Posted: 12/23/2004 5:58:10 AM EDT
while packing up to head home after test-firing my para at the pit the other day it hit me like a roll of quarters that i have a problem. WTF didn't i think about this stuff?!  ?#1: if i have my para in my safe with my 16.5" FAL am i OK? obviously swapping the para lower & B/BC onto my 16.5 upper assembly (which HS ok as it happens) would create an illegally short rifle of right about 27"OAL folded. can i simultaneously possess my carbine and a folder if both are fully assembled? ?#2: my para lower is now at my workplace because of ?#1 & ALSO after mulling this over i start thinking 'what's the F/OAL for the para as i built her?' D'OH!! with the 18" barrel (threaded) i put on it's only about 28.5" folded (w/o the FH). i never thought an 18" barrel would be too short OAL & didn't even check prior to building it. i can't see myself permanently fixing anything on those threads. so the dilemma: -keep it short and register as a pistol? that is an option, right? -pull one of my reserve STG front ends & chop & thread to 19.5" or whatever gets me right over 30" F/OAL? -pull one of my reserve STG front ends & just use it full length? -sell this freakin para kit i sat on for 9mos. waitin for the ban to die and get something else? -other? ideas, advice & comments please! here they are, as they used to be..  
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MI is 30 in.... I dont think you can register this as a pistol either, in order for that to happen I think the reciever would have had to been registered as a pistol when purchased. I am pretty sure thats correct. Drive down to OH and sell it to someone there as they can legally own them. |
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Anything over 26" and under 30" can be and should be registered as pistol in MI. Registering it as a pistol doesn't make it a pistol it just makes it a rifle registered to comply with the old State Attorney General's ruling. You can own both a rifle and a folder without registering it. If you put the folder on then you have 10 days to register it. If you take the folder back off before the 10 days are up, well then it ain't under 30 anymore so you must use your own judgment. Check with you local PD and tell them you want to put a folder on a rifle and want to register it because it will be under 30". They will either tell you to bring it in to register or will want you to fill out a permit to purchase first. I know you already own it, some PDs want a permit filled out anyway. Frankly though, don't lose any sleep over it. I 've never heard of anyone being prosecuted for folding stock rifle that was under 30" unless it was used in a crime. first. Just to reiterate, MI considers any pistol grip or folding stock long gun to be a SBR if under 26" OAL. They consider any long gun over 26" but under 30" to have to be registered as a pistol. I personally dont think that requirement would stand up if challanged in court, but so far it has not been challanged. |
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appreciate your thoughts gents.....hate to 'toe the line', don't want to register it & just don't want anything permanent on my muzzle so for now i've shuffled the FAL stuff around. i mated the para-cut receiver w/18" bbl to the DSA LW lower & Izzy furniture the 16.5" was wearing. took the 16.5" barreled receiver and put the lower half & HG from an Aussie kit on it. i still have an imbel kit w/ VG bore i was planning to build as a 50.00 so i'll probably cut it down to 19.5" for legal F/OAL as a rifle and build the para (w/imbel receiver) all imbel (less the 922r stuff) as that's what my para stuff is. just as well i suppose. while i was loathe to do so, i wouldn't have been able to fight the urge to convert the para lower to type 1 to match the DCI upper much longer. now i have 2 wood-stocked carbines instead of one and i'll still have my para (eventually). sure is a good thing having a bunch of extra B/BCs....was able to come outta this without messing with any LSs. thanks  |
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suggestion #1: DO IT! suggestion #2: if you don't plan on doing multiple builds / are not set up to parkerize or other refinish, buy a refinished kit if possible. keep an eye on FALFILES' marketplace, they pop up now & again. suggestion #3: if you're anywhere near detroit LMK before you buy any tools / gauges & maybe i can help you out. if you only plan one build the tool cost can kill ya. i'm spreading my tool cost over 6 (or more) builds. frugal, eh? lol |
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Falna45 I am real itchy to pick one up. I like the way that para carbine that quiteshooter has on the FAl forum. Any place besides Williams to pick one up at? I am in Davison. I can't seem to justofy spending the money for a Colt ar something, when I coudl get a .308 for almost the same cost. Joe |
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i haunt the all shops i know of pretty hard and never see anything like that on the shelves. GG in fenton has had a nice ban-feature DSA tactical carbine for a while now. it's sweet (&expensive, of course) with fluted barrel IIRC and the rail forend. probably has 1k of my fingerprints on it too! and that would be a helluva base to add a DSA para conversion kit to once they're caught up but you'd be spending more $$ that way unless you sell off the lower from the carbine...or use it for another build....oh, wait - that's me! but you'd be shooting right away. if you go with a DSA unit i believe you'll have some wait. if you're not set on all DSA you could build it from imbel (&other) parts cheaper & faster. i haven't seen many kit built para rifles for sale yet but they may start turning up too. note to self: should've went & fondled the DSA PARA @williams today instead of going to the GTC show  at least it was free. ETA: how much was the DSA @williams? guessin maybe $1650? |