So the dnr has raised a stink about this before, but what is the ultimate answer?

Is an AR pistol legal to use in late muzzleloader?

I'll go another step and say, would it be ok for me to take the upper off my new 18" .450 bushmaster and put it on a braced pistol lower for late muzzleloader?

IMO if it's marked as a pistol it is a pistol but I think you're going to be at the mercy of the particular offer that checks you and will need to prove it to him.

I have heard of it done, I have not heard about an outcome from a warden stop and check.

I am interested as well.

Don't remember the code number to look it up but I think that was one of the things in the latest bill this summer. If it's legally a handgun it's a handgun.

ETA-doesn't mean you won't have an argument if an individual officer doesn't know or if he disagrees.

I was one of the (few) guys at the IADNR NRC meeting about this last time it came up. They like to call it a late muzzleloader, but that isn't the original intent. They even talked about it at the meeting. If I remember correctly, Kim Francisco even said he used one. You are GTG with a braced AR pistol.

That meeting was before the last legislative session, so if anything has changed I am unaware.