Lemons into Lemonaid (braced AR pistols soon to be rifles)

[drobs]

Lemons
I just don't feel like SBR-ing my 3 AR Pistols. I de-braced all of them and am going to have long flash hiders pinned and welded to them. What really sucks is one of them was my suppressor host. I also don't feel like being a test case for the ATF.

Replacement 6 position buffer tubes run $20 to $30.
I have extra collapsible stocks around the house.

Long flash hiders are available at Model 1 Sales. When I ordered 2 they only had the $20 holed version in stock.
https://model1sales.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=406

KAK Industries has a retro slotted flash hider in stock and I just ordered 1 for $31.95.
https://www.kakindustry.com/retro-ar15-extended-flash-hider-6-inch

Pinning and welding a flash hider runs $30-$50.
https://adcofirearms.com/shop/gunsmithing/perm-attach-muzzle-devices/pinweld-muzzle-device/
I have a local source which will save me on shipping.


Lemonaid
The extended length flash hiders are light weight. Combined with my 10.5 and 11 inch uppers they still feel light weight and handy. I don't have the KAK flash hider in my hands but the Model 1 sales version now works with a bayonet.

Note the flash hiders are loosely screwed on in this pic.


Edited to add "Nothing says back off, like a fixed bayonet in the middle of a riot."

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I assembled a lower with a plain-Jane pistol buffer tube and, for the time being, plan to shoot my AR pistols "cheek weld" -style, which is as fast and accurate as shooting an SBR. See -



and



I want to keep my AR pistol legally as a "pistol" so it falls under my CPL for concealed carry purposes.

I mated the pistol lower that I have with an upper fitted with a 16" barrel to keep the SIG SB15 brace I have, to be legally compliant, until the whole brace issue gets resolved.

I had zero intention to register my pistol as an SBR with the Feds. No need to.

 

[FL-NC]

And ya'll were forced to turn your firearms into a configuration you didn't want, and had to absorb the costs of parts and labor to make this happen. That doesn't seem right to me, since no law was broken. I think stimulus checks should have been issued to relieve law abiding gun owners of the financial burdens of correcting a mistake made by a federal regulatory agency.

 

[P89DCSS]

What will you do with your braces, @Shawn Dodson

 

[Shawn Dodson]

What will you do with your braces, @Shawn Dodson

I have one pistol lower. I'm keeping the Sig SB15 pistol brace on it and mating the lower to a 16" upper for the time being to remain legal.

I have two pistol uppers, one 11.5" 5.56, and one 8" .300 BLK.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

And ya'll were forced to turn your firearms into a configuration you didn't want, and had to absorb the costs of parts and labor to make this happen. That doesn't seem right to me, since no law was broken. I think stimulus checks should have been issued to relieve law abiding gun owners of the financial burdens of correcting a mistake made by a federal regulatory agency.

No issue for me, personally. I have plenty of spare AR parts lying around so no muss, no fuss.

I expected this to eventually happen, especially when dumbasses started mounting rifle optics onto their "pistols", turning them into de facto SBRs.

 

[FL-NC]

No issue for me, personally. I have plenty of spare AR parts lying around so no muss, no fuss.

I expected this to eventually happen, especially when dumbasses started mounting rifle optics onto their "pistols", turning them into de facto SBRs.

I'm glad it worked out for you. I also think it shouldn't matter what someone attached to their firearm- whether it was a drink holder or a rifle scope mounted backwards on the bottom rail.

 

[edwardware]

Registration is anathema, so I screwed on a couple 16" barrels last week, and put the 10" barrels aside.

As for the braces on those lowers. . . I had never really noticed before, but they do kind of rest on the shoulder, so I'll probably just start to treat them like fixed stocks.

 

[RussellC]

And ya'll were forced to turn your firearms into a configuration you didn't want, and had to absorb the costs of parts and labor to make this happen. That doesn't seem right to me, since no law was broken. I think stimulus checks should have been issued to relieve law abiding gun owners of the financial burdens of correcting a mistake made by a federal regulatory agency.

All that needs be done is to take off the brace. That brace is now on a gun with 16 inch Barrell. The other is now a legal pistol. Rather than tear up existing barrel by welding, just get another barrel for the time being. For my 9mm "pistol" I just removed the brace, and put a shorter, 5 inch barrel on it. Legal, and even more concealable.

Russellc

 

[RussellC]

No issue for me, personally. I have plenty of spare AR parts lying around so no muss, no fuss.

I expected this to eventually happen, especially when dumbasses started mounting rifle optics onto their "pistols", turning them into de facto SBRs.

Same here, plenty of parts on hand. This will change as soon as litigation is over. Read the bump stock opinion, exact same argument. Only congress can make laws, NOT the NFA folks. They are essentially making laws, (which they can not do) by "reinterpreting" them. Same logic sunk them trying to strike bumpstocks. In the mean time ...

Russellc

 

[illinoisburt]

What really sucks is one of them was my suppressor host. I also don't feel like being a test case for the ATF.

Am I missing something here? If you already have a stamped suppressor then you are on the ATF registry. SBR the host gun and throw a normal stock on it. Seems like a zero cost no-brainer situation.

 

[Chuck R.]

All that needs be done is to take off the brace. That brace is now on a gun with 16 inch Barrell. The other is now a legal pistol. Rather than tear up existing barrel by welding, just get another barrel for the time being. For my 9mm "pistol" I just removed the brace, and put a shorter, 5 inch barrel on it. Legal, and even more concealable.

Russellc

It's the approach I'm taking. Just haven't decided what caliber barrel to get. I'm thinking of going 6.8 SPC and making a night hunting hog rig.

 

[Orion8472]

I see you're in Missouri,....so is this a new Missouri law that they are going to make the braces the same as a regular stock? Thus making them SBR?

 

[drobs]

I see you're in Missouri,....so is this a new Missouri law that they are going to make the braces the same as a regular stock? Thus making them SBR?

No this is the ATF calling braces the same as a stock = an illegal SBR.

 

[Orion8472]

Is this something recent? I'm not up on this topic...sorry.

 

[LiveLife]

Is this something recent? I'm not up on this topic...sorry.

Yes - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/17-states-join-goa-gof-and-sue-atf’s-new-firearms-rule-on-80-percent-kits.908730/page-2#post-12633434

Lemons into Lemonaid ... braced AR pistols soon to be rifles

I just don't feel like SBR-ing my 3 AR Pistols

Not so fast ... You may not need to make any lemonade - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/17-states-join-goa-gof-and-sue-atf’s-new-firearms-rule-on-80-percent-kits.908730/page-3#post-12637757

• Maxim Defense Industries and customers are covered by the preliminary injunction
• ... future/potential customers of Maxim Defense Industries, not just of pistol braces but any other product sold by Maxim Defense Industries, which could be the entire country, could be covered by the clarified preliminary injunction

 

[Necessary_Nutrient]

So removing the brace is all that has to be done on, say, a 4” 9mm AR pistol? Do I have to change the buffer tube so that no stock can be added?

 

[LiveLife]

So removing the brace is all that has to be done on, say, a 4” 9mm AR pistol? Do I have to change the buffer tube so that no stock can be added?

Or you can become one time $20+ donor FPC member and "likely" be covered under the preliminary injunction - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...mock-v-garland-preliminary-injunction.919631/

Even buying a $28 T-shirt counts - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-preliminary-injunction.919631/#post-12638999

 

[doubleh]

So removing the brace is all that has to be done on,

According to what I have read that isn't quite all you need to do. The brace is supposed to be destroyed after removal.

 

[Jim Watson]

That is the latest revision of the regulation, my FLG was showing the bulletin to me on Saturday.

 

[mavracer]

Am I missing something here? If you already have a stamped suppressor then you are on the ATF registry. SBR the host gun and throw a normal stock on it. Seems like a zero cost no-brainer situation.

Yeah I don't get that I already have NFA stuff, more for free seems a no brainer.

 

[Rexster]

I have one AR/M4 pistol, a LAW-folder-ed Daniel Defense DDM4 V7P, an early version shipped with the slip-on rubbery brace, so, the bare RE is “feature-less.” Notably, I removed the rubbery brace long before it became an apparent legal necessity, because I did not favor using it. Going forward, either I learn to like “cheek weld” shooting, another form of handgunnig it, or, I will eventually convert the thing to a rifle, or, perhaps, part with it.

Notably, I bought my DDM4 V7P specifically for the niche purpose of its being a legal handgun, in places where I can carry a handgun, but not loaded rifles, or any rifles at all. Converting it to an SBR would defeat that purpose. I want it to be a “bag gun” that is legally a handgun/pistol. A problem, for my DDM4 V7P, is that I continue to tend to like longer-barreled revolvers in that role.

 

[TonyAngel]

I think that one thing everyone can agree on is that we can be sure about very little right now. The only thing I think I can be sure about is that going with a 16" barrel is the safest route without having to destroy anything to be absolutely sure.

I've seen the feds do some pretty screwy things in the past and I wouldn't count on them adopting the same interpretations that I do.

I run all criterion barrels now and although they aren't particularly expensive, they aren't cheap or easy to get either.

If you are halfway handy and are no stranger to tinkering or have basic equipment (bench grinder, drill press, etc.), I'd suggest spending $200 and getting a small welding machine. I got a simple flux core wire welder.

Using the welder, I've been able to make extended muzzle devices using A2 flash hiders, steel conduit and even barrel extenders from Kaw Valley. Pinning and welding is simple and easy once the muzzle devices are welded up.

I've also used the retro flash hiders from KAK, but man .... those things are heavy.

 

[mcb]

What about removing the brace (without destroying it) and the carbine receiver extension it was mounted on and replace the carbine receiver extension with a pistol receiver extension? A pistol receiver extension does not have the lug on the bottom for a carbine stock LOP adjustment and no threads in the end to retain an A1/A2 stock. In many cases these pistol receiver extensions will not accept any AR stock or brace since they are often significantly larger in diameter than even a commercial receiver extension. Seems instillation of one of these pistol receiver extension might be a quick and simple solution to the brace issue. If the AR pistol does not have a brace and cannot accept a brace the brace rule no longer applies in anyway. (other regulations still do obviously)

 

[TonyAngel]

What about removing the brace (without destroying it) and the carbine receiver extension it was mounted on and replace the carbine receiver extension with a pistol receiver extension? A pistol receiver extension does not have the lug on the bottom for a carbine stock LOP adjustment and no threads in the end to retain an A1/A2 stock. In many cases these pistol receiver extensions will not accept any AR stock or brace since they are often significantly larger in diameter than even a commercial receiver extension. Seems instillation of one of these pistol receiver extension might be a quick and simple solution to the brace issue. If the AR pistol does not have a brace and cannot accept a brace the brace rule no longer applies in anyway. (other regulations still do obviously)

This is certainly a viable option for some, but I honestly didn't even consider it. The range that I frequent most often doesn't allow shooting a long gun without a stock on it. Too many people were shooting over the berm.