Please forgive stupid question: Front vertical handle on an AR... legal
- Thread starter Dr_2_B
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JHenry
Member
nope
Deus Machina
Member
Perfectly legal, on a rifle. The illegal aspect is when adding a foregrip to a weapon designed to be held with one hand (IE: a handgun).
Yes, I know about the AR and similar 'pistols'. I said it's illegal, not that is makes sense.
Yes, I know about the AR and similar 'pistols'. I said it's illegal, not that is makes sense.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
On a rifle? NO, that's perfectly legal.
On a handgun? YES, that's illegal in the eyes of the BATFE, as it makes the gun fall into the "Any Other Weapon" category of Title II of the National Firearms Act. This does include the AR and AK style "pistols" which are considered handguns under federal law.
As an aside, the angled fore grips like the Magpul AFG are considered acceptable mounted on a handgun.
On a handgun? YES, that's illegal in the eyes of the BATFE, as it makes the gun fall into the "Any Other Weapon" category of Title II of the National Firearms Act. This does include the AR and AK style "pistols" which are considered handguns under federal law.
As an aside, the angled fore grips like the Magpul AFG are considered acceptable mounted on a handgun.
docnyt
Member
Really? That's interesting. Not that I'll ever mount one on a handgun.
Dnaltrop
Member
The only stupid question is the one that causes you to suffer in ignorance because you refused to ask it in the first place.
Nobody knows everything, and you have to learn somewhere.
Nobody knows everything, and you have to learn somewhere.
Rob G
Member
There's a guy on AR15.com that wrote a letter to the BATFE asking about the AFGs and got an official letter back stating that they're okay on pistols. I can't remember how long ago that was I but I do remember reading the actual letter. (he put up pics of it.)
mortablunt
Member
It's legal, so long as you're not in a state with prohibitions on scary looking guns. The only exception is if the AR has an under 16" barrel and has a stock. That (I might be wrong so correct me if I am) would turn it into a short barreled rifle, which requires registration.
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i dont have the thread, but here is the letter:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...YTg1MC00NzVhLWI3NmMtZDRiNTMzNzdhMzUx&hl=en_US
i remember hearing the AFG is legal because the law specifically lists "VERTICAL foregrip"
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
mortablunt said:
A firearm that comes from the manufacturer as a RIFLE (not a handgun or "Other Firearm) cannot be fitted with a barrel less than 16" in length, and also cannot be configured in any way to be less than 26" overall with stock extended in the firing position. Doing either creates a Short Barreled Rifle which must (first) be registered under Title II of the National Firearms Act of 1934.
Under federal law (and most states' laws) adding a vertical foregrip to a rifle is perfectly legal.
An AR-15 sold without a shoulder stock and with a length less than 26" (regardless of barrel length) is a handgun under federal law, and legal in most states. You cannot install a vertical foregrip on a handgun or it becomes a Title II "Any Other Weapon," which requires an NFA Title II tax stamp just like a short barreled rifle. (See Post #4.)
According to current BATFE policy, you can change a handgun into a rifle, and back again -- so long as you don't add a barrel shorter than 16" AND a shoulder stock at the same time -- but you cannot turn a rifle into a handgun. So what configuration the gun was sold in originally actually matters quite a bit.
Until/unless BATFE interpretation changes again, you could have a VFG installed on your "rifle" that was built on a pistol, but NOT installed on the same gun when it is in pistol configuration.
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