10.5" barreled upper

[Col_Crocs]

was just curios seeming that it is adding length to the muzzle, wouldn't a, actually 6.5", said 5.5" earlier, muzzle break make it legal on a rifle lower, or a fake suppressor of at least 6.5"?

let me re ask the question, if i put a 6.5" muzzle break on a 10.5" barrel, can i use it on a rifle lower?

Yes it would (yes you can) but what would be the point of doing so? It would be like having a 10.5 inch barrel for the sake of having one, without getting its benefits. On the flip side, you'd now have a 16inch barrelled AR minus the benefits of an actual 16 inch barrel.

[polymorpheous]

These members are trying to help you.
You have little to no understanding of NFA laws.
Please heed their advice and read the sticky threads in the NFA sub-forum.

[cj5_dude]

Ok, there's a few things going on here.

First if you want to build an SBR with a 10.5 inch barrel, or any rifle with a barrel under 16 inches, you need to fill out some ATF forms and mail a $200 check to the ATF. There are a lot of threads on making an SBR on this board so take the time to read them.

With that said, if you currently own a rifle with a 14.5 inch barrel with a removable muzzle device then you have an illegal SBR. So it would be in your best interest to blind pin and weld that favorite muzzle device on so you don't run afoul of the local law enforcement and ATF.

I think you seem to have some confusion that if you just screw on something that makes the barre overall length over 16 inches it's ok but it's not. If you can unthread something and make the barrel under 16 inches then it needs to have SBR paperwork with it.

Does that make sense?

[C-grunt]

Dude listen. If you don't have the proper NFA paperwork and tax stamp your rifle has to have a barrel of at least 16 inches. If you have a shorter barrel like your 14.5 then the flash hider has to be permanaently attached ( as in welded ) to the barrel. If not you are breaking federal law.

If you want a 10.5 inch barrel without the paperwork you either A) have it on a pistol configured lower or B) have to weld on that 5.5 inch flash suppressor.

Edit: beaten to the punch above with a better response to boot.

[cj5_dude]

let me re ask the question, if i put a 6.5" muzzle break on a 10.5" barrel, can i use it on a rifle lower?

ONLY if you permanently attach it to make the overall length 16 inches. And by perm. attach I mean pinned and welded so you can never remove it again without destroying something. If you're going to do that you might as well stick with a 16 inch barrel.

As far as the 14.5 you have right now, unless the muzzle device is perm. attached it's illegal without SBR paperwork if it's attached to your lower.

[jeto]

Ok, there's a few things going on here.

First if you want to build an SBR with a 10.5 inch barrel, or any rifle with a barrel under 16 inches, you need to fill out some ATF forms and mail a $200 check to the ATF. There are a lot of threads on making an SBR on this board so take the time to read them.

With that said, if you currently own a rifle with a 14.5 inch barrel with a removable muzzle device then you have an illegal SBR. So it would be in your best interest to blind pin and weld that favorite muzzle device on so you don't run afoul of the local law enforcement and ATF.

I think you seem to have some confusion that if you just screw on something that makes the barre overall length over 16 inches it's ok but it's not. If you can unthread something and make the barrel under 16 inches then it needs to have SBR paperwork with it.

Does that make sense?

this helps out very much and thank you. well im glad i don't have that barrel anymore then. buddy never told me it was an SBR. i don't think he ever tried to remove the muzzle break. i just tried one day and it came off with minimal pull.

[MrSmitty]

These members are trying to help you.
You have little to no understanding of NFA laws.
Please heed their advice and read the sticky threads in the NFA sub-forum.

^Bingo. Read those over and over again and decide if you really want a short barrel. The process isn't that hard but it can seem confusing at first. There is additional cost involved as well as a (now very lengthy) wait period for approval.

Pinning a 10.5" to bring it to a legal 16" is not the answer. As others have said, its a lose/lose situation. I've purchased two pinned 14.5" uppers in the past because I wanted the shortest package possible without the time and effort and both times I decided I wanted a different brake/flash hider. That's when I decided to submit the SBR paperwork for a lower...

[Col_Crocs]

Im consolidating some of the above posts and putting this out there for the OP and anyone else new to ARs that runs into this thread...

1. An AR has to have a barrel of at least 16 inches. If you have a shorter barrel like your 14.5 then the flash hider has to be permanaently attached (pinned and welded) to the barrel. If not you are breaking federal law.
2. A. If you want a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR), you need to fill out some ATF forms and mail a $200 check to the ATF. There are a lot of threads (stickies) on making an SBR on this board so take the time to read them. -- http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=15253
B. Second option for having a short barreled upper, is to put it on a "pistol" lower.
3. On putting a long muzzle on a 10.5 barrel, like a 6.1" flash hider, making its overall length 16.1", while feasible this is far from ideal.
- The longer the barrel, the higher the velocity and vice versa
- The shorter the barrel, the more maneuverable/handy/compact your AR is.
Going the the above route literally makes for a lose-lose scenario. You lose the velocity of a 16" barrel and you lose the maneuverability of a 10.5" barrel.

[jeto]

thanks guys. this really helped out. now to decide if i want to sell the barrel or go the SBR route.