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Stupid Question on AR "Papering"

2K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  gdmoody 
#1 ·
The term "papering" may be incorrect,what I'm asking-I bought 5 AR lowers(paid for but picking up 1 a week).I want 2 as pistols/3 as rifles.I asked my FFL if there was a box to check on paperwork to denote usage of lower,he said NO,I'm selling them to you as "other" and you can do what you want with them.So,do the rcvrs become a pistol forever more after I build into pistol(same with rifle)?Obviously I don't want a 10.5" barrel on a "rifle" lower.I've gone through my books of regulations and really can't find a concrete answer.Thx
 
#2 ·
I kind of asked this same question the last time I bought a stripped lower. The consensus was no. Your lowers will go in your LGS bound book as either "other" or just receiver. As long as you don't go mixing and matching, you can change them back and forth.
 
#3 ·
I was told once it's put together as rifle it's forever a rifle, same for pistol. How they would know the details of use..beats me. What I do know is they arbitrarily change positions on matters without notifying us. The latest change on the AR pistol front pertains to those sig "pistol braces". At first they ruled them legal with no restrictions.........now however they have become illegal the moment they touch your should. Be careful, if one was cynical they might believe they set up situations as snares.
 
#4 ·
>I was told once it's put together as rifle it's forever a rifle, same for pistol.M

ATF does not care if you change a pistol into a rifle. But if you ever put a shoulder stock on it, it is forever more a rifle, and cannot be changed into a pistol.

Will they know? Probably not.

Would switching it back and forth like that be illegal? Yes it would.
 
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#12 ·
ATF changed their stance on this.

https://www.atf.gov/files/regulations-rulings/rulings/atf-rulings/atf-ruling-2011-4.pdf

"Held further, a firearm, as defined by 26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(3) and (a)(4), is not made when parts in a kit that were originally designed to be configured as both a pistol and a rifle are assembled or re-assembled in a configuration not regulated under the NFA (e.g., as a pistol, or a rifle with a barrel of 16 inches or more in length).

"Held further, a firearm, as defined by 26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(3) and (a)(4), is not made when a pistol is attached to a part or parts designed to convert the pistol into a rifle with a barrel of 16 inches or more in length, and the parts are later unassembled in a configuration not regulated under the NFA (e.g., as a pistol)."
 
#5 ·
That's the way I understand it(meaningless when dealing with gov't).Once I build the pistol,it is forever more a pistol.Have no intention on putting a stock on it,but may try the Sig brace.
 
#11 ·
Feds originally said that shouldering a pistol did not physically change the gun. After releasing that and SIG marketed the product, e feds, it typical jack-boot fashion changed their minds and decided that shouldering a pistol physically remanufactured it into a new weapon. Go figure
 
#16 ·
Florida must be different than other places. Every ar lower I have bought, the ffl either put long arm or pistol on the 4437

I have many ar long arm uppers and lowers. I used to only have one long arm lower, and just swapped uppers on it. I decided to just get extramlowers as i could afford it, and now all my ,long arm, ar, have an upper matched to a lower. I have 3 pistol uppers and one pistol lower. I dontnthink I will build or buy any more pistol lowers, but those uppers are only for that lower. It has a SIG brace, but I like using it as intended, same with an ak-pap pistol with SIG brace. I have no need for a semi auto only SBR, I have other nfa registered goodies that go both ways if I need short and slow, or short and fast.

Anyway, the point I forgot to make, is I actually don't mind, and in fact like that I have on paper/proof (4437) that I do have a valid pistol lower, since I indeed have uppers with short bbls.
 
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