Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots 15" Encore Pistol Barrel + Muzzle Break???

If I were to get a 15" Encore pistol barrel and add a 1.5" muzzle break, would that make it a legal rifle barrel???

1) The minimum barrel Federally-mandated length for a rifle is 16", with no parts that, if removed would result in a shorter barrel.
So, if the brake is integral with the barrel or welded-on, AND the OAL is 16" or more, the BARREL qualifies as a rifle BARREL.

However,

2) The minumum Federally-mandated OVERALL length for a rifle is 26", with all stock(s) installed, and collapsed, if collapsible/folding.

So, to answer your question "would adding a 1.5" muzzle break to a 15" Encore barrel make it a legal rifle ?":

No, not by simply adding a brake.
The brake must not only be long enough, it must be non-removable; and the barrel cannot be used with an OAL under 26" and still legally be a rifle.

IIRC, the above is a theoretical/moot exercise only, though - since Encore FRAMES are marked at original sale by T/C as either a pistol or a rifle,

and ATF has ruled that rifle barrels cannot be used on the pistol frames,

even with a rifle buttstock installed

- unlike the older Contender design, which was "grandfathered" to be able to do so.

The only legal thing you can do with a 15" Encore barrel, besides mounting/using it on an Encore pistol frame, would be to weld on a barrel extension (the brake) and mount it on an Encore rifle frame.

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Thanks! I suspected it needed to be a permanent addition ...

I have a line on a really inexpensive 15" barrel and wanted to make sure it was worth it to add a permanent brake to make it a qualifying rifle barrel for the Encore rifle I already have ...

I had a .223 with a permanant brake and it was an ear-buster. I shot it at a range one day, outdoors but with a shed over the firing line. It was so loud it actually set off a car alarm in a vehicle parked behind me. You could feel the shock hitting your face as you shot. But there was just about zero recoil.

Man! Never again.

I believe you are quite mistaken. Without doing some pricey paperwork, you can't legally put a barrel less than 16 inches in length on a frame with a rifle buttstock. There is nothing to prohibit you from putting a rifle barrel and buttstock on a pistol frame.

It's true that the BATF did make a bit deal about Contenders years ago and their interpretation of the law was found to be erroneous. Since the BATF didn't "grandfather" in sawed off shotguns, etc., I rather doubt any grandfathering was done or needed to be done for Contenders.

Yes, quite mistaken !

Agreed Mistaken.