So I been doing a lot of Internet reading but never thought to check if ar15.com had a dedicated section (which they do).

I'm gonna continue to read threads but in I'll ask my questions as I continue to research.

My questions are solely regarded at federal law as my state has no restrictions.

Does a pistol have to use a pistol round in order not to fall under NFA and sbr regs?

Common sense tells me yes but then again, our laws don't seem to be based on common sense.

Can a pistol chambered in a pistol round, be equipped with a butt stock?


I suppose my main confusion is what differentiates a pistol and not needing a tax stamp from a SBR ?  Is it the chambering?

Sorry ladies and gents, new to the pistol arena.  Have my share of 14.5"+ ARs but recently spiked interest in pistols.

27 CFR 478.11



Pistol. A weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a
projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and
having (a) a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently
aligned with, the bore(s); and (b) a short stock designed to be gripped
by one hand and at an angle to and extending below the line of the
bore(s).



Rifle. A weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to
be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or
remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge
to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single
pull of the trigger.

So, for example, a Colt 6920 could not be reconfigured (legally) into a pistol? Because it was originally manufactured as a rifle?

Yep. That's ATFs current ruling.  Definition of a rifle includes a firearm "made from a rifle".

Here is an AR Pistol and an AR SBR.  Basically, the absence of a Stock makes all of the difference.  There are also requirements on how one is registered and/or DROS'd depending on the State laws where you are at.

Pistol:


SBR:

Well, really that's a SCOTUS ruling. ATF always held that once a rifle period, always a rifle. SCOTUS changed that by narrowing it to an original configuration.

- OS

Thats not a ATF ruling it is the law codified in the NFA.



Pistol. A weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a
projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and
having (a) a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently
aligned with, the bore(s); and (b) a short stock designed to be gripped
by one hand and at an angle to and extending below the line of the
bore(s).



No other firearm can ever be made into a pistol as it was not originally designed as such and therefore can ever meet the definition of a pistol. It's really quite that simple.



 

OP this is going to get complicated the above is perfect, it has nothing to do with caliber.