Max pistol length

[jon8777]

At 16" a barrel becomes a rifle barel. Heres my question...

If you take a stock 15" Encore pistol and have a gunsmith tap and thread a 2" break on the end of the barrel (OAL 17" for talking purposes), will it be clasified as a rifle barrel?

 

[Eightball]

I don't think I've ever heard of a "maximum pistol length."

 

[jon8777]

Well the length were a pistol grips are no longer leagal for a barrel length.

I know under 16" rifle stocks are a no-no. I wanted to see if adding 2" of muzzle break is legal changing the barrel from "pistol" to "rifle"

 

[Avenger29]

Don't forget about overall length- 26".

The only thing I know is that for rifles, barrels below 16" often have a muzzle device permanently attached so they don't fall into SBR territory.

 

[jon8777]

Correct on the 26" length.

The frame is registered as a pistol.

I have a 15" 30-06 that I was considering adding a 1 1/8" break to it. The barrel is fluted, so I dont want to cut into the flutes, just thread onto the "meat" of the gun.

So a 16 1/8" barrel with pistol grips is legal?

 

[Rio Laxas]

I've never heard of a maximum pistol barrel length. Are you sure there is one?


From 18 USC:

29) The term "handgun" means --

(A) a firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand; and

(B) any combination of parts from which a firearm described in subparagraph (A) can be assembled.

From http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/notes/akpistolbuild/pageakpistolbuild.htm

While the NFA restricts the minimum length of a rifle barrel to 16", there is no maximum length for a pistol barrel. Therefore we can manufacture an AK sytle firearm with a barrel shorter than 16" so long as it does not have a shoulder stock (SBR) or front pistol grip (AOW).

Here is a current production Uberti Buntline revolver with an 18" barrel.

 

[Animal Mother]

Did anyone else instantly think of this?

 

[jhco]

I used to own a Jager .357 that had a 18 inch barrel. looked just like the uuberti posted above.

 

[Rio Laxas]

Did anyone else instantly think of this?

Yep.

 

[BMF500]

Did anyone else instantly think of this?

That's just cool.....


So....would I be commiting a crime if I took the aaction assembly and barrel out of my 10/22 and put it in my Charger?

 

[nalioth]

There is no maximum pistol barrel length.

If some nitwit designs a pistol with a 72" barrel, so be it - it's an extremely long barreled pistol.


Legally, you can go from a pistol to a rifle, but not the reverse (at least, not without some expensive paperwork).

 

[chuckusaret]

Did anyone else instantly think of this?

You think like I do. Yes, the first ting that came to mind.

 

[Mags]

Well if the muzzle brake is threaded on and not pinned it is not considered in the barrel measurement

 

[glummer]

So....would I be commiting a crime if I took the aaction assembly and barrel out of my 10/22 and put it in my Charger?

Yes, if the overall length is less than the 26" (28"?) requirement. The rifle action is still a rifle, and must meet specs.
Likewise, swapping the Charger into the rifle stock would be illegal, without paperwork for a pistol with a shoulder stock attached (it is still a pistol).

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

There is no max pistol length. You can have a 1" barrel or a 50" barrel.

There IS a minimum rifle length, absent an SBR stamp. 16" or longer.

It's all about whether or not the gun was made with a buttstock. If it was, then it's a rifle, and is subject to certain constraints. If it was not, then it's a handgun, and there are no length constraints.

 

[Old Fuff]

The answer to this question is based on, what was the firearm (in particular, the frame or receiver) was manufactured as - a handgun or a rifle or shotgun. If it was manufactured as a shotgun the minimum barrel length is 18 inches. If it was manufactured as a rifle the minimum length is 16 inches. In both cases there is no restriction on maximum length.

A minimum or maximum length isn't specified for handguns. So if the receiver/frame of your firearm was originally manufactured as a handgun you can have any length of barrel you want.

However, if you intend to fit a detachable or fixed rifle-style stock on a handgun designed to fire metallic cartridges, the barrel must be at least 16 inches long.

 

[mgregg85]

You can have as long a barrel as you can find on a handgun. Just don't make a SBR by adding a stock to it with a barrel length of less than 16".