Is there a length limit on pistols? For example if I had a 16” upper could I put it on a pistol lower and still have it be a pistol?

If you use a 16" upper it would be a rifle and while you certainly could put a brace on it, there'd be no point. Just put a stock on.

There may be a state or two that has a length restriction for a pistol, but not federally.  You can put a brace on a 16" barreled gun unless your state has other ideas.

Wrong.

Federally, pistols have no maximum OAL nor maximum barrel length.

I get that and agree, but how would anyone know? They typical local cop, hell even a new ATF agent, would not know at first.

What is there to know that would concern an LEO?  If you have a pistol and put a 16" barrel on it and it's still a pistol, cool.  Would the cop be like "I'm booking you for having an aggressively long pistol"?

Likewise, if you have a pistol and put a 16" barrel on it then also slide on a stock, well now it's a legal title 1 rifle which is fine too.

Thanks for the responses I should have included some more info in my post.

I didn’t think there was an overall length issue but wasn’t sure

I built an xm177 upper and it still has an extended flash hider that I haven’t gotten pinned and welded yet. I’d like to shoot it and figure dropping it on a pistol lower will allow me to do until I can get it done.

I noticed PSA is selling an upper in similar configuration to add to a pistol lower.

They could read ATF regs. It ain't rocket surgery.




Sure.

The see a 16" with a stock (brace) they will obviously think rifle. To say they wont, is crazy.

Tech thread: no one will care.

Isn't what's listed on the 4473 determine what classification of firearm it is? And if you form1 it then it permanently becomes a rifle? Also if you put certain furniture on it (buttstock, foregrip) it becomes a rifle and has to follow all the rules that go with owning a rifle?

No.
ATF regulations define whether a firearm is a pistol/revolver/rifle/shotgun/silencer/etc......not what the dealer checked on the Form 4473.
If you buy a Glock 19 and the dealer erroneously listed it as a shotgun.....does that make it a shotgun? No.




No.
A Form 1 is for making an NFA firearm.
-If you start with a pistol, add a shoulder stock you have made a Short Barreled Rifle. Remove the shoulder stock and the firearm is a pistol because it is no longer assembled in SBR configuration.
-If you start with a rifle, shorten the barrel to less than 16" or the OAL to less than 26" you have made a Short Barreled Rifle. If you replace the short barrel with one 16" or longer and making it at least 26" OAL, it is not in SBR configuration and is a Title I rifle.




If adding that certain furniture cause it to meet the ATF definition for a particular firearm, yes.

So if im understanding this correctly, the myriad of AR10 pistols out there that are braced with 13.5” barrels and an overall length of 28-30” is not a problem? They are still considered pistols? This whole thing is so confusing.

Yea, if they don't have a stock, then they'd be pistols.

16" pistol

No, a rifle is something with a buttstock and a pistol is something without a stock. If it has a brace instead of a stock, it's a pistol.