CT Questions? Thanks


If a flash hider is premanenently mounted, covering up the barrel threading, are you good to go, or is there an issue with the actual flash hider?  Thanks!

Depends on the rifle.

If it is semi-auto and fed by a detachable magazine, it can have no more than one of the evil features, else it is an assault weapon:

(i) A folding or telescoping stock;
(ii) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;
(iii) A bayonet mount;
(iv) A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and
(v) A grenade launcher.

For an AR-style rifle, the only evil feature allowed is the pistol grip.  Any of the other features are verboten on a rifle manufactured after 9/1994.

Quoted: Depends on the rifle. If it is semi-auto and fed by a detachable magazine, it can have no more than one of the evil features, else it is an assault weapon: (i) A folding or telescoping stock; (ii) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon; (iii) A bayonet mount; (iv) A flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and (v) A grenade launcher. For an AR-style rifle, the only evil feature allowed is the pistol grip.  Any of the other features are verboten on a rifle manufactured after 9/1994.

Sounds like no

Wrong - - -  IF you are using a "compensator" or muzzle brake

You can have a PERMANENTLY ATTACHED comp or brake.  Every gun store in CT sells them that way.

It's not what is at the end of the muzzle it is in HOW it is attached.

Quoted: It's not what is at the end of the muzzle it is in HOW it is attached.

Just a clarification on this.

Yes, it does matter what is at the end of the barrel and how it is attached:

Flash Suppressor on threaded barrel - NO
Flash Suppressor welded to barrel - NO
Muzzle Brake/Comp on threaded barrel - NO
Muzzle Brake/Comp welded to barrel - YES

Back to MouseBoy's question:
If a flash hider is permanently mounted, covering up the barrel threading, are you good to go?

The answer is NO on a post 9/94 AR-stle rifle.

Quoted: Quoted: It's not what is at the end of the muzzle it is in HOW it is attached. Just a clarification on this. Yes, it does matter what is at the end of the barrel and how it is attached: Flash Suppressor on threaded barrel - NO Flash Suppressor welded to barrel - NO Muzzle Brake/Comp on threaded barrel - NO Muzzle Brake/Comp welded to barrel - YES Back to MouseBoy's question: If a flash hider is permanently mounted, covering up the barrel threading, are you good to go? The answer is NO on a post 9/94 AR-stle rifle.

racer934 is correct....No flash hider/suppressor unless the rifle is pre-ban. Muzzle brakes/comps are all that's allowed on a post-ban rifle. Even then, you have to watch overall length.
I have a post-ban Bushy M4 w/14.5" barrel and Mini Y comp. When I change the brake, I cannot use a "bird-cage style" muzzle brake as the OAL will be less than 16". I must use a "phantom style" brake which is longer.

It doesn't have to be welded. It can be pinned, too. As long as the muzzle isn't externally threaded to
accept the conventional flash hider

The SOG armory .701" birdcage comp. is CT compliant and it's secured by drilling dimples to acept hex nuts and Loc-Tite.

How the hell does anyone tell the difference between a "comp" or "brake" and a "flash hider"?

Just like AK "TYPES" there's no definition of it in the statute.

It's asinine these f-ing laws; oh yeah, we're protecting society from the evil bayonet stud and flash hider  see what a difference it makes in reducing violent crime.

What's worse is that our tax dollars go to pay for the illegal, unconstititutional enforcement of these laws that are contrary to the CONSTITUTION the supreme Law of the Land.....

It's like saying you can own a red camaro but not a black firebird.

So a muzzle break over threads, but permanently attached (pinned) is OK?

Quoted: So a muzzle break over threads, but permanently attached (pinned) is OK?

Yup.

steve - everytime I look at my bayo lug, it has that look of violent rage.  God forbid if an actual bayonet was installed.  Mayhem!  MAYHEM, I TELL YOU!

Mouseboy: YES.

You can have a compensator or muzzle brake that does not involve having an externally threaded muzzle in CT. You cannot have a "flash supressor" per se, or an externally threaded muzzle to accomodate one.

Remember, in CT it's as if the federal 1994 ban never expired with the only exception being that we can have new, hi-cap mags.

Walk into any CT gunstore and you will see fixed stock AR clones without bayo studs having "izzy" brakes, "AK-74" brakes, other comps and brakes, etc.

Question: Could you take a threaded Barrel and make it post ban legal with a plain muzzle without cutting and recrowning it? Such as maybe getting a thread protector or something perm attached by a weld or pinned? So you could have a plain muzzle and not a brake or compensator? Just a question for the possibility of making pre-ban uppers post-ban, since it seems to be getting harder to get post ban uppers new from some places.

A thread protector perm attatched would be legal as long as min. bbl length is good. However, I haven't had any problem getting one in postban configuration. Most any competant manufacturer can grind or mill off the lug and install your choice of brake/comp. Thats if you want one at all.

Why bother doing that when brand new barrels epecially in "post ban" configuration are plentiful and dirt cheap???? Where is it hard to get post ban uppers? Bushmaster and Rock River are loaded with them.

Since 40 states don't have this restriction anymore, that means a lot of barrels are out there in
"post ban" configuration. I would think they would be going on inventory reduction sale

Would it be legal for a FFL dealer to accept a post-ban rifle that has preban features but not transfered to buyer until stock's pinned and FH replaced w/brake? There has been numerous of postban rifles out there that's been reconfigured after the fed ban expired.

Question... even if a muzzle brake is premanenently attached, and the OAL is at least 16", couldn't it still be considered a grenade launcher"? IIRC, under the 94 federal ban, a muzzle device had to be a certain diameter (I believe it had to be more than 23mm).

Quoted: Question... even if a muzzle brake is premanenently attached, and the OAL is at least 16", couldn't it still be considered a grenade launcher"? IIRC, under the 94 federal ban, a muzzle device had to be a certain diameter (I believe it had to be more than 23mm).

Hmm, thats a good one.  Though a barrel launched nade requires a blank grenade launching round, and if you dont have one, then you dont realy have a complete launcher.  Though I seem to remember that birdcage breaks were not considered GL.


The real question is, whats the difference between a flash suppresor and a muzzel break?

Quoted:

Quoted: Question... even if a muzzle brake is premanenently attached, and the OAL is at least 16", couldn't it still be considered a grenade launcher"? IIRC, under the 94 federal ban, a muzzle device had to be a certain diameter (I believe it had to be more than 23mm).

Hmm, thats a good one.  Though a barrel launched nade requires a blank grenade launching round, and if you dont have one, then you dont realy have a complete launcher.  Though I seem to remember that birdcage breaks were not considered GL.

The birdcage brakes are most likely too large to accept any known rifle grenade.


"Grenade launchers were already illegal and regulated by the ATF as "Destructive Devices". However, most militaries use an item known as a rifle grenade. This grenade attaches to the muzzle of the rifle and is launched by firing a round (or special blank round) into the base of the grenade. Since civilian flash suppressors were identical in diameter to military flash suppressors, they were capable of using this grenade (although possession of such a grenade is illegal and unlikely). For the purposes of this bill, this made these flash suppressors into "grenade launchers"."

www.ont.com/users/kolya/AR15/aw94.htm

"A semiautomatic rifle capable of accepting a detachable magazine
and having a threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash
suppressor would be an assault weapon as defined in the above
statute.  A rifle would not be considered to have a threaded
barrel if threads were covered by a muzzle brake which was
permanently attached to the barrel by welding or high temperature
(1,100 degrees Fahrenheit) silver solder.   The muzzle brake must
not additionally function as a flash hider or grenade launcher."

www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/wbardwel/public/nfalist/atf_letter11.txt

"A firearm having a muzzle brake, cap, or barrel extension
permanently attached by those same methods to cover the threads on
a barrel, would not be considered to have a threaded muzzle.
Please note, however, that any muzzle device or barrel extension
which functions as a flash suppressor or grenade launcher would
still constitute one of the qualifying features of a semiautomatic
assault weapon as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. section
921(a)(30(B).  Industrial adhesive products are not an acceptable
method for permanently attaching a muzzle device."

www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/wbardwel/public/nfalist/atf_letter40.txt


The real question is, whats the difference between a flash suppresor and a muzzel break?

A FS is bored out in a larger dimension...



A muzzle brake is bored out in the caliber dimension of the firearm it is designed for...

Well if the "grenade launcher" is illegal then there are tens of thousands of felons out there who openly bought "grenade launcher" equipped rifles from gun stores every day - including theYugo 59/66 SKS

The SKS 59/66 does not have a pistol grip or a detachable mag so unless you change the configuration of the rifle as purchased you are not illegal.

If yo change the stock or add detachable mags it becomes an Assault Weapon and you are now illegal.

Quoted: It's asinine these f-ing laws; oh yeah, we're protecting society from the evil bayonet stud and flash hider  see what a difference it makes in reducing violent crime. What's worse is that our tax dollars go to pay for the illegal, unconstititutional enforcement of these laws that are contrary to the CONSTITUTION the supreme Law of the Land..... It's like saying you can own a red camaro but not a black firebird.

My fire chief is looking into building his first AR. When I told him about these idiotic rules, he found it very hard to believe that these were the law. "Fucking stupid" were his exact words.

The law sucks but you can get around it with a preban rifle or lower that was assembled as a rifle prior to the ban.

You may pay a couple dollars more than a new one but prices are about half what they were during the ban.