Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Antique rifle to pistol conversion

I have an antique rolling block rifle that has been Bubba'd. If I make a pistol out of it, have I commited a crime?

If you did, and without knowing the history of it, everyone who sees it will blame you as the bubba, and you'll always have to defend yourself.

How badly messed up is it? Can it be restored?

Good point. I think I'll keep it as a rifle. Besides, I learned last night tnat it's the wrong frame size for a pistol. The pistols were on the No.4 size frame, and this is a No. 1 1/2, which is the same size as a No. 1.

This rifle is messed up just enough to make collectors cringe. Someone filed the octagon barrel to an octagon-to-round, starting just at the end of the forend, and left the octagon for an inch or two at the muzzle to hold the front sight. What I had in mind was cutting the barrel to leave an octagon pistol barrel and changing the stock to a pistol grip. That would mean, among other things, ditching a faded but uncracked 1880s buttstock - not a great idea.

What was I thinking?

Green Mountain makes barrels. Any idea who might have an original barrel for sale?

Looks like you've already made your decision.

Just curious, do BATFE SBR rules apply to antiques? Pretty sure they do.

I kind of think so too. And I can't pretend it was made that way because it is the wrong frame size (plus that would be wrong).