If a lower is registered as a pistol from the FFL, is it legal to build it into a standard rifle configuration?
I know that on weapons like the Contender/Encore, it is legal to do so, but they're nice PC single-shot weapons.
Any help is appreciated.
 -Hobbit

If you have a complete AR pistol (which I must assume was made preban) keep it that way - it is worth more as a pistol!

BTW - yes you can go from a pistol config to rifle, but never back. So keep it a pistol.

Prof, not true.

If you have a pistol (meaning it was built as a pistol, and never had a stock on it before being built into a complete firearm), you can put a stock on it later, provided you put a barrel of at least 16" length on it before the stock goes on.  It can then revert to being a pistol by taking off the stock.

A rifle cannot be made into a pistol because of the way the law defines a pistol and a rifle.

Legal pistol to legal rifle and back = OK.

Legal rifle to legal pistol = "short barreled rifle".

Strange, I know, but that's the way it works.

Actually, this would be with stripped post-ban lowers. I realize that the 50-ounce rule is in effect currently, but I was thinking about keeping it un-built until Sept. 2004.
If there is no replacement AWB, then do a pistol build. If there is, build a rifle.
-Hobbit

Circuits - I won't argue, I would love to believe your opinion! But in a little meeting I had with an ATF agent I was told in no uncertain terms that if a weapon at any time becomes a shoulder fired weapon it can not revert to prior status (except an item in the NFA registry).

Please understand due to my recent traumas I have taken the position of not doing ANYTHING without obtaining a letter first, and when ask give the more restrictive (safer) opinion.

Troy-
Does that refer to weapons assembled into a pistol (like a factory OA-93), or just registered as one (like a stripped lower), or both?
-Hobbit