In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Options
Handgun vs Rifle
uni82
Member Posts: 416 ✭✭
If I were to build a handgun, could I use the receiver of a rifle? Example, I have an extra 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser. I want to re barrel it to a 12 or 14 inch barrel and make my own stock with a thumb hole pistol grip. Can I legally do this? Making a handgun out of a rifle receiver and then change the registration of the serial numbers to a handgun? Pretty much make my own Remington XR100. Thanks!
-JD
-JD
Comments
And IMHO, the muzzle blast would be ferocious.
Can only build a pistol from a virgin receiver unless you do NFA paperwork.
Can you do it LEGALLY within the UNITED STATES?
Yes, *IF* you live in a jurisdiction that allows short barreled rifles, AND you do (in advance) the appropriate federal paperwork to register you gun as a "short barreled rifle" and pay the federal tax. After doing these things, THEN you can legally cut down your rifle into what amounts to a pistol (though legally it will be a "short barreled rifle", and at that point you could legally even put a stock back on it).
As far as I know, you are NOT allowed to take a rifle receiver, obliterate the serial number, then just rebuild that as a pistol.
Doing that would put you in serious violation of at least several federal and probably also State laws (eg tampering with a serial number, cutting down a rifle, etc). DO NOT try this.
EDIT: This is NOT what you asked, but if you were able to obtain a Mauser receiver that has NEVER been built into a rifle (a so called "virgin receiver"), THEN you could legally build it into a pistol configuration legally without doing any paperwork.
But once you are starting with a pre-existing rifle, the BATFE rule is "once a rifle, always a rifle". You can't legally cut it down without federal paperwork and tax paying.
Just trying to make this legal and cheap and don't want to do a WHOLE lot of paper work on it. I do not want to get in a whole lot of trouble for something I'm going to drop deer with.
-JD
virgin action like a savage target action. Never been registered as a rifle or a handgun, just an action. It does not state anywhere if it is a rifle/pistol. If I build a 12 or 14 inch barrel on it and carve a stock, would that be a handgun?
To the best of my knowledge, if you were to take a never used rifle-type action, and then add a pistol grip (only) and a 12 inch barrel that's OK as a handgun.
In fact, there are several commercially available handguns like this on the market (EG Ruger Charger, Thompson-Center contender, Weatherby, various AR-15 style pistols, etc, etc).
But you CANNOT put a SHOULDER stock on there with the short barrel without first doing the paperwork and paying the tax. That's a big no-no.
quote:Originally posted by mark christian
Take the action, add a 12 inch barrel with a PERMANENTLY attached 4.25" muzzle brake (16.25 inches total) and then fit your thumbhole type stock/pistol grip making sure that the over all length of the firearm [is] 26 inches and you are home free.
Yes, this type of carbine would be legal under Federal law.
Unfortunately, with this thing being over two feet long, I think you'd give up most of the advantages in portability of a true handgun, and it might defeat the purpose of the exercise.
I think per Federal law, rifles with not easily detachable folding stocks are given the "benefit of the doubt" so to speak, and are measured with the stock folded.
So installing a non-detachable folding stock could potentially help if you are after maximum portability with your short carbine.
In fact, there are several commercially available handguns like this on the market (EG Ruger Charger, Thompson-Center contender, Weatherby, various AR-15 style pistols, etc, etc).
But you CANNOT put a SHOULDER stock on there with the short barrel without first doing the paperwork and paying the tax. That's a big no-no.
That is exactly what I am talking about. It will NOT have a shoulder stock AT ALL. It will have only a pistol grip barrel and a scope. Just like the weatherby striker.
I will do more research with the atf, and make a couple of phone calls. Thanks guys for your help!
-JD
quote:To the best of my knowledge, if you were to take a never used rifle-type action, and then add a pistol grip (only) and a 12 inch barrel that's OK as a handgun.
In fact, there are several commercially available handguns like this on the market (EG Ruger Charger, Thompson-Center contender, Weatherby, various AR-15 style pistols, etc, etc).
But you CANNOT put a SHOULDER stock on there with the short barrel without first doing the paperwork and paying the tax. That's a big no-no.
That is exactly what I am talking about. It will NOT have a shoulder stock AT ALL. It will have only a pistol grip barrel and a scope. Just like the weatherby striker.
I will do more research with the atf, and make a couple of phone calls. Thanks guys for your help!
-JD
This misses the point. That the firearm was at one point configured as a long gun (a shoulder stock attached and a greater than 16" barrel) means it can not now be reconfigured as a handgun. That YOU are not going to assemble it with a shoulder stock doesn't change that it has in the past been configured as a long gun. That's the act which precludes subsequent reconfiguration as a handgun.
The ATF letter floating about here on this point maybe should be a sticky somewhere.
quote:Originally posted by uni82
quote:To the best of my knowledge, if you were to take a never used rifle-type action, and then add a pistol grip (only) and a 12 inch barrel that's OK as a handgun.
In fact, there are several commercially available handguns like this on the market (EG Ruger Charger, Thompson-Center contender, Weatherby, various AR-15 style pistols, etc, etc).
But you CANNOT put a SHOULDER stock on there with the short barrel without first doing the paperwork and paying the tax. That's a big no-no.
That is exactly what I am talking about. It will NOT have a shoulder stock AT ALL. It will have only a pistol grip barrel and a scope. Just like the weatherby striker.
I will do more research with the atf, and make a couple of phone calls. Thanks guys for your help!
-JD
This misses the point. That the firearm was at one point configured as a long gun (a shoulder stock attached and a greater than 16" barrel) means it can not now be reconfigured as a handgun. That YOU are not going to assemble it with a shoulder stock doesn't change that it has in the past been configured as a long gun. That's the act which precludes subsequent reconfiguration as a handgun.
The ATF letter floating about here on this point maybe should be a sticky somewhere.
That does not really "miss the point". He has asked if he uses a Savage Target action...and they do sell just the reciever, and it has never been built into anything. Much like an AR-15 lower, that has never ben built upon. It CAN be built into anything.
Actually it was the Savage Striker, and Weatherby built the CFP, and Remington the XP-100, and XP-100R(built on a Model 7 action).
Best