I have seen pictures of AR pistols with appear to be rifle length buffer tubes. Is that legal? In effect all that they have done is remove the stock. The buffer tube is almost as long as the stock is +/- 1/2' .
Would shouldering it with out the stock make it a SBR?

Yes it is legal. It is also legal to use a standard carbine extension with the notches for the collapsible stock on a pistol, just obviously without a stock slid onto it.

People have taken to using the longer rifle extensions for several reasons, one being that their longer length makes it easier to reach the 26" overall length limit in order to attach a VFG to their pistol, making it a non-NFA "firearm".


Ask far as shouldering any bare receiver extension being legal? That's still nebulous. The ATF seemed to imply in their last Sig brace letter than intentionally shouldering anything on a pistol would constitute making an SBR.  Whether or not that idea will hold up in court is another matter, but no one wants to be the test case.

I was going to use a rifle length tube on my pistols but didn't like the projection at the rear used for the bolt to hold the stock on.

I used one of these instead Ultimate Arms with a foam cover slid over it. The KAK Super tube is too thick to put the grip cover on I use.

If you want to use a rifle tube you could always put a walking stick end on it to cover the protrusion. You also need to use a rifle buffer/spring. I have no experience with these on a pistol but can't see it would be an issue.

While legal, there may be potential complications. If you go to the range with a barrel < 16" and a tube with the stock removed and you have the stock in your gun case, it could be articulated by an overzealous LEO that you are in constructive possession of a SBR as you have all of the elements and it would take very little effort to create that configuration. I can't imagine why you would throw the stock in the bag but what if you had the stock in your house ant the pistol in that setup? If a LEO had reason to be in your house, the same conclusions could be made. While you may be fine in the end, there may be a lot of hassle (time and money) on the way to the end. To avoid any complications, I've seen people wrap the tube in 550 cord as a way to show that a stock cannot be immediately placed on the tube.

My AR pistol had a full-length rifle receiver extension on it for years.  No need to shoulder it.  Throw the tube over your shoulder, it makes a fine cheekrest.

If you had no other legal use for the stock (which you wouldn't if it was in your pistol bag at the range) or maybe it is an A2 stock and all your rifles, except the pistol, could not accept the A2 stock then you have don't have "constructive possession" but an illegal SBR.





 

It's the constructive possession that puts you in possession of the illegal SBR, as I stated before. If it weren't for constructive possession, you'd simply have a pistol and an extra stock.

Nothing wrong with an "extra stock", btw. Where the rubber meets the road legally, if one has a "useful purpose other than making an NFA firearm", they all do.
No sense baiting the bear and being out and about with one, though, where it would tend to stick out like a sore thumb.

And btw, if you use a rifle tube, you'll need to capture the takedown pin spring/detente by threading/set screwing the channel or use a pin like the KNS Precision one.

- OS

I bought a spacer to use in conjuction with a standard size buffer. Worked out really well for my pistol.

Constructive possession arrests occur about as often as holding a Brace up to your shoulder. It's a scare tactic some throw into the conversation to make an impact.

There is no reason you would have an stock in your bag at the range if you are shooting a pistol. Why drag around the dead weight? So goes the argument, it's basically made up to look important.

You have a stock at home? I do, matching buffer tube, as do hundreds of thousands of us. Nobody is knocking on the door to search our home with "constructive possession" in mind. If agents raid a house it's for other reasons - much more important things like terrorism or arms trafficking with NFA stuff - then they might dogpile a charge on top. No different that an alcohol check point in traffic - they are looking for drunks, they catch a few dead heads who give them lip over wearing seatbelts.

I will suggest that shooting the pistol with it held to your shoulder will give you more grief from the underinformed than having a stock hiding in your range bag. Point being the ATF spoke to that long ago. Fire away.

There are less agents than bad guys, their plates are full. But on the internet there are those who need to see the .Gov as worse than the Soviet Union and who make problems where none exist.