Author Topic: How can you register your rifle as a pistol? (Read 839 times)

expeditionx · « **on:** November 08, 2005, 01:34:03 PM »

I called thompson center custom shop about getting a custom barrel for my contender g2. They did not offer a carbine barrel in the caliber i was looking at, but offered a pistol length barrel. I told the lady i spoke to that i couldnt modify my carbine to pistol configuration legally because it was serial numbered as a carbine. She said I had to do was contact the ATF to register my carbine receiver as a pistol and problem solved. Has anyone heard of doing this?

coyote 2 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 08, 2005, 02:49:13 PM »

Quote

She said I had to do was contact the ATF to register my carbine receiver as a pistol and problem solved. Has anyone heard of doing this?

I have never heard of doing that - but if you can - you will be waiting months and I mean months for them just to answer your question. If it is possible you will then wait more months to get anything done - ATF is very slow -

longwinters · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2005, 03:52:22 PM »

As Graybeard said to me, do a search. This topic really has been beat to death on this forum. But I would go to your local police, where you would register any handgun and ask them.

Long

contendernut · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2005, 04:01:47 PM »

About $200.

See the ATF's response at:
http://www.handgunhunt.com/tech/t29/index.html

expeditionx · « **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2005, 04:13:57 PM »

I may just get a 15 inch barrel and have fox ridge just add a muzzle tamer to add enough length to get it beyond the legal 16 inches for a carbine

expeditionx · « **Reply #5 on:** November 08, 2005, 04:17:56 PM »

http://www.handgunhunt.com/tech/t29/index.html
This site implies that you can only convert a rifle to a pistol legally by NFA registration. $200 tax and forms- not worth it to me.

iiibbb · « **Reply #6 on:** November 09, 2005, 01:28:01 AM »

It may have been done to death... but this is the first time somoene has posted something concrete from the ATF rather than being rude about it.

kjg · « **Reply #7 on:** November 09, 2005, 02:21:22 AM »

This going to sound dumb by why call them or go to the police to have it registerd ? it was desinged to be used as a pistol, carbine or a rifle, the less big brother has to know the better, besides that if you have the rifle stock it says,"Warning federal law prohibitsuse with barrel less than 16" so if you want a pistol barrel on it you'll have to replase the butt stock to a pistol stock and you might have to change the forarm thats it so I really don't understand your dielema. bb75

New Hampshire · « **Reply #8 on:** November 09, 2005, 12:14:02 PM »

.....please try and know I say this as respectfully as I can.......

Just because "big brother" dont know about it does not make it legal. If you can live with it, moraly, OK I guess. But its not worth any possible legal pitfalls if you ask me (and if you dont think there is a record somewhere of wether or not its a rifle or pistol....your wrong.)

Brian

Keith L · « **Reply #9 on:** November 09, 2005, 01:32:00 PM »

Quote

It may have been done to death... but this is the first time somoene has posted something concrete from the ATF rather than being rude about it.

This and more has been posted a hundred times before. Do a search on the topic and find out.

jason280 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 09, 2005, 02:18:13 PM »

Quote

This going to sound dumb by why call them or go to the police to have it registerd ? it was desinged to be used as a pistol, carbine or a rifle, the less big brother has to know the better, besides that if you have the rifle stock it says,"Warning federal law prohibitsuse with barrel less than 16" so if you want a pistol barrel on it you'll have to replase the butt stock to a pistol stock and you might have to change the forarm thats it so I really don't understand your dielema.

Well, the most obvious answer is becasue its illegal. Please, let's keep all topics current with federal law.

Quote

This and more has been posted a hundred times before. Do a search on the topic and find out.

New members have no idea what has and has not been posted "hundreds of times" on this board in the past. Sure, searches can provide a lot of info, but don't always answer questions 100%. I know this from experience. Instead of answering with "do a search", let's try sharing the knowledge we have on the subject.

iiibbb · « **Reply #11 on:** November 09, 2005, 03:09:55 PM »

Quote from: Keith L

Quote
It may have been done to death... but this is the first time somoene has posted something concrete from the ATF rather than being rude about it.

This and more has been posted a hundred times before. Do a search on the topic and find out.

Respectfully... since Oct 2004 no one has provided a copy of any letter or official document. I invite you to provide a link to a thread which did so.

Also as Jason points out... not all of us have been TC users for 20 years.

If the moderators are tired of having this topic done to death... just like there is a 'search' function.... there's also a 'sticky' function. Try that.

Most posts on this topic have done nothing but end in people getting snippy about a simple question. Then they get pissed because "Because I said so" isn't proof of anything. Some people get surprisingly wound up about this issue and why? Surely they recognize that the ATF's position is completely nonsensical. The frames are identical, and the distinction is made based on serial number? Why is anyone suprised that this would confuse people and lead to questions by people who are new to it.

Sheesh.

I thank the poster of the letter.

Have a nice day.

Keith L · « **Reply #12 on:** November 09, 2005, 06:30:18 PM »

If it is important to you then doing a search is not a big deal. If you just want to argue, as I suspect most folks who weigh in on this topic do, then it is easy to kill the messenger. Even though the entire text of the supreme court ruling, and the BTAF findings etc. have been on this board several times since October 2003 when I started coming here, folks who refer to that have been maligned by those who choose to disreguard the warnings of others. The mantra seems to be a mix of "They wouldn't be able to sell it if converting it was illegal" and "if the local cops don't know the federal firearms law who is going to catch me." Both answers are an abdication of personal responsibility.

Speaking only for myself it has gotten to the point where I no longer care. In fact, I hope one of the know it alls winds up in court on the federal firearms charges that will happen eventually. Then we can have a court case to refer to that settles this issue once and for all.

Consider me tired of the arguement...

iiibbb · « **Reply #13 on:** November 10, 2005, 01:20:01 AM »

You claim to be tired of the argument, yet you're here again.

Not all people are going to 'do it anyway'. I personally just want to know the straight facts. "Because I said so" isn't an answer.... but it is usually the one provided.

Since Oct 2004 no one has posted a substantive letter as posted above. I posted the text of the Supreme Court ruling myself. It is not conclusive... the lawyer who tried the case even sent me a letter that is completely counter to the position the BATF takes above. I've found a number of articles that are counter to the position the BATF takes. I'd never seen an actual BATF letter on the matter prior to this thread.

Those who have posted that it is illegal have only said that the SC case doesn't specifically allow it and therefore it isn't allowed.

You do your own search, and you show me the posts... and if it pisses you off so that this topic keeps coming up.... ask a moderator to sticky a thread so that it doesn't have to. That is what stickies are for and that is the simple[/u] solution. It can even be a closed theread with just the letter above. That's all it would take and you'd never have to deal with the subject again in all likeleyhood.

Why's gotten bad is that newcomers to this board come in here and ask a simple question and their thread got closed. So people can't even ask the question anymore... their thread's not even open long enough to be told to do a search.

Sticky a thread... newbie problem solved.

This forum is the best public Q/A resource I have found on Thompson Centers since I bought one last year. Stickying a thread on the subject with substantive posts with copies of ATF letters would be a community service. Instead people come in here, ask a simple question, and get treated badly.

Have a nice day.

iiibbb · « **Reply #14 on:** November 10, 2005, 01:44:46 AM »

Do you get this annoyed with threads about scope ring heights? I don't see you in there telling people to 'do a search'.

How about "oversized hinge pins"

I've seen 10 times as many threads on those subjects as the ATF.

Graybeard · « **Reply #15 on:** November 10, 2005, 02:46:45 AM »

I'm the one tired of it and the reason I'm tired of it is this: We're NOT lawyers here. If you want to know the law consult with one. Every time this comes up it turns into a great big pissing contest and everyone puts out their FACTS and those FACTS dispute each other. Even the BATFE cannot give you the same answer twice.

The ONLY fact in this matter is that there has not been a court test case YET. If you wish to be it then go ahead. The TC case did NOT decide these issues. Only whether TC could make and sell rifle barrels and stocks.

I've put it to BATFE in writing TWICE and got two conflicting answers. So stop asking here when no one here can give you the legal facts. Go to the BATFE or a lawyer if you want to know what's legal.