags hitting over $100.

 

[Spikedog]

I was around for the first one. There was good warning and manufacturers over produced because pre-ban stock was legal. Prices went up, but everything was pretty much available.