Replacing | Modifying AR-15 Barrels to Avoid SBR Designation

BCM 16-inch barreled carbine.
Yes, it sucks to have to swap out your short barrel for a 16-inch one – but it’s better than jail time. IMG Jim Grant

USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- ATF ruled that pistol braces are defacto stocks, turning millions of guns into unregistered SBRs overnight.[Deadline for amnesty is May 31st, 2023] For shooters who don’t want to register their pistols, they can either replace their short AR-15 barrels with 16-inch models or pin and weld a muzzle device to bring it’s length up to 16 inches.

This article is all about AR-15 barrels and how their length affects how the ATF classifies them under the new ruling. The recent ruling by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regarding pistol braces is inarguably detrimental to the Second Amendment and America as a whole. Millions of law-abiding American gun owners have been turned into potential criminals overnight with the stroke of a pen. To make things worse, this new ruling was made contrary to prior statements from the ATF, against the will of the people, without a vote, and at the eleventh hour.

What is the Shortest Legal Rifle Barrel?

Americans in possession of a braced pistol with a barrel under 16 inches are now in possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle or SBR – which is a federal crime. Pending legal actions or a correction by Congress, these Americans have a few options to comply with the new ruling. In my previous article, we touched on replacing the brace on your AR15 Rifle with a gun stock and registering said rifle through the ATF’s 120-day amnesty program.

What about shooters who live in states where short barrel rifles (for example, pistols with AR-15 barrels measuring less than 16 inches) or SBRs are illegal? Or, for that matter, those who don’t want to register their guns? For them, there are basically two options.

Option 1: Install a 16-inch or Longer AR 15 Barrel

several AR 15 rifles and barrels with braces andmuzzel devices.
From right to left – the first two rifles have a 20-inch and 16-inch barrel, while the latter three would need to either be registered as an SBR (these 3 already are) or have a 16-inch barrel installed. IMG Jim Grant

In the United States, firearms are regulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA), which defines a short-barreled rifle (SBR) as a rifle with the shortest legal barrel being less than 16 inches or an overall complete length of fewer than 26 inches. SBRs are subject to additional regulations, including a tax stamp and background check, and are more restricted than other firearms. While it’s true that the ATF is waving the $200 tax stamp fee (despite having no authority to do so), the additional background part and gun registration are ‘unappealing’ to most shooters, to say the least.

One option for these individuals is to swap out their AR-15 rifle barrel for one that measures 16 inches or longer. Thankfully, this isn’t very difficult and only requires a few tools – plus, there are dozens of quality barrels on the market today in a variety of configurations, calibers, and price points.

To install a 16-inch barrel on an AR-15 rifle, you will need to follow these steps:

  • Gather tools and parts: You will need a vise, an AR-15 vice block, an armorer’s wrench, a torque wrench, a headspace gauge, a barrel nut, and a gas block.
  • Remove the old barrel: Use an armorer’s wrench to loosen and remove the old barrel from the receiver. Be careful not to damage the receiver or the barrel extension during this step.
  • Install new barrel nut: Slide the new barrel nut onto the barrel extension and tighten it using an armorer’s wrench and torque wrench to the manufacturer’s specifications.
  • Install gas block: Place the gas block onto the barrel and secure it with set screws or a retaining pin, depending on the design of the gas block.
  • Assemble upper receiver: Slide the barrel and gas block into the upper receiver and tighten the barrel nut using an armorer’s wrench.
  • Check headspace: Use a headspace gauge to check the distance between the bolt face and the barrel, ensuring that it falls within the proper specifications.
  • Test fire: Once the barrel is securely installed, test fire the rifle to ensure proper functioning and accuracy.

Note: You may need a different ar-15 rifle handguard as well if your current gun doesn’t use a free-floated handguard. Old-school polymer handguards use handguard retainers, AKA delta rings, at the front and rear of the barrel to hold them on the barrel.

If the thought of doing this yourself makes you nervous, any gunsmith can do this for you, but their services will likely cost more than the tools required to DIY, and the turnaround time will be much greater.

Ballistic Advantage 16" 5.56 Government Profile Midlength Series Barrel
Ballistic Advantage 16″ 5.56 Government Profile Midlength Series Barrel

Here are a few popular 16″ AR-15 barrels for use on an AR-15 rifle with both 5.56 NATO and 223 REM options, and YES, you can shoot 223 out of a 5.56 barrel.

  • BCM BFH 16″ Mid-Length Barrel: A mid-length barrel made from 4150CMV steel and featuring a melonite coating for enhanced durability and accuracy. The BFH (Barrels Forged in the USA, Hammer Forged) series is known for its tight tolerance and quality control. Plus, this barrel uses a mid-length gas system which has less recoil than a carbine-length one, and is more reliable.
  • Daniel Defense 16″ Hammer Forged Barrel: A precision-made barrel featuring hammer-forged construction and a chrome-lined bore for improved accuracy and longevity. The barrel is made from 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel and is finished with a durable salt bath nitride treatment.
  • Aero Precision 16″ 5.56 NATO M4 Barrel: A high-quality barrel made from 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel and featuring a 1:7 twist rate for improved accuracy with heavy bullets. The barrel is finished with a black nitride treatment for enhanced corrosion resistance.
  • Faxon Firearms 16″ Gunner Barrel: A lightweight, high-performance barrel made from 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel and featuring a 1:8 twist rate. The barrel is finished with a black nitride treatment and is designed for use with a wide range of ammunition types.
  • Ballistic Advantage 16″ 5.56 Government Profile Midlength Series Barrel: A high-quality 5.56 barrel, the 16-inch Government Profile Mid-Length Modern Series Barrel is machined from 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium steel with a QPQ Corrosion Resistant Finish, and QPQ coated M4 feed ramp extension. The Series is known for its tight tolerance, high accuracy, and consistent performance, making it a popular choice among shooters.

Note: The specific barrel that is best for your AR-15 rifle will depend on various factors, including the intended use of the rifle, the type of ammunition you plan to use, and your personal preferences. It is essential to consider all of these factors when selecting a barrel and to consult with a qualified firearms professional if you are unsure of which barrel is right for you.

Option 2: Modify AR-15 Barrels With a Pinned & Welded Muzzle Device 

MPX Pinned and Welded Flash hider
Some companies offer their otherwise short-barreled rifles with a pinned and welded muzzle device to bring the barrel length to 16 inches like this extended flash hider on a SIG MPX carbine. IMG Jim Grant

What about people who own braced pistols with barrels close [within an inch or two] to the legally-required 16-inch threshold? For those shooters, pinning and welding a muzzle device is an easier, faster solution – but it comes with some caveats.

First off, permanently attaching a muzzle device to a given firearm to extend its barrel length beyond 16 inches sounds great, but as I said – it’s permanent. So you’ll want to be absolutely certain it’s what you want. Additionally, if a shooter owns a sound suppressor and wants to attach it to their gun, they’re going to want to make sure that whatever muzzle device they pick is compatible.

SIG-516 Jim Grant
My SIG 516 carbine has a 14.5-inch barrel with a SilencerCo ASR Flash Hider pinned and welded to it. Note: standard AR-15 barrels aren’t compatible with the piston-driven SIG 516. IMG  Jim Grant

For guns with 14.5-inch barrels, this is pretty easy. Most muzzle devices measure at least two inches – but some, like the SilencerCo ASR Single Port Muzzle Brake, only measure around 1.5 inches, and once installed, only add around one inch to the barrel length. This is great for its intended purpose of keeping a gun light and handy, but for the purpose of extending a barrel in a meaningful way, it’s next to worthless.

A better and cheaper option is your standard A2 flash hider which measures 1.75 inches and adds around 1.65 to the barrel. This pushes a 14.5-inch barrel to just a hair over 16 inches, and good to go.

SIG MPX 9mm carbine pinned and welded
This SIG MPX, 9mm carbine, features a 12.5-inch barrel and a 4-inch flash hider pinned and welded to it. IMG Jim Grant

Muzzle Brakes for Permantly Attaching to AR-15 Barrels

For shorter guns, there are purpose-built muzzle devices like the CNC Warrior four-piece linear brake, which mimics those found on Bulgarian AKS-74U carbines and adds a whopping 4.7 inches to the overall length of your barrel. This model, in particular, is more designed for 12-inch barreled AKs like the Arsenal SLR-107CR, but the manufacturer also makes similar muzzle devices for a myriad of different guns.

Kalashnikov USA AK-104P pinned and welded
I bought a Kalashnikov USA AK-104P pistol with a 12-inch barrel, so I had to have this extended JMAC Custom blast diffuser pinned and welded to it to keep it legal. IMG Jim Grant

Regardless of what route you choose, I would advise you to keep the whole ordeal close to your vest; Various alphabet agencies have made it abundantly clear they have no qualms with trampling individuals’ rights in their quest to obliterate the Second Amendment. Sure, there are bills in opposition to the ban in the works, but given the speed of government, they will take years, not months (if at all), to affect any change. So don’t bet your life and liberty on them.


About Jim Grant

Jim is one of the elite editors for AmmoLand.com, who, in addition to his mastery of prose, can wield a camera with expert finesse. He loves anything and everything guns but holds firearms from the Cold War in a special place in his heart.

When he’s not reviewing guns or shooting for fun and competition, Jim can be found hiking and hunting with his wife Kimberly, their son, and their dog Peanut in the South Carolina low country.

Jim Grant

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, Ammoland will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
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Montana454Casull

I would rather replace the ATF with nothing . The way it should be !

ras52

I’ll drink to that!

Watch um

My friend in Montana, if they come for you I hope it is in the dead of winter when the snow is six feet deep and the wind is blowing at 35+ mph across the prairie.
They won’t be found until the spring thaw I would think

Knute Knute

This is the plot of the movie: “Legends of the Fall”. Spoiler Alert! The movie ends with the protagonists killing the government agents and dropping them(and their vehicle(s) into the Missouri River. And they’re never seen again. Montana is still a lot thisaway. The Missouri is wide and deep. Back in the ’80s some ATF agents went south of Frasier, MT., on a fishing expedition against some slightly disreputable types that live there on the Reservation. Sans any warrants. Just fishing for whatever they thought they could catch. Both they, and their vehicles, were never seen again. The feds responded… Read more »

Last edited 9 months ago by Knute Knute
Knute Knute

ATF should be a store, not a government agency.

Last edited 9 months ago by Knute Knute
Putz7948

Registering a AR pistol is a Trap , They’ll never get to your submitted info within the 88 day time frame ,you will then become a felon , Possessing an SBR without. Tax stamp and now they’ll institute legal action against you ! Remember who you dealing with .

barnjoer

If I remember I sold mine to you

Wild Bill

Sell it to dead person, and keep the receipt.

Terry

Yep, if you could get hold of the Democrat voting list there would be plenty of potential dead buyers.

Bigfootbob

Those lists are family heirlooms. No way can a regular person get one unless you’re in the will.

StLPro2A

Sell it to Hunter. No arrest ever.

Finnky

Sold several to him. Kept copies of bills-of-sale to prove he bought them. Of course he doesn’t remember buying and is too addled to find any of his guns! If not entrapped before laws get overturned, tear up those records and openly take that AR-pistol back to the range. TBH – brace on my 9mm is almost as useless as a brace as it is as a shoulder stock. Only issue I take with disposing of the brace is that they are threatening me to get me to do so. My destruction and disposal will consist of opening trashcan lid… Read more »

Knute Knute

Or just keep it as a pistol until such time as the SBR registraion actually happens, rather than just accept a shaky promise from a dept. that changes its mind more often than its socks!

DDS

OTOH…

If you have a legal pistol and a soon to be illegal brace just take the brace off of the pistol and bury the brace…..

For now. 😉

After all, the pistol just might come in handy.

Knute Knute

My feelings exactly. I wouldn’t want a bump stock if it was given to me. It’s hard enough to get the projectiles to go where you want them to go in full auto. Add in the gun bouncing all around, and it’s only good for wasting ammo at a hillside. And laughing, OFC. They don’t call a selector the “giggle switch” for nothin’. Almost the same with pistol braces, but on a smaller scale. Unless one really has a disabled arm, one is better off with a real stock. But, bc of legal requirements, that option is closed off to… Read more »

USMC0351Grunt

Now just what are all those Democrat voters going to do with short barrel rifles?

2AGunster

Thugs!

USMC0351Grunt

Just remember that IF the UN is stupid enough to plant their feet in OUR country, WE, The People will plant their bodies on our soil, unless perhaps we ship them back home. Blue helmets with properly placed headshots creates a mysterious purple color.

USMC0351Grunt

 If you would, pass this around. I am trying to get as many Veterans working on this as possible. I have jobs for Grant Writers and Fundraisers available that pays out 10% up to the first $10,000 raised and 15% and competitive bonuses after that. Either contact me directly or see: http://VeteransEstateInc.com Gregory Romeu

USMC0351Grunt

YEP! Seen it on the Discovery Channel!

Chuck

And they really show up in my 4 – 12 x44. Crystal clear.

USMC0351Grunt

Right where they’re supposed to be.

USMC0351Grunt

I’m still working on that project. This will be the first of many such homes once I punch through all of the corrupt government paperwork and the push back from the VA on a home that I already pre-qualified to purchase with a credit score of 760 to 799 Plus. What I have found so far since mid December is that the VA is the primary cause of homeless Veterans and Veteran suicide. The VA is dictating that I have to have 6 months p i t i (for this property that means $28,000) I can get by with 17,500… Read more »

Knute Knute

But, like most any trap, being aware of it will save you. In this case, avoiding the trap is simple. Should anyone wish to take advantage of this fake ‘amnesty period’ to register a braced pistol as an SBR, just make certain you document (via dated pictures posted online), that the pistol(s) in question do NOT have a brace on it(or them) until the ATF fails to provide the promised registration. Then, when they show up to arrest you for the braced pistol that they think that you have….(bc feds are notoriously lazy and stupid), you can prove that it… Read more »

Arizona

Or don’t. Americans don’t ask permission nor do we require it.

CharlieKing1

@USMC0351Grunt, I just watched your recommended video, excellent speeches by all. BTW, that woman with the big cajones is Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, a staunch supporter of 2A. She doesn’t pull any punches. Further I was really surprised to see Congressman Dan Crenshaw speak up for these bills. It been my understanding that he wasn’t a big supporter of the 2A. Maybe some Texans have putting some pressure on him to get behind the 2A effort.

USMC0351Grunt

We put pressure on Crenshaw every chance we get. He supported the Red Flag laws for Texas. Some people remind him that he only has one eye left and that he may need a 3rd grader or above to read The Constitution to him.

Oldman

Just today WA state house of reps passed a new bill banning assault weapons and other insundry items that we have not seen yet. It now will go to the senate. I cannot understand why the people in Guberment here in Washington think that that law will be followed by ANY lawful owner of firearms in this state. It will have to go through all the courts including SCOTUS to make me commit suicide.

USMC0351Grunt

Until we learn that when unconstitutional laws like these are passed, We, The People must immediately come together in mass, in synchronized violation of these unconstitutional laws. They push tyranny, we push back in force with freedom and liberty.

Gofer

I happen to strongly agree with you. But, how do we get the fake patriots off their beer guzzling, football, NASCAR watching butts to do anything? I’ve heard one “patriot” after another, try to remind everybody…”When we went into the military, we took an oath to defend the Constitution of the US … and so on. Now, all I hear is a deafening silence.

totbs

Agreed. Inslee hasn’t signed it yet, but I’m sure he will. These unconstitutional laws just fall on my totally deaf ears. Anything they try to force on us doesn’t change what I do or have, in the least. Simply, I will not comply, nor will I bury items that suddenly made me a criminal.

Oldman

Me, also…I heard him once to say that the ‘citizens’ don’t need weapons of war, meaning AR 15s, AR10s and the like BTW guys, I got rid of those downvotes for you. Someone is likely to downvote me and I may need your help…..LOL

Arkansas Rob

I wish I could upvote this more than once!

Gofer

You’re practically telling my story… well, except for the money part. Stuck on social security and just trying to survive each month. And, not doing real well at that! AND… it’s getting more expensive to do any-danged-thing. I’m praying for the definite End Times, to arrive!

Desert Guy

Let this be a valuable lesson in trusting any government.

PistolGrip44

To all the fudds out there, including the writer of this article. Option 3. DO NOT COMPLY!

Chuck

I have to admit, I’m getting tired of all the “Compliance Rhetoric” coming from various gun journalists. I can’t help but believe our Founders and Forefathers would be disgusted by the recommendations to tolerate this “long train of abuses and ursurpations.”
“Wait for the Corrupted Courts to decide whether actions blatantly Unconstitutional are illegal,” they advise, when these so called courts can’t agree on the color of shite.
If the estimated numbers are correct, there are 5,174 Brace Owners for every ATF Agent. We don’t have to comply with Jack Sh*t.

Laddyboy

These “rules and regulations” are being made by the ATF/AFT/NFA/etc. BUREAUCRATS — WHO DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE ANY LAW! ONLY Congress CAM MAKE or MODIFY a LAW! AND —- ACCORDING to OUR AMERICAN CONSTITUTION — ANY “LAW” that is CONTRARY to the Constitution IS NULL AND VOID!!! Let us see if these RADICALIZED “judges” UNDERSTAND OUR AMERICAN CONSTITUTION!!

Logician

Please read my posting above, and then come and tell me how and why it matters, if they understand anything at all! The bottom line is that the legal system is a scam and a sham, a criminal organization, and therefore has ZERO legitimate power or authority over anyone!

buzzsaw

Why dismantle the upper receiver? Just get a barreled upper with a 16+ inch barrel and slap it on. A lot of us probably already have one. Two pins, done! What to do with the old pistol upper with the short barrel? Sold it for cash? PVC pipe? Boating accident? Get or make another lower, but this time no brace? By the way, it is “to EFFECT any change” The words “affect” and “effect” as verbs have damn near swapped definitions in recent years… I don’t know what has effected this switcheroo, but it affects my linguistic sensibilities in a… Read more »

Ansel Hazen

^^ This ^^

Bumpstocks are not machine guns anymore. Fed Bois will get slapped for braces too.

Last edited 1 year ago by Ansel Hazen
Knute Knute

More like that the US treasury will get slapped down by all the lawsuits from people harmed by the ATFs action(s). Meanwhile, the ATF will continue to perpetrate even bigger and more foolish action(s), since the treasury will continue to pay for the unlawful action(s) of the ATF. With no consequence(s) exacted upon them, why would any of the alphabet soup of federal agencies change? For them, this is working out quite well. Until such time as the US collapses due to its irresponsible behavior(s), OFC. But they cannot see this approaching, since they believe that they are untouchable. This… Read more »

Last edited 9 months ago by Knute Knute
xtphreak

Thank You!!!

Yes, I’m an old phart.

Yes, my seventh grade English teacher drummed correct grammar into my head.

Yes, spellcheck (used incorrectly) is the biggest bane to English grammar ever conceived of.

Affect is a verb.
It means to impact or change.

Effect, is a noun.
It indicates the result of a change.

Even though they sound alike, they ARE NOT INTERCHANGABLE IN USAGE.

signed,
Also a Grammar Nazi

USMC0351Grunt

Also in English linguistics, A works as pro or forward moving, whereas E works as past or post.

USMC0351Grunt

Pay attention! If ANYBODY understood the Bill Of Rights, THEN TAUGHT IT in bootcamp…

Chuck

There are between 6,000 to 7,000 ATF Flunkies. Over 44,000,000 AR Braces have been sold. Even if only half have been installed, that’s still 22,000,000 AR Pistols in the hands of American Citizens.
We don’t have to put up with this Tyranny, and frankly, it’s past time we did something about it.
(BTW: 44 million is a low estimate).

USMC0351Grunt

I don’t put up with ANY form of tyranny. I’ve told LEO’s and agents of various agencies alike, “Boy, you try THAT crap in MY country and you’ll get shot!” Then I wait while they look at me with their puzzled look and they ask me, “What country I am from?” and I reply, “The United States!”

Last edited 1 year ago by USMC0351Grunt
Doughboy1960

44 million? There are 330 million people in the US. Estimated that 32% (105 million) own a gun. And you’re saying that 45% of those have a braces AR? Biden would say C’MON MAN!

Chuck

Based upon the sales of braces by the manufacturers is a conservative 44 million braces. It could be twice that. I don’t know about you, but I’ve 3 rifles, 2 shotguns and 4 pistols all purchased before the 1968 GCA and the adoption of form 4473, and I’m pretty comfortable with saying I’m not the only one who owns arms which the Fed Bois have no clue that they exist. 105 Million Gun Owners? I’ll bet the actual number is closer to 200 Million. Even if the Feds armed every employee, drafted State and Local LEOs and forced the Military… Read more »

Knute Knute

“Estimates” mean very little compared to the known number of braces that have been sold. I could “estimate” that only a thousand corvettes were manufactured by Chevrolet, since it’s an expensive niche model of car. But the sheer number of them around will show just how far my “estimate” is off. By orders of magnitude, much like Doughboy’s estimates. Off by orders of magnitude. For someone quoting Biden, I think I might need to explain that just ONE “order of magnitude” is quite a large number, and thus represents a very large error. It’s a logarithmic scale, for those that… Read more »

moe mensale

There may be ~100 million gun owners in the US but there are upwards of 400 million (if not more) privately owned guns in the US. Now 44 million braces is only 11% of the total guns owned. But who really knows?

Wild Bill

Here is an idea: Get an old fashion recipe book, the kind with a white page for the buyer, a carbon paper and yellow copy for the seller. Fill out the white page with the carbon paper in place so that you (the seller) have a yellow copy to retain. If you know a farmer, rancher, gun collector, or anyone that has died recently, fill out the receipt to the deceased person showing that you have sold him the pistol. The date of your sale to the deceased person must be after the date that you purchased the weapon. In… Read more »

USMC0351Grunt

WB, if somebody is holding a gun to your head to make you write this stuff, blink twice!

Last edited 1 year ago by USMC0351Grunt
Wild Bill

Just trying to think of inexpensive easy dodges to BATFE overreach.

Ansel Hazen

I’m a member of a gun club. I’ve used the clubhouse to meet with folks to buy and sell things. Worth my membership for this alone.

Wild Bill

That is a great idea! My gun club does not do that, but it is still a great idea!
Have you ever seen the book, “Successful Gun Trading” by George Knight? It is an eye opener.

Ansel Hazen

WB, Every member has the combo to the gate and the clubhouse. Just a little more classy than the parking lot of a gas station and friendly ground so to speak.

totbs

Yup, my gun club is member run, and every member has a key to the gate. There are an uncountable number of “meetup” places on the property. What happens in the gun club, stays in the gun club.

Last edited 1 year ago by totbs
USMC0351Grunt

Well?

USMC0351Grunt

ATF: “We’ve come for your firearms.”
WB: “You can’t have them. Your move!”

USMC0351Grunt

Hand em’ a condom, the cheapest one you can find, and tell them what to do with it.

Wild Bill

It has been brought to my attention, and rightfully so, that my comment read: ” recipe book”. My comment should have read: “receipt book” thus the confusion. Many thanks to xtphreak for bringing this to my attention. And my apologies for the confusion.

USMC0351Grunt

“Don’t apologize, it’s a sign of weakness.” – John Wayne in the 1939 classis, ‘She Wore A Yellow Ribbon’

Knute Knute

I’m assuming you meant: “the 1939 classic, ‘She Wore A Yellow Ribbon’” 🙂
Autocorrect strikes again! I call it: “the auto mistake”! When I’m feeling charitable, anyway. The rest of the time its the “autof**ker. 🙂

xtphreak

@WB

I suspect you meant a “receipt book” vs. a “recipe book”.

I dislike keeping firearms transaction records in amongst Grandma’s Squirrel Head Stew Recipe.

Wild Bill

Yes, you are right! I did mean receipt book. That damn sneaky spell check got me again! Thank you for proof reading for me!

Wild Bill

Spell check is a good theory poorly executed.

totbs

I figured it was spell check, because it was correct further down in your post. Sometimes with spellcheck, I’ve been amazed at words that I apparently typed.

Ced Truz

Option 3: Tell the ATF they can suck it and use the 2A for what it was intended for if they show up to your house.

Chuck

And shoot first. Aim Small and Don’t miss.
I’m old, cranky and hurting from this joint disease. I’m seriously considering the Final Option.

Knute Knute

“Aim small… miss small” Plz don’t take that option. Not only do we need all the good people that we can get in this age of Kali, I have it on good authority that in the next world, murder of the self is an even worse offense than murder of another. The polar opposite of what the deceivers here have taught us. I have it from the same authority that I trust that we can leave voluntarily any time the pain gets too unbearable. That that is, indeed, the way natural death is meant to occur. That we stick around… Read more »

Doughboy1960

This writer must get paid by the word.
So now I have a rifle but the stock is a shitty brace. Article could have been shortened to:
1-Switch out the upper to one with a minimum 16” barrel, OR
2-Remove brace and buffer tube and replace with old school plain buffer tube (which by the way are in short supply on many popular retail sites).
Done

Roland T. Gunner

Im pretty sure you do not have to remove the standard buffer tube, just the brace riding on it.

Orion

thats not gonna work in reading their published regulation/ruling. hell, even a plain pistol tube wont pass muster. just the abilty to contact your shoulder in any form seems to disqualify your pistol as it’s written today. while there are a few PDW setups that will work(on paper) their functional reliability is still not there.

Chuck

Around 6,000 ATF Agents and over 44,000,000 Brace Owners. That’s an over 5,000 to 1 ratio in gun owners favor.
We should realize that if we band together, there’s No Way they can force compliance.

Knute Knute

That is the stage I believe we’re at. The banding together and gathering of courage, until there are enough to force the slavemasters to leave us alone or die. Then Liberty will return, and with it so much abundance that we might get complacent and dependent again, and around the circle we go for lap whatever. Dozens of times in history, if not hundreds. I see this as the stage we can get off of this stupid racetrack we’ve been trapped on for so long. The pit road, if you will. Abundance need not lead to loss of courage, that… Read more »

JDT

F the ATF, Joe Biden, and Trump for setting the precedence of this unconstitutional way of trying to make and change laws.

Knute Knute

Nice to see someone else that understands that both Trump and Biden are just two sides of the same corrupt coin. The coin of dictatorship. Of those that have convinced themselves that they have a divine right to own, and rule over, others. I see that attutude in not only Trump and Biden, but in pretty much everybody in government, at least since the destruction of Jim Traficant. He was the last one that I did NOT see the attitude(s) of a would-be slavemaster in his actions, but noted instead that he took action(s) that would benefit the people, instead… Read more »

Pantherpiss

Why do I keep seeing articles like this? Whatever happened to Irish democracy?

Boz

F that!

Logician

OK, once again now, let me remind everybody that nearly everything that is contended for one reason or another, is filtered through the 100% corrupted legal system. The Actors, Operators, Agents and Officers of this totally corrupted institution are tasked with the making of rational decisions, but not even just one of them is capable of doing that. For proof of that statement, you only need to look at what the USSC/SCOTUS did last year. En banc, they reversed Roe v. Wade, a bad decision that they had let stand for 49 years! Both Kagan and Alito were quoted as… Read more »

Wild Bill

Had you left out abortion, you would have had a powerful argument. Abortion never was a federal issue. It is police power of the state. Even liberals used to recognize that Roe was a very poorly crafted case.

Logician

And pray tell, just how does mentioning Roe v. Wade make the facts and logic presented to the world, any less powerful?? The point derives from the fact that TWO “justices” of the USSC/SCOTUS said that the original decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973 was an egregious error! Do you know what that word means? It means really, really, really BAD!! So if the USSC/SCOTUS is so incompetent that they got such a simple and important decision wrong, then how can it be trusted to get anything else right?? Capice? Is there some other reversed case decision from the… Read more »

Orion

Jim, i suggest you check your measurements again. pinning a regular A2 flash hider with a single crush washer to a 14.5″ barrel may NOT bring it to 16 inches. an extended A2 is the way.

Sambo

Bear Creek Arsenal makes great barrels. You should check them out! A veteran owned company.

Matt in Oklahoma

I bought several barrels from them recently in case this turns out to be the end result and if not then I’ll just have to use it as an excuse to do more builds.

USMC0351Grunt

Jim, you miss Harold, don’t you? Admit it!

Chuck

Had enough of the “Long Train of Abuses and Ursurpations” yet?

Boz

eFF that!

Logician

Prohibition was repealed due to jury nullification, the feds couldn’t get convictions on people any longer, so they had to take the unenforceable law off of the books to save face! The exact same thing needs to be done now, but on a much LARGER scale. Expose the crimes of the 100% corrupted legal system and take all of the wind out of its sails! WHERE is our written guarantee that we will actually GET a fair trial located, so all of us can read it? If we don’t have that guarantee, then every so-called trial is one of two… Read more »

PistolGrip44

STOP COMPLYING. Don’t be a FUDD, unlike this so-called “author.”

PistolGrip44

Go ahead and be a FUDD.

Watch um

I don’t own any braced pistols even in the AR type. Now for the sake of arguing with the ATF the Definition of a pistol defined by Congress is a gun that is fired with one hand. Now my question is, if I use both hands to hold and shoot my pistol am I violating this law ? Now I know that sounds silly but let’s apply what the ATF said before this so called rule. A brace is used to stabilize a pistol but it you just happen to stabilize it against your shoulder you would not be in… Read more »

Ken

I bought my AR pistol WITHOUT a brace. Has anyone thought to just remove the brace?

USMC0351Grunt

Halfway through this video is a woman that has more balls than this author. JUST IN: GOP Lawmakers Decry New ATF Rule Requiring Registration Of Firearms With Stabilizing Braces – YouTube

Doug G.

How come he doesn’t even mention just removing the brace? That makes your AR or AK pistol a pistol again and legal without any welding, new barrels, registration, tax stamp etc… If you need bracing to shoot it, use a shooting stick, bipod or tripod. At least until the regulation changes.

Ken

Second hand grips the buffer tube.

Watch um

Question, if the overall length of a pistol with a brace is over 26 inches is it still classified as a short barrel rifle

AggregatVier

And if you’re switching gas blocks or switching to or from mid-length, don’t forget to install or replace the gas tube (unless you’ve got or are changing over to a gas piston setup).

Knute Knute

Regarding option #2, a “permanently attached” muzzle device that makes the barrel 16 inches or longer, be aware that this requirement too, changes with ATF’s whim. It used to be that just hard soldering was sufficient for them to call it; “permanently attached”. I did some of those back in the 1980’s on ARs with the XM177’s 10.5 inch barrels and the 6 inch birdcages designed for that purpose. Now it requires both pinning and soldering. Who knows what they’ll change that to tomorrow? I think the safest method would be brazing or welding one on. I wonder sometimes about… Read more »

JDT

Thank Trump for showing they can make anything illegal they want without going thru congress..

Wild Bill

How do you figure?

USMC0351Grunt

I’m pretty sure that THAT was Obama and his mighty pen that started all THAT practice.

ashort

well! What is the shortest legal rifle barrel? at least for an AR-15? it never says any length according to the article. Also why is there not a 15″ inch AR-15 barrel? an what is the deal with half sizes or in between sizes in barrel length? nobody ever explains that.

Orion

suggest you read the proposed rule, it’s finally been posted on the federal register.
fwiw: 16″ OAL for any rifled barrel…

Josephus

The minimum overall length (length from the bolt face to the end of the muzzle or muzzle device) must total 16″ or more. So, you can use a 14.5″ barrel IF you have a muzzle device that is longer than 1.5″ attached that is pinned and welded in place so as to make it permanent – thus, the length of the barrel is 14.5″ + 1.5″ = 16″. The shorter the barrel, the longer the muzzle device has to be to make up for it – as long as the total is 16″ the BATFags should leave you alone …… Read more »

Knute Knute

For rifles it’s 16 inches or more, and for smoothbores that don’t make the AOW category, it’s 18 inches. For any would-be gunsmiths out there, note that it is the finished length that is relevant, thus I cut my minimum rifled barrel lengths off at 16.5 inches. One needs to leave some extra for crowning the muzzle, and also some for fitting the barrel to the action, unless it’s on a design like an AR that doesn’t require clocking. I leave some extra so that when the crown gets damaged, it can still be re-crowned if needed, without having to… Read more »

Knute Knute

It seems that there is at least one out there that likes the idea of throwing away perfectly good barrels. Well, maybe he’s a barrelmaker! 🙂