AR-15 SBR n00b questions

[huesmann]

If I have a stripped lower in-hand, all I need to do is fill out a Form 1, with my intended barrel length, correct? When I get approval, I can then mount my upper to the approved (engraved) lower?

What if at some point I decide I want to attach a full-length upper to the lower, I can still go back and reattach the SBR upper afterward, correct?

If the lower is marked as 5.56, can a person build a .300 SBR out of it--since the Form 1 is granting you permission to make a firearm, does that supersede the caliber marked on the lower?

Does SB281 affect SBR-ing of stripped lowers after 10/1/13?

 

[IMBLITZVT]

If I have a stripped lower in-hand, all I need to do is fill out a Form 1, with my intended barrel length, correct? When I get approval, I can then mount my upper to the approved (engraved) lower?

Basically, yes.

What if at some point I decide I want to attach a full-length upper to the lower, I can still go back and reattach the SBR upper afterward, correct?

Sure, actually you should try to keep the upper on the Form 1 on the gun most of the time as thats how its registered... so that considered your "standard" upper. Its like your home of residence... you should live there most of the time but nothing says you can't go to the summer home and beach house.

If the lower is marked as 5.56, can a person build a .300 SBR out of it--since the Form 1 is granting you permission to make a firearm, does that supersede the caliber marked on the lower?

Yes you can switch calibers. If you only want the SBR to be in .300 than fill that in as the caliber in the form 1.

Does SB281 affect SBR-ing of stripped lowers after 10/1/13?

Probably no, but its not very clear yet.

 

[Jstevens56]

IANAL but I do believe unless the lower is marked multi you can only use the caliber that is marked on the lower

 

[IMBLITZVT]

IANAL but I do believe unless the lower is marked multi you can only use the caliber that is marked on the lower

Sorry, incorrect. Actually the ATF will not longer allow you to mark the paperwork multi.

 

[Jstevens56]

Sorry, incorrect. Actually the ATF will not longer allow you to mark the paperwork multi.

So you're saying that if the lower only has 5.56/.223 marked on it you can legally turn it into a lower that shoots 5.7 for instance?

 

[Kingjamez]

So you're saying that if the lower only has 5.56/.223 marked on it you can legally turn it into a lower that shoots 5.7 for instance?

Yes, that's precisely what he's saying, and is correct.
-Jim

 

[swinokur]

I thought it is now marked OTHER

 

[Jstevens56]

Yes, that's precisely what he's saying, and is correct.
-Jim

Did not know this.

 

[Kingjamez]

The key is that you need to always be able to put the SBR lower into the configuration that is listed on the Form 1/4. You can have other uppers if you wish.

-Jim

 

[IMBLITZVT]

So you're saying that if the lower only has 5.56/.223 marked on it you can legally turn it into a lower that shoots 5.7 for instance?

Yes for some reason people with SBRs get very concerned about the barrel length and caliber. Remember the law does not say you have to pay $200 for ever change you make to a SBR. It says that a SBR must be registered. So as long as your SBR is registered, you are following the law. People with MGs change calibers, barrels, barrel lengths without second thought. I drop a 22LR barrel in my Lage upper on my M11 all the time. The Barrel length, Caliber and overall length are completely different. No problem. The key to what is on the paperwork is that it identifies the registered gun. So you can't have two guns close to each other and claim one gun is another. So as KingJamez the key is being able to put the gun back to the config on the registration. If you want to change your registered config, you should notify the ATF of this change. You can make as many changes as you wish but if you are doing it "permanently" then you need to notify the ATF. Dropping another upper with a different caliber is not what one would consider Permanently. Remember this info was required to be put on the form back in the day when one could not drop interchangeable uppers on a gun. On many modern guns, this info is pretty meaningless.

 

[huesmann]

So IMBLITZVT, you could register a 7.5" .223 SBR, and legally mount and use a 10.5" .300 upper on it, as long as you still had the 7.5" .223 upper handy to return it to "registered" configuration?

 

[IMBLITZVT]

So IMBLITZVT, you could register a 7.5" .223 SBR, and legally mount and use a 10.5" .300 upper on it, as long as you still had the 7.5" .223 upper handy to return it to "registered" configuration?

Yes, you are perfectly legal. Remember the law only requires you to register a SBR. No where in there does it lock you into a certain barrel length or caliber. The important part about the law is that if you put a barrel less than 16"s on a rifle, the gun must be registered. That is the important part of the law. The part of the form listing caliber/barrel length...etc is just to help ID the gun in question.

So lets say you registered a SBR AR15. You plan to normally shoot a 7.5" .223 upper and its in that setup 51% of the time or at least more often than any other upper. Then you have a hunting upper with 18" heavy barrel in 50 beowulf. Its perfectly legal for you to switch uppers and take the gun hunting for the day. Then the next day you drop a 24" target barrel in 300 Blackout on it and shoot it, then the next day a 10.5" suppressed barrel in 7.62... you are completely fine. People get all worked up on having exactly what is on the paper... its not a big deal. The idea is to have most often used upper on it. This is not something to stress out about. If the ATF comes knocking, they are going to look at your paperwork and the serial on your lower. If they match, they aren't going to say another word... if they do, there is nothing illegal about switching upper and you just tell them you have a different upper on it today but your normal upper is at home. End of story, they don't care so long as your tax is paid.

Come on out to a MG shoot sometime. We all have the same info on our forms. Sometimes I see people run 5 different uppers on their M16s in a day! I myself 99% of my time shooting have the gun in a config different than what is on the form without a second thought. I don't carry my original upper with me. It stays at home. If they ATF wants to see it, they can follow me home and I will get it... thats as handy as I plan to make it.

Because its called a short BARREL rifle, people get all bent out of shape about the specific barrel on these guns... The only import part is any barrel less than 16" on a rifle needs to have a stamp with it. Remember it also makes you list an overall length of the gun. However people with SBRs that stress on the barrel length never even think that changing a stock might change the overall length... but it does and they aren't worried about switching stocks out....

 

[huesmann]

Thanks for the education!

 

[Dave]

planning on SBRing a lower for this purpose. For clarification, if we list a 7.5" barrel on the paperwork, do we need to have an upper of that length? What if I change my mind after the paperwork is filed and instead want a 10" barrel? I know this is what was asked above, but I didn't really follow your answer Blitz

 

[d_c]

planning on SBRing a lower for this purpose. For clarification, if we list a 7.5" barrel on the paperwork, do we need to have an upper of that length? What if I change my mind after the paperwork is filed and instead want a 10" barrel? I know this is what was asked above, but I didn't really follow your answer Blitz

If you no longer have the configuration as listed on the Form 1 then it would be a permanent change and would require notification.

 

[swinokur]

You'd best be able to show BATFE the configuration shown on the paperwork or they will not be happy and then neither will you.

 

[IMBLITZVT]

planning on SBRing a lower for this purpose. For clarification, if we list a 7.5" barrel on the paperwork, do we need to have an upper of that length? What if I change my mind after the paperwork is filed and instead want a 10" barrel? I know this is what was asked above, but I didn't really follow your answer Blitz

Ok, Put on the paperwork what barrel length you PLAN to use. If you want to change that later, all you need to do is follow the directions on the back and send the ATF a letter notifying them of the change. This only needs to be done for a "permanent change" like you are talking about where you will no longer have an upper of the barrel length you have on the paperwork. Since you can't put the barrel on before paperwork is back, I would wait until that point to send a letter notifying them of the change. You don't want to confuse things. The original question was about just swapping uppers but not Permanently changing the barrel length listed. Hope that makes sense.

Ok the same hand, if you wanted to build a 7.5" upper and a 10" upper, there would be no need to do anything and you can use both uppers as you wish. The 7.5 would be considered the "standard" upper but there is nothing that stops you from using the 10" upper anytime you wish. Then later if you decided to sell the 7.5 upper, then it would be a good idea to send the ATF a letter changing the barrel length to 10".

Hope that helps. Again, either way, its legal! The stamp was for a SBR. Not for a 7.5" SBR vs. a 10" SBR.

 

[IMBLITZVT]

You'd best be able to show BATFE the configuration shown on the paperwork or they will not be happy and then neither will you.

I hear this a lot but really, what are they going to do? As long as they can ID the SBR in question as the same SBR you have a stamp for... you have followed the law. There is no penalty for having the wrong barrel length listed assuming its not fraud and you are still able to ID the SBR in question? I am not saying its a good idea not to keep this up to date when selling the upper with the barrel length listed but don't blow it out of proportion either. No need to let them know every time a new upper goes on the gun or even carry the original upper with you to the range! They have enough paperwork already.

 

[Dave]

thanks! got it

 

[Glock30Eric]

Curious. If I have made a homemade lower AR-15 with multi-calibers on it and I am not required to file form 1/4 for SBR on my homemade lower AR15?