Help: don't want to accidentally make an AOW

[T Slothrop]

If this is not the proper subforum for this question, mods please move it to the appropriate location.

I have a Tapco "Fusion" stock on a Ruger 10/22 carbine. The barrel length is 18". I have a vertical foregrip installed on the forward under-barrel rail. On the Fusion, the shoulder stock is easily removable (two Allen screws). If the stock were to be removed, the OAL of the firearm would still be 27", one inch longer than what I understand to be the minimum for a rifle.

I'm reasonably sure that if I were to first remove the vertical foregrip then it would be entirely legal for me to remove the shoulder stock.

However, what if I left the foregrip on? If I then removed the shoulder stock, would I be inadvertently and totally unintentionally creating an illegal AOW?

I do NOT want to attract black helicopters by innocently creating a "cool" range toy. Any help will be very much appeciated.

 

[Zundfolge]

As long as the barrel is at least 16" and the overall length is 26" it doesn't matter what vertical grips or other doodads you have on the gun its still a rifle (even with just a pistol grip and no buttstock).

A vertical grip on a handgun would make it an AOW.

If you converted the rifle into a handgun (barrel less than 16" and/or OAL less than 26") then you'd have to register it as a Short Barreled Rifle (in which case adding a vertical foregrip would be a non issue).

 

[T Slothrop]

As long as the barrel is at least 16" and the overall length is 26" it doesn't matter what vertical grips or other doodads you have on the gun its still a rifle (even with just a pistol grip and no buttstock).

A vertical grip on a handgun would make it an AOW.

If you converted the rifle into a handgun (barrel less than 16" and/or OAL less than 26") then you'd have to register it as a Short Barreled Rifle (in which case adding a vertical foregrip would be a non issue).

Thanks so much. That's what I believed to be correct, but I guess I've just read one too many BATFE horror stories.

 

[halogrinder]

so if your building a "pistol" (in my case a DRACO out of a romy G kit)......


as long as its a PISTOL to start with when i put it together, i shouldnt have to worry about anything, right?

that is, untill i send in a SBR form 1, and put the regular rear trunion on the back.....

 

[Sam1911]

so if your building a "pistol" (in my case a DRACO out of a romy G kit)......

That's going to be a different case.

as long as its a PISTOL to start with when i put it together, i shouldnt have to worry about anything, right?

If you're building on a bare receiver, you can build a pistol as long as it has a pistol style "blank" rear block that can't take a buttstock.

But you cannot attach a vertical foregrip to a pistol. That's one of the definitions of a Title II "Any Other Weapon."

that is, untill i send in a SBR form 1, and put the regular rear trunion on the back.....

Once it is a rifle (Title II SBR or Title I carbine) you can add a vertical foregrip whether the buttstock is attached or not.

 

[halogrinder]

correct- starting with a 80% flat, and putting a draco rear trunion on it (flat with no way to attach butt stock)


not worried about the foregrip part

 

[Sam1911]

not worried about the foregrip part

O.k.... but then I don't see the relevance to the OP's question. That's the only reason he brought it up.

 

[halogrinder]

Sorry for OT question then?