Threading a CX4 barrel = illegal?

[Halo is for Kids]

Ask swingset, he posted this pick of his CX4 with a brake or flashhider http://thehighroad.org/member.php?u=720

 

[OEF_VET]

That doesn't necessarily mean it's legal. Pictures posted on the 'net of a crime don't make them less of a crime.

 

[waterhouse]

I don't see how this would ban threading the barrel of an imported rifle. It basically says you cannot assemble an normal AK from imported parts because AKs are no longer importable (not including the sporting ones).

I was merely pointing out that handguns don't fall into the "sporting clause" category (so far as I can tell, I could be wrong), and that is why the HK Tactical handgun is imported with a threaded barrel.

As for the threading of the CX4, I am still unsure, and I doubt we'll get an answer without contacting the ATF and getting it in writing.

But threading the barrel of a CX4 wouldn't be assembling a rifle from imported parts.

The rifle is already assembled from imported parts. In its current configuration, those foreign parts have been deemed acceptable (i.e. sporting).

Since it is a semi-auto rifle that was imported someone had to deem it "sporting". The problem with the sporting clause is that it is completely vague as to what sporting means.

Several years ago Springfield imported a bunch of Greek HK-91s (the SAR-8). Then someone decided a pistol grip wasn't sporting, so they continued to import them with a thumb hole stock, which was deemed sporting. If you want to put the pistol grip back on, you must switch out enough foreign parts with US parts to the point where the gun is no longer considered imported, at which point the sporting clause goes away. This is because one configuration of the gun was sporting, and another configuration was not sporting.

What is the point of that diatribe? At some point someone looked at the CX4 and said "This gun meets the imaginary sporting criteria: it can be imported." If at some point someone changed the gun (by adding an evil device to the muzzle), it might now be considered an imported gun that is not sporting anymore. Just like the pistol grip, someone might consider the threaded barrel as non sporting.

Once again, there really is no way to know without writing the Tech. branch, and this is one of the many problems with the current state of gun laws.

If the gun in the picture Halo posted was cleared for import like that, it would be a decently safe assumption that threaded barrels on CX4s have been cleared as sporting and are legal. If that was an after market job, we are back to square one.

ETA: Here is a long thread from the ARF archives on this topic:
http://www.ar15.com/lite/topic.html?b=6&f=17&t=221348&page=1

They wrote the ATF. The general consensus after getting through the 5 pages is that you can't put a threaded barrel/ muzzle devise on a CX4, possibly unless you do a Form 1 and register it as an SBR, although the debate rages on.

 

[Zach S]

As murky as this sounds, you would probably be best off writing a letter to the ATF tech branch for clarification.

If you do follow the above advice, and dont like their reply, you could probably send in another copy of your letter and get a different one...

 

[codecypher]

I did contact the ATF about the CX4...you can't SBR it and add a suppressor/flash hider legally - so don't do it! Here is the letter:

 

[Lupinus]

What is the logic behind that regulation?

That is your first mistake. You expect it to contain logic, silly serf.

 

[mp510]

you can't SBR it

Paragraph 2 on page 2 says that it may be SBR'ed.

 

[hankdatank1362]

Swingset's "muzzle break" looks an awful lot like a flash hider... I'd be nervous.

 

[Silver Bullet]

Nitrogen,

Here's a good source for CX-4 info:

http://www.berettaforum.net/vb/foru...1&pp=20&sort=lastpost&order=desc&daysprune=-1

 

[Bad Company]

you could play the 10 or less game and do what you pleased