Dimitrios Karras, owner of Ares Armor, said the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents were investigating their
business, not for what they sell, but for the people who purchase their
products.
Karras said the ATF threatened to shutter their business if they
didn’t hand over the names of 5,000 customers who have purchased an 80
percent lower receiver (the base) for building an AR-15.
It is legal to build a rifle from scratch without serial numbers only
if the base is manufactured to ATF specifications. The base is not
considered a firearm if it’s sold separately.
A manufacturer made an 80 percent receiver in plastic with a
different material and colors which show exactly where the customer can
drill making it easier and cheaper to build. The ATF said it is
illegal.