Legalities of converting to an SBR?

moose&squirrel · Jan 13, 2019

Hey, guys, I have a stock CZ Scorpion with the 16" carbine barrel, and I am thinking of buying the 7.x" barrel CZ says and converting it to a SBR. I know about the stamp I have to apply for and buy...are there any other legalities? Do I have to find a different from standard stock, for example, and convert to a pistol brace, or can I simply have a good 'smith change the barrel out for me? I have a 9mm suppressor stamp sitting in jail at the moment.

Thanks!

erwos · Jan 13, 2019

Depends. If you live in MD, you still need to avoid it becoming a copycat weapon, which means no folding stock plus flash hider, and it needs to be 29" OAL or greater. I would imagine you are going to have difficulty making OAL with a 7" barrel.

rouchna · Jan 13, 2019

Since MD has that idiotic 29” rule, your best bet would be to keep it a pistol and go with a tail hook brace.

Like this. Not mine.

EDIT: Missed that this was a rifle. Please disregard. Sorry.

ST19AG_WGreymon · Jan 13, 2019

rouchna said:
Since MD has that idiotic 29” rule, your best bet would be to keep it a pistol and go with a tail hook brace.

Like this. Not mine.

OP has the rifle version, can't be turned into a pistol.

rouchna · Jan 13, 2019

ST19AG_WGreymon said:
OP has the rifle version, can't be turned into a pistol.

Totally missed the “16” barrel part”. Disregard.

HaveBlue · Jan 13, 2019

ST19AG_WGreymon said:
OP has the rifle version, can't be turned into a pistol.

Ditto. From a federal perspective: (no idea about MD)
Pistols can become rifles.
Rifles cannot become pistols.
Pistols turned into rifles can be later turned back into pistols.
Rifles can be converted to SBRs vi NFA / Stamp

Biggfoot44 · Jan 13, 2019

Rifle could become an AOW ( Form 1 , Stamp, etc ).

swinokur · Jan 14, 2019

Don't keep the short barrel and receiver together until your stamp is approved.

Constructive intent and all that.

IANAL

Pinecone · Jan 14, 2019

Looking at CZ site, the rifle is 34.75" long. With 16.2" barrel.

So minimum barrel length for MD would be 10.45".

Unless you can do something to lengthen the butt stock. See the thread about the MP5s.

gtodave · Jan 14, 2019

swinokur said:
Don't keep the short barrel and receiver together until your stamp is approved.

Constructive intent and all that.

IANAL

So it's legal to own the short barrel as long as it isn't mounted to a lower?

swinokur · Jan 14, 2019

A

gtodave said:
So it's legal to own the short barrel as long as it isn't mounted to a lower?

A barrel by itself is not any kind of firearm. I kept my lower at Engage after I got my DD MK 18 11.3 inch upper . I married them the day my stamp came back.

But I don’t keep the parts needed to make an SBR together until I have my stamp

It had been s blissful union I must say

The BATFE can prosecute for constructive possession if they want to.

Better safe than sorry

gtodave · Jan 14, 2019

swinokur said:
A barrel by itself is not any kind of firearm. I kept my lower at Engage after I got my DD MK 18 11.3 inch upper . I married them the day my stamp came back.

It had been s blissful union I must say

Better safe than sorry

A suppressor isn't a firearm either, but I'm guessing if I had one of those not mounted to a gun, I'd get a trip to Camp Fed :innocent0

swinokur · Jan 14, 2019

gtodave said:
A suppressor isn't a firearm either, but I'm guessing if I had one of those not mounted to a gun, I'd get a trip to Camp Fed

A suppressor is an NFA item. A barrel is not

gtodave · Jan 14, 2019

swinokur said:
A suppressor is an NFA item. A barrel is not

I gotcha. But the barrel when combined with the lower is an NFA item, correct?

shmuel2004 · Jan 14, 2019

I tried to SBR my glock and the ATF denied and said that Maryland law doesn't allow anything less than 29 inches. Now, I know that less than 29 is a copycat weapon, but if so, how are gun stores still selling AR-15 SBRs?!?

swinokur · Jan 14, 2019

gtodave said:
I gotcha. But the barrel when combined with the lower is an NFA item, correct?

They don't even have to be combined. That's what constructive intent is. It means you have the parts to make an NFA item and without the stamp you could be charged with constructive possession.

Having the parts is the same as possessing the finished item in the eyes of BATFE.

That's why I said I kept my Engage lower at Engage because I had purchased a DD MK18 11.3 inch upper before I actually had my stamp. Keeping them separated kept me on the right side of the law.

Paranoid? Maybe. But also legal so no hassles

swinokur · Jan 14, 2019

shmuel2004 said:
I tried to SBR my glock and the ATF denied and said that Maryland law doesn't allow anything less than 29 inches. Now, I know that less than 29 is a copycat weapon, but if so, how are gun stores still selling AR-15 SBRs?!?

They can sell them if the OAL >29 inches.

Hawkeye · Jan 15, 2019

gtodave said:
I gotcha. But the barrel when combined with the lower is an NFA item, correct?

According to a determination letter from ATF (the famous "Thompson Center" letter), if you have a collection of parts which has no other legal purpose than to assemble an SBR, then you have an SBR.

The corollary to that is that if you have a legal purpose for those parts (i.e. you have a short AR barrel, but you also own an AR pistol lower) then you can have them.

moose&squirrel · Jan 15, 2019

Pinecone said:
Looking at CZ site, the rifle is 34.75" long. With 16.2" barrel.

So minimum barrel length for MD would be 10.45".

Unless you can do something to lengthen the butt stock. See the thread about the MP5s.

So, I could have the barrel cut down to 11" (just to be safe) and not bother with the SBR tax stuff, or would I still have to do apply? Sorry, I'm not a lawyer, nor to I play one on the internet. The 9mm suppressor I have on order is 4.7" long. I'm wondering what the impact on "sound" would be, if any, with a 5" shorter barrel and the suppressor, compared to leaving the barrel the length it is, with a suppressor, and how the rifle would shoot with the suppressor off and just a thread protector on the barrel.

Or should I just leave the rifle along, thread on the suppressor, and be happy... :lol2:

kraftyone · Jan 15, 2019

moose&squirrel said:
So, I could have the barrel cut down to 11" (just to be safe) and not bother with the SBR tax stuff, or would I still have to do apply? Sorry, I'm not a lawyer, nor to I play one on the internet. The 9mm suppressor I have on order is 4.7" long. I'm wondering what the impact on "sound" would be, if any, with a 5" shorter barrel and the suppressor, compared to leaving the barrel the length it is, with a suppressor, and how the rifle would shoot with the suppressor off and just a thread protector on the barrel.

Or should I just leave the rifle along, thread on the suppressor, and be happy...

Barrel length must be 16” or longer to be considered a rifle any shorter and you have an SBR.

Legalities of converting to an SBR?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Banned

The Hebrew Hammer

Defund the ATF

Attachments

Ultimate Member

Defund the ATF

HaveBlue

Ultimate Member

In a State of Bliss

Ultimate Member

Member

In a State of Bliss

Member

In a State of Bliss

Member

Banned

In a State of Bliss

In a State of Bliss

The Leatherstocking

Banned

Active Member

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics