That has led judges to rule that a lower receiver alone cannot be considered a gun. The lower receiver sits above the pistol grip, holds the trigger and hammer, and has a slot for the magazine. Last month, a federal judge in Ohio dealt the latest blow, dismissing charges against two men accused of making false statements to buy lower receivers. The 2018 indictment also charged him with having 15 lower receivers. There’s no evidence in court records that Pedro’s lawyer challenged whether the lower receiver was rightly considered a gun.