SBAR AR-15 and suppressor advice needed

[high country]

I have a couple of questions, both relating to a project I am considering. The project is a short barrel dedicated .22lr AR-15 upper to go on my lower and share a suppressor with a buckmark. I would like it to be short barrel because otherwise it will be longer than my varmint upper when the suppressor is on it.

I want to make sure that I am understanding this correctly: If I use a pistol lower, I can use a short barrel, but if I put a stock on it it is a short barrel rifle and must be registered using a Form 1? So, whether I use a pistol or rifle lower doesn't matter, if it has a barrel shorter than 16" and a buttstock, it has to be registered?

I would appreciate any thoughts on that, either with regard to the registration issue, or the thought of running 5" of suppressor on the end of a 16" barrel.

Also, I would appreciate any suggestions on brands of suppressors that I should be looking at, and dealers that you can recommend in CO.

Thanks a lot for your insights on this! I really hope to pull it together, because it seems like it would make a really enjoyable, quiet, well balanced, and inexpensive to shoot little rifle

 

[UnknownGunMan]

I want to make sure that I am understanding this correctly: If I use a pistol lower, I can use a short barrel, but if I put a stock on it it is a short barrel rifle and must be registered using a Form 1? So, whether I use a pistol or rifle lower doesn't matter, if it has a barrel shorter than 16" and a buttstock, it has to be registered?

If you are going to put a stock on the "pistol" lower, it would have to be Registered as a SBR with ATF. So if you are planning on having an SBR, then you do not need a "pistol" marked lower receiver.

You would need a standard AR15 Receiver, have it engraved with your Name/City State, or Corporation (depending on how you plan on registering it).

http://www.Orion-Arms.com does outstanding SBR engraving, to ATF spec. Reasonably priced, with quick turn around.

ATF LAW mandates that all SBR/SBS/AOW's be engraved.

Publication

ATF 5300.4 in 27 CFR 479.102 (page 92) describes what is necessary to engrave on a SBR or SBS when one is manufacturing. This is not necessary if you purchase one that is already manufactured as it will have been done for you.

1) On the Frame or Receiver the Serial number;
2) on the frame, receiver, or barrel the following additional information;
A)The model;
B)The caliber or gage;
C)Your name or name of the Trust in the case of a Trust (no abbreviations are permitted for the Trust name);
D)The city and state (you can abbreviate the state with the official 2 digit state code)
The above mentioned information must be engraved, casted, stamped (impressing) or otherwise conspicuously placed or caused to be engraved, cast, stamped (impressed) or placed to a minimum depth of .003 inch and in a print size of the Serial number shall be no smaller than 1/16 inch.

The "pistol" lowers are only good for those wanting to have a short barrel AR15 pistol, which is not that fun to shoot, and not as accurate, as you can not put a stock on it, nor a forward grip without NFA registration. Mfgs usually charge more for having the receiver marked "pistol".

I have SBRs and regular length Ar's I use both with suppressors, the 16.5" works fine with a suppressor on the end, no problems, the SBR just makes for a more compact package, but requires 2 stamps... one for SBR and one for Suppressor.

You will get longer distances out of the 16.5" barrel.

As far as .22LR suppressors go, they will not add any noticable weight to the rifle, I shoot the same suppressor on Walther P22, Beretta 21a, Ruger MkIII, as well as 10/22 and .22LR AR15.

The suppressor only adds a couple of ounces to the weight, and 6" to the length, which isn't very much.

There are alot of good quality suppressors out there, My advice is go with what you can afford, but try to get the best quality for what you can afford, as a suppressor is a lifetime purchase (unless you plan on re-selling it through a C3 dealer, and having the purchaser pay for two stamps. (one for xfer to the dealer (F3), and one for xfer to the buyer (F4).

YHM has some excellent affordable quick detach cans, that you can get extra mounts for. Gemtech, AAC, Silencer Co, and alot of other manufacturer's make excellent products.

I use Tac Innovations, cause they were cheap, and built to last. I've been buying YHM lately, because for the price, you can't beat em.

 

[high country]

Thank you for that very thorough response! So I was interpreting the rule correctly - i.e. don't bother with the pistol reciever, just use a rifle reciever and register it as a sbr. Thanks for the link on the engraving, I will definitely keep that in mind.

One follow up question: Is it a problem to use a registered sbr lower with a full length upper? I assume that the paperwork needs to stay with the lower regardless of what upper is on it, and there isn't a legal issue having a short barrel upper stored without a lower and paperwork?

Thanks also for the suggestions on suppressors. I will check those out. I imagine that they have links to CO dealers for each brand on their websites.

 

[ronin111]

Pistol lowers do not need be marked "pistol". You can use any stripped lower to build a pistol, it just can't have had a stock attached in the past.

One option is to build a pistol first while you're waiting on the form 1. When you get the stamp back you can put the stock on. You would be able to use the pistol while you wait on the stamp.

No issues using other uppers on the lower.