Ar pistol legality question

[dbailey]

I assume the answer is no - but if you just took the butt stock off a normal AR tube would it be legal. IE, does the tube have to not be able to accept a stock to legal?

[MrM4]

No, once a rifle aways a rifle. The Tube does not matter, you can not build a pistol from a receiver that once had a stock on it.

[s0b3]

i've seen people do what you are thinking about. basically doing a build on a virgin receiver and either using a rifle buffer tube or carbine receiver extension without the stock. "constructive intent" may come into play if the ATF really wants to pursue it, especially if you have a spare collapsible stock or fixed stock laying around. some have gone one step by wrapping the tube with paracord giving it a nicer surface for a cheek weld and making it not easy to install a stock at the same time.

if i was going to use a buffer tube/receiver extension that wasn't a pistol one, i'd wrap paracord around it or use a foam cover so a stock cannot be easily installed.

[100 bullets]

Off a virgin receiver and used a standard rifle tube, but I would tac some weld or something at the end so a stock could not be put on with out grinding down a little bit. I wouldn't want the chance on the constructive intent.

[piratesover40]

If you're going virgin receiver get a pistol receiver to begin with. Cause now you can go rifle and back again at will. No worries about ATF.

[AZ Doug]

I built mine on a "virgin" stripped receiver. I had an old carbine buffer tube laying around so I took a belt sander to it and turned it into a round tube that would not accept a stock. I have since purchased one of Sun Devil's new pistol receiver extension tubes and installed it.

I believe that as long as you modify the extension tube so it cannot accept a stock and start with a "virgin" stripped receiver it should be fine. Also I take photos of mine assembled as a pistol so, if for some stupid reason, I assemble it as a rifle I can prove it had originally been assembled as a pistol and return it to that configuration.

Keep in mind that I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advise, it is merely what I have done.

[MrM4]

ARs are cheap buy 2, 1 for a pistol and 1 for a rifle, no issues with going back and forth.

[AZ Doug]

I agree, but only two? I cannot foresee ever building my pistol into a rifle but I still took photos of it as a pistol. Mine was also built before the change in the 4473 so I have a letter from the manufacturer, whom I bought it from, stating it was sold as a stripped receiver to build into a pistol.

[dbailey]

Well - the reason I was thinking bout it was to build up a "pistol" but pull my RLL out of another rifle and drop the pistol into the mg, put the stock back on and voila - then pull the stock back off and take out the auto connector and pistol again. Too complicated and would be too much hassle to defend, I' can build a true pistol and just swap short barrel uppers. I want to build a 9mm short mg to complement the 223.

[AZ Doug]

Unfortunately you would have to swap the extension tube when the RLL was removed.

[dbailey]

Doug - can you purchase the weights for buffers, or did you just buy an h3 and remove the tungsten to modify others?

[AZ Doug]

I have never found a place to purchase the weights. You should be able to purchase them somewhere, I just never found where. If you find a place let me know.

[coltcollector]

If they didn't have a rule against it, they wouldn't sell designated pistol receivers.

[sillycon]

If they didn't have a rule against it, they wouldn't sell designated pistol receivers.

Since the change in the 4473, a stripped receiver is only supposed to be sold as a "receiver". If it has a pistol tube on it (i.e. it isn't bare) THEN it can be recorded as a pistol, just like if it has a stock on it it's recorded as a rifle.

[dbailey]

A recently purchased virgin receiver can be built into a pistol though, correct?

[sillycon]

Yes, a receiver noted as "receiver" on the 4473 can be built as either a pistol or a rifle.

[piratesover40]

A recently purchased virgin receiver can be built into a pistol though, correct?

Yep as long as it never had a stock on it. I bought a receiver a few years back that had ''pistol multi cal.'' engraved on it. I put a 7.5'' upper on it. Then a year or so later I did a form 1 to SBR it and added a 4 position stock to it.

[medphys]

I have never found a place to purchase the weights. You should be able to purchase them somewhere, I just never found where. If you find a place let me know.

I purchased several Tungsten weights from Model One Sales at Knob Creek several years ago. It was at the booth that had gobs of parts bins. I specifically asked for the weights because I was making a buffer for my TASK M11 conversion. I think I just offered $10 each and they took it. I suppose one could call them and ask if they can sell them separately, wait until October and have a friend ask them when they are there, or just buy a bunch of H1 and H3 buffers to mix and match.

[SecondAmend]

I made a buffer with tungsten granules about 8 years ago. Took a carbine buffer, dumped out the steel weights, and put in the tungsten. You can buy granular or powdered tungsten from golf supply places. Golfers use tungsten to weight some clubs. Granulated/powder has more damping due to the particulate friction than does the rods.

[kwikrnu]

As long as the receiver was made into a pistol before it was a rifle then you may change the rifle back into a pistol as you wish.

receiver to pistol to rifle to pistol is okay
receiver to pistol to firearm to rifle to pistol is also okay
receiver to rifle to pistol is not okay.

Also a buffer tube extension is not a stock.