The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Legality of a Removeable Rifle Stock on a Pistol?

freakshow10mm · June 16, 2009, 02:10 PM

Let's define handgun, pistol, revolver, and rifle. 478.11 in the USC states:

Handgun. (a) Any firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand; and

(b) Any combination of parts from which a firearm described in paragraph (a) can be assembled.

Pistol. A weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having (a) a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently aligned with, the bore(s); and (b) a short stock designed to be gripped by one hand and at an angle to and extending below the line of the bore(s).

Revolver. A projectile weapon, of the pistol type, having a breechloading chambered cylinder so arranged that the cocking of the hammer or movement of the trigger rotates it and brings the next cartridge in line with the barrel for firing

Rifle. A weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger.

Short-barreled rifle. A rifle having one or more barrels less than 16 inches in length, and any weapon made from a rifle, whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise, if such weapon, as modified, has an overall length of less than 26 inches.

So if a handgun/pistol/revolver ("handgun") has a shoulder stock attached it is then a rifle, since a rifle is a weapon redesigned or made/remade to be fired from the shoulder.

Now take off the stock and put a barrel on it that makes the weapon shorter than 26 inches OAL, it is now a SBR since the weapon was made a rifle by attaching a shoulder stock and a barrel 16" long (or more) thus making a rifle. Now take the rifle and reconfigure it to be shorter than 26 OAL by what appears to be any means, it is now a SBR since you took a rifle and now made it to be shorter than 26 inches OAL.

What am I missing here? A pistol with shoulder stock and 16" barrel is a rifle because it is a weapon that has been redesigned or remade and intended to be fired from the shoulder.

June 16, 2009, 02:10 PM	#30
freakshow10mm Junior member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Location: MI Posts: 1,398	Let's define handgun, pistol, revolver, and rifle. 478.11 in the USC states: Handgun. (a) Any firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand; and (b) Any combination of parts from which a firearm described in paragraph (a) can be assembled. Pistol. A weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having (a) a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently aligned with, the bore(s); and (b) a short stock designed to be gripped by one hand and at an angle to and extending below the line of the bore(s). Revolver. A projectile weapon, of the pistol type, having a breechloading chambered cylinder so arranged that the cocking of the hammer or movement of the trigger rotates it and brings the next cartridge in line with the barrel for firing Rifle. A weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger. Short-barreled rifle. A rifle having one or more barrels less than 16 inches in length, and any weapon made from a rifle, whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise, if such weapon, as modified, has an overall length of less than 26 inches. So if a handgun/pistol/revolver ("handgun") has a shoulder stock attached it is then a rifle, since a rifle is a weapon redesigned or made/remade to be fired from the shoulder. Now take off the stock and put a barrel on it that makes the weapon shorter than 26 inches OAL, it is now a SBR since the weapon was made a rifle by attaching a shoulder stock and a barrel 16" long (or more) thus making a rifle. Now take the rifle and reconfigure it to be shorter than 26 OAL by what appears to be any means, it is now a SBR since you took a rifle and now made it to be shorter than 26 inches OAL. What am I missing here? A pistol with shoulder stock and 16" barrel is a rifle because it is a weapon that has been redesigned or remade and intended to be fired from the shoulder.