AR Pistol Braces under ATF Review to reclassify as SBR

[Oso]

Pistol Braces are under review by ATF for change of status. Proposed regulation (under review) would change their classification to SBR and would require you to register any AR Pistols or similar firearms with pistol braces.

https://blog.princelaw.com/2020/12/...quire-registration-of-currently-owned-braces/

FORUM BOSS -- In a Daily Bulletin article, we just printed the key factors being considered by the ATF:

ATF Issues Notice Regarding AR Pistols — Factors to Consider « Daily Bulletin

Do you own an AR-platform pistol, or are you considering purchasing one? Then you should read the Special Notice issued on 12/18/2020 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) concerning features of these firearms.

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

 

[dantiff2]

Guess it won't much matter after Jan20th. We'll be trading everything that we still have (that survived the boating accident : ) ) in for gift cards.... NOT!
Dan

 

[dakor]

 

[Retired Grunt]

A dog had his chain reduced one link at a time every few days until his chain was so short he could barely move. He never resisted because he was conditioned to the loss of his freedom slowly, over time.

 

[Cecil S.]

Hate hearing this!

 

[No.343]

Does this really surprise anyone?

 

[justpassinthru]

Just the tip of the iceberg headed toward us.

Any gun owner who voted for biden should be proud.

 

[Knuckledragger]

After the "Bump Stock" fiasco, the only thing the Govt. will be getting from me, is the middle finger.

 

[457ciSBC]

I’m not surprised, when you push the envelope it had to happen. Modern AR pistols are nothing like models from 10-12 years ago. When “braces” started to appear looking like collapsible stocks, it was just a matter of time, with builds plastered all over YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest. Then you have the dummies that don’t take the time to read the rules and post illegal builds or write the technical branch asking silly questions, further raising eyebrows. Then someone starts to sell “plugs” that fit into the rear of the braces, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it’s an NFA work around, many builds have no tangible differences from an actual SBR, victims of their own success.

Grabbed from the web, 3 pistols, 2 SBR’s.

 

[300_whisper]

*Sigh*

 

[Cecil S.]

Buy now head for the boat......LOL

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Its like the bump stock- i could care less if you want one, i dont have a use for one, but i dont like em telling me i cant have one. People have GOT to stop flaunting stuff on facebook and other sites and writing the atf asking stupid ass questions is even worse

 

[SDDasher]

What I’ve always found difficult to understand is why is a 16” rifle not “taxed” and a 15 7/8” barrel rifle is.......stupid laws designed to raise revenue. One is no more lethal than the other.

 

[justpassinthru]

At least it looks as if owners of these may be exempt from paying the NFA tax. From page 12:
"As part of that process, ATF plans to expedite processing of these applications, and ATF has been informed that the Attorney General plans retroactively to exempt such firearms from the collection of NFA taxes if they were made or acquired, prior to the publication of this notice, in good faith."

Registering them with the NFA will of course tell them exactly where they're at for confiscation later but failing to comply would probably make the owner an instant felon.

 

[300_whisper]

All you’re doing is paying money to actually have your weapon on a registry. F’ em. Who cares anymore. 5000 thugs against 150 million firearm owners. Can’t arrest us all.

 

[Park ranger]

Does that mean you could just use a buffer tube AR with no brace?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Again, and this is part of the problem.. As I understood it, it use to be that an ar with less than a 16" barrel had to be on a lower that is specifically marked by the mfg as a "pistol". My understanding is that they dropped that requirement. For starters, they should not be able to declare something as legal, then go back and declare it illegal...PERIOD! Second, is... this is just my understanding...This should NOT be complicated, but apparently, it is.

All that said, I don't see my first issue addressed anywhere. If the mods are now again illegal on a rifle lower, how about on a legally mfg'd pistol lower?

Again...maybe it's just too complicated. I really don't care about the brace but this seems to encompass more than just a brace and retroactively outlaws guns that they previously approved as legal.

 

[yotehater]

150 million firearm owners

150 million firearm owners should stop paying taxes.

 

[Oso]

Does that mean you could just use a buffer tube AR with no brace?

That is a good question.

Another issue is if you decide to toss out your AR Pistol braces and keep the short barrel upper to use with one of your other lowers that has already been registered as SBR then you may still be in trouble under "intent to construct"/active construction. There is no reasonable discussion with ATF that you can have multiple short barreled uppers, even in different calibers, and plan to use with same registered SBR lower. Apparently, ATF's view is that you intend use illegally on an "unregistered" normal lower. Expert advice is that for every short barreled upper you must have a separate SBR registered lower.

 

[AccelR8]

Does that mean you could just use a buffer tube AR with no brace?

Years ago I built an AR pistol and at that time the general consensus among builders was to use a pistol buffer tube. A pistol buffer tube ("receiver extension") has a diameter that will not allow an AR15 butt stock to fit over it. Using a standard rifle or carbine receiver extension, which would allow the installation of a butt stock even if you didn't have one on it, was considered a good way get in trouble. I don't know if anyone ever did get in trouble that way but I played it safe.