AR Lower Question

[jomill613]

So I have a ar lower, bought pre-ban, and have setup it as a rifle. I was thinking how I would like to change it to an ar pistol setup instead. I would follow the rules for being a pistol to not violate NFA rules in becoming a SBR. Is this possible because it is listed as a "lower" on my md forms and not a "rifle lower?"
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[teratos]

You cannot make a lower that is now a rifle into a pistol. It's magic. It has to be a virgin lower.

 

[frogman68]

just buy a new lower and have both legal and it should support an IP

 

[Evojoeix]

Can I ask a question, maybe it can be answered on here or not....

But how would they KNOW/ PROVE your lower was ever built into a rifle if lowers are just transferred as "other" on the forms?

 

[teratos]

Can I ask a question, maybe it can be answered on here or not....

But how would they KNOW/ PROVE your lower was ever built into a rifle if lowers are just transferred as "other" on the forms?

They wouldn't, but we are such an honest bunch here that everybody just follows the law.

 

[swinokur]

YOU would know, right?

Follow the Doc's advice IMO.

 

[Pinecone]

Or, you post the fact on a public forum.

Or forget and mention it to someone who may use it against you or may have very high principles.

Or ....

Is it worth your freedom (jail time), money (fines and legal fees), firearms (confiscated), and right to ever own a firearm again?

If so, go for it.

I would just buy a new lower and make the pistol.

 

[sxs]

Or, you post the fact on a public forum.

Or forget and mention it to someone who may use it against you or may have very high principles.

Or ....

Is it worth your freedom (jail time), money (fines and legal fees), firearms (confiscated), and right to ever own a firearm again?

If so, go for it.

I would just buy a new lower and make the pistol.

Pinecone has nailed it. If you value your right to own firearms and the very firearms you own, just stick tight to the law.

 

[RoboRay]

Plain and simple...

Any time that deciding whether or not to do something involves you contemplating your probability of being caught by law enforcement, you're doing something that you already know you shouldn't be doing.

And that's foolish behavior if you're interested in legal ownership and use of firearms.

Especially when the law is so easy and inexpensive to comply with. If you can afford the tax stamp, you can afford a new and unquestionably legal receiver to use it on.

 

[Evojoeix]

For the record, I was never implying that I have/would turn a rifle lower into a pistol. I do all my firearm stuff legally

I feel like what the atf is more so saying you cant turn a rifle lower you bought cash and carry into a pistol. Then youd have an unregistered handgun. I dont see how a stripped lower transfered as "other" would matter. Regardless of what configuration you build it into, its a registered weapon

But of course, gun laws are so vague that you have to be extra careful about what you're doing because they would love to make an example out of you

 

[Pinecone]

BATFE does not care about registered or not. That is purely an MD thing.

The law states you cannot turn a rifle into a pistol.

BATFE stretched the law by saying you could turn a pistol into a rifle, then turn it back into a pistol. They did that due to some firearms that were easily convertible, like the Thompson Center Contender.

If the lower was transfered as Other, you can built it into a pistol no problem. If it was transfered as a rifle, then the BAFTE has published a letter that states you could be in trouble.

If you built your lower into a rifle, making it a pistol is violation of Federal law.

 

[zombie killer]

What if...when you were building the rifle and you put the stock on, you first put on the buffer tube without the stock, boom it's a pistol!

 

[mopar92]

Or you could spend a $100 and buy another lower and NOT have to ever worry about a $25,000 fine. Plus jail time.

Or keep your mouth and fingers shut and don't post about ways you can dream about skirting the law on an Internet forum KNOWN TO BE MONITORED BY MSP AND BATFE.

 

[swinokur]

As others have noted, if you have the PARTS in your possession to make an SBR, to BATFE you have an unregistered NFA firearm with no stamp.

Do what you like though.

 

[Pinecone]

As others have noted, if you have the PARTS in your possession to make an SBR, to BATFE you have an unregistered NFA firearm with no stamp.

Do what you like though.

This ^^^^^^

But some people like playing with fire, but sometimes they get burned. Playing games with the BATFE is a LOSING proposition.

Remember, these are the same people that will take your firearm, modify it, then when it doubles, charge you with a unregistered machine gun.

And you want to play games with THEM???????

 

[Evojoeix]

What if...when you were building the rifle and you put the stock on, you first put on the buffer tube without the stock, boom it's a pistol!

You cannot have the parts to turn your pistol into a SBR just lying around without the tax stamp. That is the same as actually having an illegal SBR

 

[kalister1]

As others have noted, if you have the PARTS in your possession to make an SBR, to BATFE you have an unregistered NFA firearm with no stamp.

Do what you like though.

So if you have an AR pistol and an AR rifle you are breaking the law?

 

[Evojoeix]

So if you have an AR pistol and an AR rifle you are breaking the law?

If you have an AR pistol and have a rifle buffer tube and stock just sitting in your house... You technically have a SBR in the eyes of BATFE. But if you have a compete AR pistol and a complete AR rifle, that's fine

 

[zombie killer]

Or you could spend a $100 and buy another lower and NOT have to ever worry about a $25,000 fine. Plus jail time.

Or keep your mouth and fingers shut and don't post about ways you can dream about skirting the law on an Internet forum KNOWN TO BE MONITORED BY MSP AND BATFE.

Most of my lowers have tax stamps on them, and I'm not trying to come up with dumb ways around it... I was just wondering if this worked because if both pistol and rifle are legal it's stupid that you can go from one to the other but not vice versa.

 

[zombie killer]

You cannot have the parts to turn your pistol into a SBR just lying around without the tax stamp. That is the same as actually having an illegal SBR

Just curious, can you build it as a pistol with 16" barrel or does it need to be less than 16"to qualify as a pistol?