Would it be illegal if i took my dad's m16a1 to go hunting?even if its semi?

Question

Would it be illegal if i took my dad's m16a1 to go hunting?even if its semi?

Answer 1

I say it depends on where you hunt

Answer 2

If your in the states, you can, but it better be registered, and you better have a license.  

Answer 3

It depends on where and what you are hunting.  .223 is concidered too small for game animals in many states.

Answer 4

all M16A1s are property of the US military, so yes, you and your dad would both end up in jail for stealing government property

Remember, M16A1 is simply a government issued name for THEIR AR-15s, and denotes a specific set of options and accessories.

Now, there is nothing wrong with hunting appropriate game with an AR-15, provided the 223 is an acceptable cartridge choice for it.

However, YOU might get in trouble based on your age, hunting season, lack of hunting license, because you are a felon, or a thousand other reasons.

Answer 5

If it's an M-16 yes it's illegal. Odds are it's an AR-15 anyway and check your states laws regarding minimum caliber requirements and laws on magazine capacity.

Answer 6

Most if not all states prohibit hunting with a fully automatic gun.   I know of no single state which allows it.  For example, Washington State  calls this out on page 68 under Prohibited Hunting Methods #10f   http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/huntr...

According to the ATF, if it (M16/AR15) has the third hole drilled or if it fires more than 1 round with only 1 pull of the trigger regardless of what parts are installed in it, it is a machine gun and must already be registered in the NFA database and you must have a valid tax stamp to own.

Your friendly DNR enforcement officer may take a different approach.  If you have a semiauto fire control group in the rifle so that it can not fire fully automatic while you are hunting, you may be alright.      The state laws merely state no hunting with machine guns.  The DNR agent would be the one confronting you in the field when you are hunting.  If it can only fire as a semiautomatic, then  in their eyes it may not be a machine gun for the purposes of enforcing the hunting law.

Answer 7

If your state allows hunting with semi autos and the .223 meets the minimum caliber requirement for the game you are hunting and the gun does not exceed the maximum capacity for rounds permitted it would be legal

Hunting regs do not concern themselves with cosmetics like gun banners do

Answer 8

Depends on where you live. However, I would asume that your Dads rifle is an AR-15 and not a M-16. Oregon does not allow hunting with a Full-Auto weapon. There is also magazine restrictions on how many rounds can be in the weapon when hunting game, which is no more than 5 for rifles and 3 shotgun. It also depend on what kind of game you will be hunting. The standard 5.56\.223 caliber is to small for large game like Elk, However for Deer it is acceptable (which is open for debate). Its always best to get your States hunting manual and refer to it. The AR-15 platform is highly adaptable to a number of uses. For Deer you should consider getting a .458 upper. It has much better ballistics than the smaller 5.56\.223 calibers.

Answer 9

It depends on what state you live in. In my state the model or function of the gun you are hunting with does not matter. Instead the only thing that matters is the caliber of the bullet. The .223 that the m16a1 fires is not big enough. The 7.62mm bullet that the AK-47 fires is plenty big. So in my state you can hunt with an AK-47, but not an M16. If you had a M468, which is a M16/AR-15 style rifle, then it would be legal because those fire a 6.8mm bullet rather than .223/5.56mm

Other states limit magazine capacity for hunting. If this was the case in your state you could simply buy a 5 or 10rd magazine for dad's M16 and it would then be legal if you did not have any restrictions on bullet size.

Answer 10

Depends.  First, if it is semi-only it is an AR-15 not an M-16.  Next, what are you hunting?  The .223 is a varmint round not suitable for hunting anything bigger than coyote.  Is it legal to hunt with a sub-caliber in your State?  Some States have a minimum caliber requirement for hunting big game.  Also, does your State have a magazine capacity limitation for hunting?  Some States limit ammo capacity for semi-autos to five rounds for hunting.  

So long as you aren't hunting deer or anything larger and you can comply with all other requirements and your Dad'll let ya, I don't see why you can't hunt with an M-15.

H

Answer 11

I am the proud private owner of an M16A1 on a form 4.

Hunting with an automatic weapon in most states is unlawful.

Unauthorized use of an NFA firearms is very serious, very felony serious. Please don't take an M16 hunting.

Answer 12

Yes in Pennsylvania it is illegal.*