Quote Originally Posted by clodhopper View Post
I don't remember seeing a "difficulty" requirement. Suggesting the ATF is expecting that an 80% completion to be difficult to reduce the likelihood that a citizen would bother doing it is projecting. That may be exactly what the ATF hopes, but it is not a requirement of a product.
It's within the ATF's administrative purview to determine what is and is not a firearm. They have classified as firearms metal "80%" receivers which had the FCG and other holes indicated but not drilled through, and the EP 80s do indeed indicate the FCG well holes - trigger, hammer and selector axes.