Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Pistol braces and short barrels

What is the legality of buying, selling or trading short (less than 16”) AR barrels and pistol braces?? I’m confused!!!??? Any help appreciated.

A pistol is a pistol. Treat it as any other pistol.

Be aware there is a countdown clock ticking on the legality of having a brace attached. If equipped with a brace, must be registered as an SBR no later than 31 May 2023 (I THINK).

https://www.guns.com/news/2023/01/31/bye-bye-braces-atf-publishes-final-rule-starting-120-countdown

Thanks for the information.

Currently there's several active lawsuits regarding the new pistol brace rule, and congressional hearings on ATF abuses including this new rule yesterday. We'll get more clarity as these suits move through the courts.

Are you concerned with complete guns or just the parts? There are no laws that dictate buying barrels or pistol braces individually.

I am very disturbed by this who brace BS

It’s really a bunch of crap and unfortunately I think the majority of gun owners that don’t have one don’t know or care about the big picture
I have been watching this pretty closely

It’s total BS
Hank

I saw the ATF say well it wasn’t designed as a stock so if it accidentally touches your shoulder that’s okay. It doesn’t make a pistol an SBR.

Then I saw every YouTube personality treat braced pistols just like an SBR, even to the extent of scoping them so you had to shoulder them.

And now everyone is wondering why the ATF is suddenly calling them a loophole around the SBR law. Who could’ve seen this coming?

Personally, I don’t see the need for SBR’s, SBS’s and suppressors being class 3 items and I hope the legal rodeo’s bring about some positive changes. But we as a whole, need to be smarter.

and if nobody registers? they gonna lock up 2.3 million people? think about it?

I have been following this some, I hope it turns out well for us.
This seems to be some good information.
Washington Gun Law (web site).

Latest video. To bad it is on you tube!

Got tired of reading contradictory information. However, it seems I recall some language regarding POSSESSION of a brace and a less than overall 26” or less than 16” barrel rifle/pistol. Correct if wrong.

I agree with you 💯%. They aren’t going to stop here either these communist pricks

So if you currently have an AR pistol with a brace, and the lower is registered as a pistol, is it technically then a rifle if you just switch the upper to say a 16.1” barrel and the brace remains on the stock?

Yes

So you might get as well have a collapsible butt stock. Still very manageable. But the reason I wanted a AR “pistol” was to have a concealable “pistol” as a car gun. Going rifle leads to various laws regarding the carrying of a loaded rifle in a vehicle. Sucky laws for sure and the 1934 act should be struck down completely. That’s the only way to resolve the minutia.

Interesting as if the repeal of the 34 act wouldn’t stop the states under the constitution to still set laws prohibiting the carrying of loaded long guns in the car.

18 U.S. Code § 926A - Interstate transportation of firearms


Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

So there you have it, the transportation of a loaded firearm in a vehicle is controlled by the individual states. States powers again.

Nothing will stop stupid states from doing stupid, and unconstitutional, things. But 1934 is eat up with unconstitutional bs. As long as it’s on the books there will always be the alphabet minutia about what a rifle is vs pistol vs SBR vs “other”. I was speaking more to having a 16” barrel with a brace vs a butt stock.

Interestingly you condemn the States for allowing you Concealed weapons carry in a vehicle, when the Feds don’t. You say that what they are allowing you to do is unconstitutional. I take it that you wanted the pistol with brace so you could have an unregistered non 200 buck tax stamp SBR that was allowed under state CCW laws. Not hard to figure out.
99% of all the AR pistols I have seen in use were unwieldy for accuracy and the owner ended up using the brace as a stock. Lots even on here put up pics of use as SBR and how it circumvented the NFA. There were lots of posts on forums suggesting the exact brace as best for the purpose, so all in all it was the idiot gun owners themselves that fugged it up.

Ridge Runner
the more we submit, the more they will demand next time. All it would take is to change a few words in the 'law', and any gun can be made illegal. It's looking that is the direction things are going.

Possession of a concealed handgun is legal in the majority of states today with permits generally honored state to state. That includes vehicle carry. I do not condemn that other than recognizing no permit should be required at all. Your observation of my unstated desire to have a legal shoulder fired weapon defined as a handgun is accurate. 30 rounds per load in a compact package is attractive and carries constitutional legality. Unfortunately state and federal politicians do not always recognize this as fact forcing court action. I don’t care to die on that hill when a more simple alternative is available. We are sometimes forced by unconstitutional legalities to settle for less than inalienable rights or go through the expensive and time consuming court system. I’ll just carry a more benign handgun with 15 to 17 round magazines until bills such as 1934 are declared unconstitutional.