Stupid Gun Tricks
Robert Douglas tell us how to be legal with our shotgun modifications. That whole post illustrates just how stupid and arbitrary gun laws are.
As another example, have a look at this. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Alright, that gun is perfectly legal to own. It’s a handgun. No class 3 or NFA tax required.
Now, look at this one. This one is an NFA subject to a class 3 license and requires a $200 transfer tax. If you possess it without the tax, the crime is comparable to illegal possession of a machine gun.
Both guns are built on AR15 receivers and function like any semi-automatic AR15. The first has a barrel length of 7.5 inches and the second has a barrel length of, you guessed it, 7.5 inches. If you register the receiver as a handgun, you can build it as pistol subject to some regulations. If it’s a rifle and the barrel is less than 16 inches, it is classified the same as a machine gun.
Here’s more info on keeping SBRs, AOWs and pistols legal.
Update: It does the beg the question: Can you slap a stock on a pistol?
Update to the update: Robert answers my question, which again affirms that gun laws in the US are arbitrary and stupid.
August 31st, 2004 at 3:56 pm
Q: If a person has a pistol and an attachable shoulder stock, does this constitute possession of an NFA firearm?
A: Yes, unless the barrel of the pistol is at least 16 inches in length (and the overall length of the firearm with stock attached is at least 26 inches). However, certain stocked handguns, such as original semiautomatic Mauser “Broomhandles” and Lugers, have been removed from the purview of the NFA as collectors’ items. [27 CFR 179.11]
August 31st, 2004 at 10:32 pm
My personal favorite in this category is the Serbu Super Shorty. It’s an NFA “Any Other Weapon” with a $5 tax stamp, not a “Short Barreled Shotgun” with a $200 transfer fee.
Because it was never made with a shoulder stock, it’s a smoothbore pistol.
Arbitrary as hell.