ATF is going to have an amnesty for braced pistols

[Bret]

So if I do amnesty, I can put a stock on it and avoid the $200 tax? Basically a braced pistol would become an sbr without the tax, right?

If we’re reading this right, yes? So basically you could eFile a Form 1 to “amnesty” a pistol braced lower, NOT pay $200, and voilà, free SBR stamp!

So hypothetically I could buy a 5 position brace that fits on a milspec receiver extension and simply take photos of the lower with said brace and a short upper installed and I can get free stamps for all my lowers?

One would have to be careful. If you have a braced pistol and then amnesty register it, then ok. If you don't have a braced pistol, but then brace one in order to be able to amnesty register it as an SBR, that could likely be construed as a conspiracy to avoid paying a tax.

This does bring up a good point though. If the courts allow this to stand, pretty much the only people who are going to amnesty register a gun are people who already have NFA items. Virtually all others will just remove the brace or extend the barrel.

[okie]

One would have to be careful. If you have a braced pistol and then amnesty register it, then ok. If you don't have a braced pistol, but then brace one in order to be able to amnesty register it as an SBR, that could likely be construed as a conspiracy to avoid paying a tax.

This does bring up a good point though. If the courts allow this to stand, pretty much the only people who are going to amnesty register a gun are people who already have NFA items. Virtually all others will just remove the brace or extend the barrel.

I'm already a serial philatelist so what's a few more. In for a penny in for a pound...

Question though. How would they find out? I'm mean I've got stripped lowers I've had for years. Who's to say I didn't put braces on them years ago?

Also, can someone tell me whether it was ever decided if you could convert rifles to pistols? It was a one way street from pistol to rifle as far as I knew, but then a few years ago people were saying it didn't matter. Was there ever any resolution on that?

[georgeib]

Also, can someone tell me whether it was ever decided if you could convert rifles to pistols? It was a one way street from pistol to rifle as far as I knew, but then a few years ago people were saying it didn't matter. Was there ever any resolution on that?

My understanding, based on the local SMEs in the NFA subreddit, is that if it starts life as a "pistol" or an "other" (ie a stripped receiver), then it can go back and forth between being a pistol or a rifle, and back again. OTOH, if it started life as a rifle, then it is always a rifle.

[glocktogo]

One would have to be careful. If you have a braced pistol and then amnesty register it, then ok. If you don't have a braced pistol, but then brace one in order to be able to amnesty register it as an SBR, that could likely be construed as a conspiracy to avoid paying a tax.

This does bring up a good point though. If the courts allow this to stand, pretty much the only people who are going to amnesty register a gun are people who already have NFA items. Virtually all others will just remove the brace or extend the barrel.

Well I have pics of the two assembled braced “pistols” I have that predate any of this nonsense, so no worries there. I’ve always wanted to SBR them, but $400 is $400!

[SteyrAUG]

This doesn't sound like backdoor registration at all... not one bit. /s

I'm already on their list for about 60+ NFA items so who gives a shit. Gonna buy some braced crap just to snag some SBRs.

[okie]

My understanding, based on the local SMEs in the NFA subreddit, is that if it starts life as a "pistol" or an "other" (ie a stripped receiver), then it can go back and forth between being a pistol or a rifle, and back again. OTOH, if it started life as a rifle, then it is always a rifle.

Ah that makes sense. Because I remember back then people were saying once a pistol went to rifle it couldn't go back again, and THAT was what ended up being not true.

Well shucks, that means only my stripped lowers are getting free stamps. I was really hoping to blanket stamp all my Colts.

In light of that law, they should have been selling every rifle without a stock. Locking people into that ridiculous semantical prison was dumb.

[flenna]

This doesn't sound like backdoor registration at all... not one bit. /s

Exactly. If they get away with this then the next step is “all semi-automatic rifles are really machine guns, but we will let you keep them if you register them”. And then the next step after registration is obvious….

[Alpha-17]

So hypothetically I could buy a 5 position brace that fits on a milspec receiver extension and simply take photos of the lower with said brace and a short upper installed and I can get free stamps for all my lowers?

Exactly what I'm wondering. Backdoor registration issues aside, once the gun is a SBR, what's to stop the brace from coming off and an honest-to-goodness stock going on?

[prepare]

Exactly what I'm wondering. Backdoor registration issues aside, once the gun is a SBR, what's to stop the brace from coming off and an honest-to-goodness stock going on?

Because it’s going to be a registered AR Pistol. Not a SBR.

[Inkslinger]

Because it’s going to be a registered AR Pistol. Not a SBR.

That’s the way I’ve heard it. You register your braced firearm. You’re not getting a pass to put a stock on it.