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How to Tell If My Colt Rifle Is a Pre-Ban

When a rifle is referred to as pre- or post-ban, it is a direct reference to the crime control law of 1994. Part of this law banned the further production or importation of certain semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines that were defined as assault weapons. Colt responded to the law by changing the design of its AR-15 rifles. The assault weapon ban was rescinded in 2004, and Colt again changed its design; however, there are still differences between the rifles currently in production and the pre-ban rifles.

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure your Colt AR-15 rifle is unloaded.
- 2
  Examine the end of the rifle barrel for a flash suppressor or threads for attaching a flash suppressor. Post-ban rifles have unthreaded barrels or have muzzle brakes attached. A muzzle brake differs slightly from a flash suppressor because it was designed primarily to disburse the gases expelled when the weapon fires, rather than to suppress the weapon's flash.
- 3
  Look beneath the front sight for a bayonet mount. Pre-ban AR-15 rifles where basically semiautomatic M-16 rifles and had all the same features other than the option of fully automatic fire. Colt AR-15 rifles that were produced after 1994 had the bayonet mounts removed.

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