[cowboyway]

"Will they continue to have some sort of special status that would prevent the installation of bayonet lugs, flash hiders, pistol grips, collapsible stocks, etc.?"

There never were laws preventing the installation of those components as well as others. The law applied to the manufacturing and retail distribution. Once in the hands of a private owner, the owner could modify his weapon with a wide choice of legal after-market products. The link below is just one of hundreds of sites that specialize in custom modifications.

http://www.floridagunworks.com/p-026.html

[RogueIsland]

There never were laws preventing the installation of those components as well as others. The law applied to the manufacturing and retail distribution. Once in the hands of a private owner, the owner could modify his weapon with a wide choice of legal after-market products. The link below is just one of hundreds of sites that specialize in custom modifications.

I believe you were only allowed to install them on firearms of pre-ban vintage. AR15.com has had a lot of threads on that subject, and I never got a contrary impression.

[Ichneumon]

There never were laws preventing the installation of those components as well as others. The law applied to the manufacturing and retail distribution. Once in the hands of a private owner, the owner could modify his weapon with a wide choice of legal after-market products.

This is absolutely incorrect. The 1994 "assault weapon ban" most certainly did make it illegal to add certain combinations of features to a firearm you already owned. These restrictions are about to vaporize, though.