If I leave the bbl at 16" can I make it a pistol and still leave the rear trunnion where I could mount a stock if I wanted to? Can't have a loaded rifle in the car but a loaded pistol is fine---sounds like a plan to me----thanks----also can a 16" pistol have a front grip?---thanks again

It cant have a front grip or anyway of attaching a stock
I am not sure on what the length can be I think a pistol has to be under a certain length

Not a good Idea man. 16 inches defines a rifle and if it were a pistol it couldnt  be redily available to attatch a stock. Just put the thing in the car and keep a mag right next to it......Or just buy a pistol!!! How about that noise.

Ive got an AK pistol...11 inch barrel...blast to shoot and no louder than 16 inch barrel(maybe a hair).

NO

it's all about ORIGINAL DESIGN

you originally designed it to be able to be fired from the shoulder by the addition of the stock to the tang you designed to be on there

your original design is not a pistol

The whole Thompson Center issue isn't relevant because of the design of the AK where it has a separate stock and pistol grip......now if you modified a thumbhole stock AK.....that's a different issue in and of itself