AR Pistol Question

[dogtown tom]

RickB.... I'd say the only way it's likely a pistol, is if the lower receiver is marked as such, or it's chambered for a pistol cartridge.

Neither of which is used in the definition of a "pistol".

I transfer hundreds of AR pistols every year.....not a one in the last ten years has had the lower receiver marked "pistol". If it did it would be meaningless.

Similarly, a pistol can be any caliber as can a rifle.

[RickB]

"If the receiver built into a carbine or rifle first, it must always remain part of a rifle and cannot ever be used to build a pistol."

So, the pictured gun, if it was a stocked rifle, could now be considered to have been illegally converted to a pistol, merely by removing the buffer tube, but is removing a defective part a "conversion"?
Lots and lots of possibilities, and really hard to tell from the one pic.

[44 AMP]

if it was a stocked rifle, could now be considered to have been illegally converted to a pistol, merely by removing the buffer tube, but is removing a defective part a "conversion"?

Repairs are not conversions, malfunctions are not conversions, and disassembly, full or partial, does not change the legal classification of the assembled firearm.

Alterations can be a different matter. This is where you get into the "made or remade" language, and, possibly into violation of the law.

[RickB]

And, again, we don't know the actual status of the pictured gun.
It would be interesting to know how the agency in possession of it, determined its status as rifle or pistol.
Wouldn't surprise me one bit to find it identified as a pistol, to further the current notion that "assault pistols" are especially dangerous and scary.

[stagpanther]

If the guy had no ammunition--I would say it's inoperable.

[HiBC]

I know we often take trips into the weeds

Within the context of the OP, What difference does it make whether its a pistol,rifle,or something else?

At least 9 posts.

Its incomplete. Who cares?

Maybe it had a 7 in bbl and a brace and he's trying to stay out of trouble so he got a 16 in bbl ,took off the brace and pistol buffer and is making a non-NFA Carbine out of it.