AR-15 Pistol and NFA

[schwaky18]

If I take a virgin receiver and make it a pistol AR, I don't to do any NFA paper work. However, the receiver may never be turned into a rifle without NFA paper work once it is a pistol.

Is this correct? This NFA stuff is pretty confusing and hard to find rules/laws on it.

 

[bigcraig]

Not quite right.

A virgin reciever that has been built in to a pistol "first", can be coverted to a rifle later on, no ATF paperwork needs to be done. However, you MUST be careful when making the change, you don't want to unintentionally build an SBR because you didn't put parts together in the right order.

Example: When coverting an AR pistol to a rifle configuration, follow these steps.

1) Remove the complete pistol upper reciever.
2) Remove the pistol buffer tube from the lower reciever.
3) Install your rifle/carbine buffer tube to the lower reciever.
4) Install rifle/carbine upper assembly to lower.

No ATF paperwork involved.

That being said, filling out a form1 and making one of your ARs into a SBR is cheap $200 insurance that you will never need to worry about that barrel length BS again.

 

[schwaky18]

Not quite right.

A virgin reciever that has been built in to a pistol "first", can be coverted to a rifle later on, no ATF paperwork needs to be done. However, you MUST be careful when making the change, you don't want to unintentionally build an SBR because you didn't put parts together in the right order.

Example: When coverting an AR pistol to a rifle configuration, follow these steps.

1) Remove the complete pistol upper reciever.
2) Remove the pistol buffer tube from the lower reciever.
3) Install your rifle/carbine buffer tube to the lower reciever.
4) Install rifle/carbine upper assembly to lower.

No ATF paperwork involved.

That being said, filling out a form1 and making one of your ARs into a SBR is cheap $200 insurance that you will never need to worry about that barrel length BS again.

Thanks, I have enough recievers that I should never have to do it, I just wanted to make sure.

So no paper work for AR pistol and no paper work for AR pistol receiver coverted to rifle if done correctly.

I know I should just get the stamp but something about filing out a form and sending it to the gov. letting them know I have a firearm bothers me. Under the new admin. I figure if a total gun ban ever happens (which I don't think it will) you NFA people will be first then the rest of us will follow. Its a little more work to get all the paperwork from all the FFL dealers in the country than it is to just go to their own records and pull up the forms.

 

[alfahornet]

2nd amendment no total ban - furthermore there are generally always clauses for grandfathered items.

Also, I don't think you can pick any stripped AR receiver to build an AR pistol, I think the receiver needs to be registered as a handgun and is not allowed to have ever been registered as a rifle. Please correct me if i am wrong on this interpretation.

 

[Mgderf]

I think the receiver needs to be registered as a handgun and is not allowed to have ever been registered as a rifle. Please correct me if i am wrong on this interpretation.

Is this true?

Thread resurrection.

I've been considering an AR pistol build, and I have two lowers that are virgins. PSA said they were sold as rifle lowers, but could be made into a pistol.

I also went looking at the RRA site and noticed that their pistol uppers have a notation that reads "all NFA rules apply".

What NFA rules apply to an AR pistol build, and can I just use my lower the way it is, or do I need to have it engraved as a lower. If I need to engrave it, what info. do I need to put on it?

Can you tell I've never built a pistol before?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Mosinowner]

From what I'm reading it looks like if I buy a complete ar15 pistol that's never been a rifle I can just throw a stock on it with no paperwork?

 

[OneBadV8]

From what I'm reading it looks like if I buy a complete ar15 pistol that's never been a rifle I can just throw a stock on it with no paperwork?

ONLY if the barrel is 16" or greater

 

[OneBadV8]

Is this true?

Thread resurrection.

I've been considering an AR pistol build, and I have two lowers that are virgins. PSA said they were sold as rifle lowers, but could be made into a pistol.

I also went looking at the RRA site and noticed that their pistol uppers have a notation that reads "all NFA rules apply".

What NFA rules apply to an AR pistol build, and can I just use my lower the way it is, or do I need to have it engraved as a lower. If I need to engrave it, what info. do I need to put on it?

Can you tell I've never built a pistol before?

Any help would be appreciated.

I think the "all NFA rules apply" are for those putting a pistol length upper on a rifle lower.

 

[MontereyC6]

From what I'm reading it looks like if I buy a complete ar15 pistol that's never been a rifle I can just throw a stock on it with no paperwork?

You can't buy an ar pistol, because you're not old enough to buy a pistol. That being said, if one buys an ar pistol and puts a stock on it, they better make sure it has a barrel over 16" or it instantly becomes a SBR.

 

[Mosinowner]

You can't buy an ar pistol, because you're not old enough to buy a pistol. That being said, if one buys an ar pistol and puts a stock on it, they better make sure it has a barrel over 16" or it instantly becomes a SBR.

I am just trying to soak up information

 

[ctbreitwieser]

Montery, Im doing the exact same thing as you. It seems our builds are gonna have a lot in common from other threads. The way I was told, when you pick up your blank lower from your dealer he can sell it to you as either a pistol or a rifle. You just need to make sure he sells it to you as a pistol and you should be legal.

 

[OneBadV8]

Montery, Im doing the exact same thing as you. It seems our builds are gonna have a lot in common from other threads. The way I was told, when you pick up your blank lower from your dealer he can sell it to you as either a pistol or a rifle. You just need to make sure he sells it to you as a pistol and you should be legal.

Better if they sell it as a "Receiver"

That is an option on the 4473 now.

 

[Mgderf]

Montery, Im doing the exact same thing as you. It seems our builds are gonna have a lot in common from other threads. The way I was told, when you pick up your blank lower from your dealer he can sell it to you as either a pistol or a rifle. You just need to make sure he sells it to you as a pistol and you should be legal.

Just found another thread with a link to ATF.

They just changed these rules this past summer. If you don't "create" an sbr in the process of your pistol build, you're perfectly legal to go pistol to rifle, and back to pistol again.

Just make sure your pistol at NO time has a barrell longer than 16", and by the same rules, make sure your rifle doesn't have a barrel LESS than 16".

Confusing I know, but less than it used to be!

 

[MontereyC6]

I am just trying to soak up information

No offense was intended. There is a TON to learn when it comes to this stuff and I think you are going about it the right way.

Montery, Im doing the exact same thing as you. It seems our builds are gonna have a lot in common from other threads. The way I was told, when you pick up your blank lower from your dealer he can sell it to you as either a pistol or a rifle. You just need to make sure he sells it to you as a pistol and you should be legal.

Yup, I agree, we are both wanting to do pretty close to the same thing. Both of my lowers were listed as "other" on the 4473. I can do pistol or rifle but for now, the one that will be used as my SBR will only be that, the other will have a pistol lower installed, and later be form 1'ed as a SBR. Right now I'm waiting on an attorney to call me back about setting up a trust and it's killing me! I've got a form 1 and a form 4 sitting in front of me that got signed off on today...

 

[ctbreitwieser]

Better if they sell it as a "Receiver"

That is an option on the 4473 now.

I didnt know this was an option. So if I buy/dealer sells it as a receiver it can be built into either rifle or pistol with no clarification needed as far as BATFE goes?

Edit: Never mind. Didnt see the new post. Thanks

 

[ryknoll3]

The dealer can NOT sell it to you as a rifle or pistol unless it is actually configured as such when you buy it. A receiver should be marked as "Other" on the 4473. A stripped receiver can be built either as a pistol OR a rifle, your call. No need to inform anyone or do anything. A receiver built as a pistol can be built into a rifle, so long as the short barrel comes off before the stock goes on. It can also be returned to pistol configuration as per the new ATF ruling.

A receiver built initially as a rifle CAN NOT be made legally into a pistol. In order to get a short barrel on it, you must register it on a Form 1 as an SBR.

Lastly, there is no such thing as registration of guns in Indiana. What you put on the 4473 doesn't "REGISTER" anything.

 

[ctbreitwieser]

Lastly, there is no such thing as registration of guns in Indiana. What you put on the 4473 doesn't "REGISTER" anything.

I dont think anyone said anything about "registering". The point I was coming to was if the dealer were to mark "rifle" on the 4473 when he sells it, you legally wouldnt be allowed to build it into a pistol whether its a blank receiver or not, but I was unaware that there was a "receiver/other" option on the form.