Is it legal to put a vertical forend grip on a pistol?

[Lone_Gunman]

Or does this creat some type of weapon that has been banned?

 

[Trebor]

No, you can not put a vertical foregrip on a pistol. It creates an AOW.

(Now, there is a way to do it legally, but it involves making an application with the ATF and paying a tax. But, you can't just do it on your own).

 

[M2 Carbine]

It's a stupid ruling, but no one ever accused the government of having good sense.

Adding a Vertical Fore Grip to a Handgun
“Handgun” is defined under Federal law to mean, in part, a firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand…. Gun Control Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(29).
Under an implementing regulation of the National Firearms Act (NFA), 27 C.F.R. § 479.11, “pistol” is defined as 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).
The NFA further defines the term “any other weapon” (AOW) as any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, a pistol or revolver having a barrel with a smooth bore designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell, weapons with combination shotgun and rifle barrels 12 inches or more, less than 18 inches in length, from which only a single discharge can be made from either barrel without manual reloading, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. Such term shall not include a pistol or revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition. 26 U.S.C. § 5845(e).
ATF has long held that by installing a vertical fore grip on a handgun, the handgun is no longer designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand. Therefore, if individuals install a vertical fore grip on a handgun, they are “making” a firearm requiring registration with ATF’s NFA Branch. Making an unregistered “AOW” is punishable by a fine and 10 years’ imprisonment. Additionally, possession of an unregistered “AOW” is also punishable by fine and 10 years’ imprisonment.
To lawfully add a vertical fore grip to a handgun, a person must make an appropriate application on ATF Form 1, “Application to Make and Register a Firearm.” The applicant must submit the completed form, along with a fingerprint card bearing the applicant’s fingerprints; a photograph; and $200.00. The application will be reviewed by the NFA Branch. If the applicant is not prohibited from possessing a firearm under Federal, State, or local law, and possession of an “AOW” is not prohibited in the applicant’s State of residence, the form will be approved. Only then may the person add a vertical fore grip to the designated handgun.
A person may also send the handgun to a person licensed to manufacture NFA weapons. The manufacturer will install the fore grip on the firearm and register the firearm on an ATF Form 2. The manufacturer can then transfer the firearm back to the individual on an ATF Form 4, which results in a $5.00 transfer tax. If the manufacturer is out of State, the NFA Branch will need a clarification letter submitted with the ATF Form 4 so that the NFA Branch Examiner will know the circumstances of the transfer. Questions can be directed to the NFA Branch or the Firearms Technology Branch.

 

[Snowdog]

Why would you ever want to turn your handgun into a deadly weapon by installing a vertical foregrip?

 

[Lone_Gunman]

So on a AR or AK pistol, why is a horizonal forend grip not a problem, but a vertical forend grip is?

 

[ugaarguy]

So on a AR or AK pistol, why is a horizonal forend grip not a problem, but a vertical forend grip is?

Because the ATF says no VFGs.

Why is a PGO shotgun an "other firearm" and not subject to the NFA, but it's not a shotgun either, so an FFL can't sell it to a person under 21 years of age. A PGO shotgun with bbl less than 18" is an AOW, not an SBS if it left the factory PGO, and never had a butt stock installed. If it left the factory with a butt stock, or ever had one installed, it's an SBS (PGO or not) if the bbl is shorter than 18". The tax to manufacture is the same $200, but the tax to transfer is only $5 for an AOW v. $200 for an SBS.

All makes sense right?

 

[General Geoff]

Nobody ever claimed the NFA made any kind of sense. Keep in mind the original NFA bill included a tax stamp for all handguns as well. Since handguns were stricken from the bill before it was passed, the remainder of the legislation seems very arbitrary in what it governs and what it doesn't.

 

[Trebor]

So on a AR or AK pistol, why is a horizonal forend grip not a problem, but a vertical forend grip is?

Uggarguy has it right: It's "Because the ATF said so."

And General Geoff is also right: "No ever claimed the NFA made any kind of sense."

Beyond that though, it appears the thinking is that installing a VFG makes a pistol "no longer designed to be fired by one hand." The ATF seems to think that's important, even though we all shoot our pistols with two hands anyway.

As to why a horizontal foregrip is OK, while a VFG is not, it's because a horizontal foregrip isn't a "foregrip" to the ATF as much as it is a "Barrel Shroud." (Also known as "That shoulder thingy that goes up" ..but that's another discussion).

Yeah, it doesn't make much sense to me either...