Measurements
Interesting question at subguns:
Since the bolt is effectivly moved back when this kit is installed in an AR-15, could a 14.5″ bbl possibly be legal?
Depending on the day of the week and which particular ATF person you talk to, barrel length is measured from the breech face.
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Why are short barreled rifles/shotguns regulated differently than regular rifles/shotguns? I don’t get it.
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Originally, rifles and shotguns both had to meet the same length requirements.
Remember, the ONLY purpose of the NFA was originally to regulate “gangster” guns. Machineguns, “sawed off” rifles and shotguns, and silencers were (or, thanks to teh movies, were perceived as) “gangster” guns with no legitimate “sporting” purpose.
They almost included handguns in the NFA, complete with the $200 registration tax.
They quickly amended the NFA to allow 16″ rifle barrels for rimfires, and by 1960, allowed that for centerfire rifles.
Whereas it was easy to make a case that 16″ was a reasonable length for a “sporting” rifle (especially a rimfire one), a 16″ barrel just didn’t meet the standards of a “sporting” shotgun in the 1960s.
Just like Congress changed the Marble Game Getter (an NFA “firearm”) to a $1 transfer tax in 1938 when they realized it was made as a “sporting” rifle and was unlikely to be used as a gangster gun. (And in 1960, when they changed the centerfire rifle barrel minimum to 16″, they changed all AOW transfer taxes to $5 for the same reason.)
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Additionally, Uncle Sam sold a bunch of M1 Carbines to civlians (you could buy them MAIL ORDER) after WWII, equipped with 16.5″ barrels. Nary an NFA registration in sight. DOH!