AR Pistols and HQL

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  • Jaybeez

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Patriot Picket
    May 30, 2006
    6,392
    Darlington MD
    Interesting news from Engage! rock on guys!

    one other thing many dont realize, most home built AR pistols arent on the roster, so you wont be able to sell it in MD.
     

    dontpanic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 7, 2013
    6,631
    Timonium
    That was a 77R. MSP can't answer why a 77R is required, so we no longer do them for stripped or complete lowers. This is relatively recent for us, I don't think anyone else does them cash and carry at the moment, but we've been fighting with MSP on this for a long time.

    Thanks for all that you guys do. This is great.
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    Interesting news from Engage! rock on guys!

    one other thing many dont realize, most home built AR pistols arent on the roster, so you wont be able to sell it in MD.

    The roster if for new purchases by dealers, not for face to face sales, so any AR pistol legally built and owned, can be sold in MD.
     

    dontpanic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 7, 2013
    6,631
    Timonium
    The roster if for new purchases by dealers, not for face to face sales, so any AR pistol legally built and owned, can be sold in MD.

    AR pistols are not face to face. You have to go through MSP or FFL. They must be on the roster (or thier SBR equivilant)
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    AR pistols are not face to face. You have to go through MSP or FFL. They must be on the roster (or thier SBR equivilant)

    Face to face (personal transfers) indeed have to be done at MSP barracks or an FFL. The SBR equivalent is only required until Oct 1, 2015, when the SBR is removed from the definition of handgun for use in the Roster Board statute.
     

    cz27jim

    I *am* a curio and relic!
    Sep 27, 2012
    119
    Legal to build? Yes. As long as the lower you're building it on was never a rifle first(don't ask why).
    Best to start anew with a virgin lower which in Md. requires a 77r and waiting period but, no HQL.

    Also, if the lower is transferred using a 77R, the "other" box must be checked. If the FFL transfers the lower as "Rifle" you cannot build it as a pistol. At least, that was the case when the 77R was "required" for a lower.

    On the other hand, if a 77R is not actually required for a lower, how can it matter which box is checked?
     

    fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    Exactly. Regulated firearm transfers require a 77R. Regulated firearm means two types of firearms (1) Handguns and (2) the list we now refer to as Assault Long Guns. A handgun is a firearm with a barrel less than 16" in length for purposes of the 77R requirement. A lower can't be an ALG, they'd be illegal. If a firearm has no barrel it can't be a handgun. COMAR even distinguishes frames from frames with a breech face or firing pin for purposes of the shell casing requirement. It made no sense, but they know that. They know what they want the law to require, so they work backwards to figure out how the words support what they're doing.

    I'll post a breakdown of everything that has happened at some point, but it's been exhausting.

    As you said, easy peasy - just a NICS check with a MD Drivers License as ID. :thumbsup: I think that it took longer for me to find the right size for a particular Engage T-shirt that I wanted. If I didn't need to mow the lawn tonight, I would have lingered on to check out the E4 Basic builds.

    I'm glad you guys have moved forward with this policy. It was infuriating to consider that I would need to make two trips just to pick up a lower in order to finish a hunting rifle build (and yes, I also am bothered that one needs to do this for handguns - but the law is clearer in that circumstance).
     

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    willydigger

    Member
    Jul 6, 2017
    6
    New to the forum. Looking to build an AR pistol from an 80% lower. It's 2017 and hoping to confirm a couple things.

    After the 80% is complete and a pistol is built, for legal ownership do I need any of the following:
    1. An HQL
    2. to register the built pistol

    And just for clarification, 77R is handguns and ALGs. I understand a 80% lower is neither of these, but once the AR Pistol is completely built is it classified as a handgun and if not, what is it classified as for MD?

    Thanks in advance!
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,172
    Outside the Gates
    New to the forum. Looking to build an AR pistol from an 80% lower. It's 2017 and hoping to confirm a couple things.

    After the 80% is complete and a pistol is built, for legal ownership do I need any of the following:
    1. An HQL
    2. to register the built pistol

    And just for clarification, 77R is handguns and ALGs. I understand a 80% lower is neither of these, but once the AR Pistol is completely built is it classified as a handgun and if not, what is it classified as for MD?

    Thanks in advance!

    Its classified as "yours".
    80% regardless of handgun or long gun are none of MD's business.
    California is the only state that regulates 80%'s.

    By the way ... have we been introduced? https://www.mdshooters.com/forumdisplay.php?f=119
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    Welcome Willy ! Stop on by the "Introductions", where you will be greated , and recieve lots of useful information, and helpful links.
     

    willydigger

    Member
    Jul 6, 2017
    6
    Its classified as "yours".
    80% regardless of handgun or long gun are none of MD's business.
    California is the only state that regulates 80%'s.

    By the way ... have we been introduced? https://www.mdshooters.com/forumdisplay.php?f=119

    Thanks for the reply. Post made in the Intro section! :D

    So hypothetically, someone breaks into my house and I have a AR pistol made from an 80% and shoot them dead, will I be in legal trouble? What if the 80% is made in 2017? Does the date matter?
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    No issues. If it does not have a stock and a barrel length less than 16", Maryland considers it a handgun. ALL of the transport and carry laws of a handgun apply to it.

    You do not need an HQL to build one or own/possess one. You do not need to register it. You only need a serial number (whatever you want) and a manufacturer's mark (whatever you want) engraved on it to sell or transfer it.

    If you were to transfer it through gift or sale it would transfer as a handgun (on a 77r).
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,172
    Outside the Gates
    But you WILL be in trouble if you shoot someone who breaks into your house. For self defense to apply to legally shoot someone, you must be in fear that they are about to kill you at that instant. You have to be able to prove that you expected to die in the next instant if you didn't use deadly force. Handgun, rifle, shotgun, muzzle loader, 80%, C&R (antique), brand new - doesn't matter.
     

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