I have a 300 blackout pistol.  I am thinking of turning it into a sbr.  I know little to nothing about sbr.  except it will cost 200 for the pleasure of having one.  I have a few questions?

1.  I saw a post somewhere that if you want to take it to another state you have to fill out paper work well in advanced.  If it is registered as a sbr can I turn it back to pistol and not have to do this paper work?

2.  Is it just the lower that is SBR?  Can I have multi uppers with the same lower and still be legal with all being sbr?   (300 blackout, 7.62 etc)

3.  Goes with one.  Can I go back and forth between pistol and sbr?

Thanks in advance,

No. It can be a Title 1 rifle and no longer under purview of NFA, but never a pistol. Any short barrel on it after being registered as SBR keeps it under NFA purview. Even if configured as a Title 1 rifle for travel, having a short barrel in your possession would keep it under NFA purview.

- you have made a new rifle with unique identifier, and first a rifle, always a rifle
- also, see "retention of parts" that keep it in SBR classification



Yes. Or can use 16" barreled uppers.



You can carry/shoot your SBR without a stock, but it's still an SBR with the short barrel on it, does not make it a pistol.

As a matter of fact, you may sell your SBR stripped down to lower or configured with 16" barrel as a normal Title 1 firearm, but even after being taken out of NFA purview in either config, it  would be unlawful for the next owner to make it a pistol, same as with a Title 1 lower that had first been configured as a rifle.  A short barrel would bring it back under NFA purview and a new SBR stamp would be required.

The "pistol-rifle-pistol" from the Thompson ruling only applies to Type 1 (GCA) firearms - it's based on the fact that no NFA firearm is made doing so, and hence does not apply to NFA firearms which have additional requirements and restrictions.

- OS

thanks,  think I will just keep it a pistol

I don't think I should have to get permission or tell someone where I want to take my gun.

Well, AR stuff is cheaper than ever before. You want an SBR, make one. Then just do a separate lower for when you want a legal pistol.

- OS

Can you explain this in more detail?  Why does the "pistol-rifle-pistol" rule not apply even if the lower had first been built as a pistol prior to registering it as an SBR?

It's a funky quirk in the statutes.  Once you stamp a new name on your SBR (from your Form 1), which is required, that resets the manufacturer/maker start configuration.  Well, it doesn't reset, it starts the original Title II configuration (doesn't matter that it started life as Title 1).  And there's no such thing as an NFA pistol so it can never start out as a pistol either from a manufacturer or maker.  

Simply because SCOTUS did not apply the ruling to NFA firearms.  Again, the whole Thompson Case was about whether an NFA firearm was made or not, and SCOTUS said it was not.

There are many differences between rules for NFA firearms and GCA firearms. One of them is that even as long as one "maintains control" over a compatible short barrel, a SBR remains an SBR. And of course having a short barrel actually attached is pretty much the max control one can maintain, eh?

- OS

The one and only physical difference between a pistol and rifle using AR parts is the presence of a stock, which constitutes a flat vertical surface on the rear of the buffer tube which rests against the shoulder.

Said stock then locates the rear sight with less wobble, and controls recoil by passing it to the torso.

Stocks add some accuracy, entirely the point to them. They are an aid to precision shooting. Is an AR pistol - or SBR - a precision shooter? AR's with 7 - 14" barrels aren't the preferred length for .5 MOA target guns on square ranges for trophies. They are short for handling in tight quarters and used at short ranges - under 100m. If the gun is a milspec 2MOA it's going to be a 2" group at 100m, and a lot less at 21 feet. Since the average target has about a 18MOA Center of Mass - human or whitetail deer - it then begs the question - how much of an incremental accuracy aid do you need?

$200 plus trust plus annual renewal of the state line crossing permission plus another lower to make it a pistol so you can enjoy using it just like a CCW?

I think the OP made a good choice. SBR isn't all that. Use the money for ammo and practice for more accuracy. If we are stuck with the NFA. then we just need to be better shooters - instead of registered gun owners.