Hey everybody, if you add a butt stock to a AR pistol that is greater than 26" does it make it a rifle or a sbr? From my understanding a Sbr is a rifle with a barrel or barrels less than 16" and over all length is less than 26".

If it doesn't make it into a rifle can someone please explain? I've been searching for days and most people are concerned about the barrel length and not the OAL. I would assume if you can add a VFG because it makes it a rifle you can add a stock as well.

It's an SBR

Can you explain why it would an Sbr?

Look up the definition of a "rifle".  Does what  you describe meet that definition?  (rifled barrel, designed or redesigned to be fired from the shoulder.  Sounds like "yes").  If it meets the definition of a "rifle", does it then meet the definition of an SBR?  (again yes, assuming a barrel <16").

As long as it has a buttstock and a rifled barrel less than 26", it meets the definition of an SBR.  This is true even if the OAL is greater than 26".

The 16" barrel / 26" OAL rule is an "or" rule. If either exist, it is an SBR.  Otherwise, why do they put the dorky 16" barrel on an otherwise scale-correct M4 clone?  Even with a 14" barrel, overall length would be well over 26".

So if I added a VFG to a pistol, which then makes it into a rife/firearm, can you add a stock?
I'm not trying to argue with you, just trying to make sense of everything

No.

As GarretJ mentioned, either short barrel or under 26" OAL + stock = SBR.

The 26" pistol+VFG = non NFA Firearm ruling is simply a narrow exception to the AOW classification, and does not include a stock in the formula.

As soon as you add a stock, you've redesigned a handgun to be fired from the shoulder, and have made a rifle, which can be normal GCA or SBR.

According to Max Kingery, you can now do the same with a pistol brace, too, but that's another issue.

- OS

Kinda making sense now, thank yall for the information

So if I am understanding this correctly. My pistol build will be 26.75"-27" in overall length. If that is the case I can run a FVG without issue? If you have a pistol of the length I just mentioned it doesn't matter if it's just a pistol. No VFG or anything. Just a basic pistol.

Federally, the ruling is that a 26" or longer pistol with a vertical forward grip attached becomes a legal non-NFA firearm. Remove the VFG and it's magically a pistol again.

Note that muzzle device doesn't count in OAL unless permanently attached.

- OS

So disregard the VFG altogether. The OAL length, minus the break, is less than 26". What then?  I'm guessing it would just be a normal run of the mill AR pistol.

Do you measure up to the break or take the break off and measure to the tip of the threads?

Federally, there are no min/max overall or barrel length constraints for a pistol/handgun. A pistol can be over or under 26" in OAL.  The only federal significance of the 26" in relation to a handgun is the niche ruling regarding a VFG. Some states still have laws about it though, perhaps most notably MI regarding OAL, haven't kept up with current situation regarding that up there. TN for example, also has a "less than 12 inches" barrel definition for a "handgun", etc.

You can generally consider the threaded part of an AR15 barrel to be .6 inches, so you can pretty accurately guesstimate the length without removing the muzzle device. Obviously, if you come out with something very close to exactly 26", could be a bit dicey I suppose if push came to shove.

- OS

That helped a lot. Thank you!