ATF Gun Classification Decoded

[NugginFutz]

[A5BLASTER]

Lmao love it lmao.

[montana]

I just had a flash back of being in my old sociology class.

[rebby]

From what I can tell at a glance, that’s mostly correct. I don’t see anything egregiously incorrect here so you could actually follow it as a decent guideline to avoid putting together something that could end up classified as NFA. It is a fantastic illustration of how arbitrary (and arguably stupid) current gun laws are though. Sigh...

[Bigs28]

The one thing i see that i read differently was that verticle foregrips were ok on pistols now as well.

I don't remember where i read it and it didn't apply to my rifle anyway.

[rebby]

The one thing i see that i read differently was that verticle foregrips were ok on pistols now as well.

I don't remember where i read it and it didn't apply to my rifle anyway.

VFGs are fine as long as OAL>26”. Based on recent interpretations, OAL (in this case) is measured with the gun in it’s most compact configuration. For example, the brace fully collapsed or the gun folded (if equipped with something like a LAW Tactical folder).

This is one of those areas with enough ambiguity that I strongly recommend against a VFG unless it is essentially required by the shooter for some reason (like some sort of hand injury). The various AFGs on the market are always an option.

Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of a forward VFGs on any configuration (SBR, AOW, or rifle), that’s just my personal bias creeping in though.

[LRRPF52]

Excellent graph. It could be even more arbitrary, hilarious, and informative if it included:

26" OAL firearm with a VFG



Pistol with brace and Slightly angled VFG outside of the 90˚ specific ATF definition for a VFG that would normally make an AOW, but doesn't


Franklin Armory 11.5" Reformation with Binary Trigger

[wraith1516]

what if you put a (threaded)muzzle break on the reformation

[NugginFutz]

Shouldn't matter - the Reformation isn't Shotgun/Rifle/SBR. It uses "straight rifling", so it is not a smoothbore (shotgun), twist rifling (Rifle/SBR). As such, under the current NFA guidelines, the barrel length is not regulated - as far as I understand the spiel from Franklin Armory. The triumvir muzzle break which is a stock item on the Reformation is, AFAIK, a threaded device.

So, what distinction are you trying to illustrate?

[wraith1516]

my thought on it is if you take a piece of ar barrel put threads on it (to screw it on the end of the bbl) port it so it be call a compensator but leave the internal diameter of the bbl at .223 kind of same principle as a rifled choke on a shot gun

[Kswhitetails]

my thought on it is if you take a piece of ar barrel put threads on it (to screw it on the end of the bbl) port it so it be call a compensator but leave the internal diameter of the bbl at .223 kind of same principle as a rifled choke on a shot gun

That sounds like a fair bit of disaster waiting to happen.

[Old18C]

Funny and informative, PERFECT

[Lastrites]

In a recent conn case the atf measured everything that didn't fold with the braces extended similar to how they currently measure a rifle with a stock. Anything that folded with the Law Tac., got measured with it in the folded position and that is where the Conn shop dipped their toes in the water as they had vfg's attached. Charged with nondocumented AOW's instead of them being considered "firearms" as it being folded didn't meet the 26" length minimum.

So a pistol with brace that is 26" or > when a vfg is attached transforms into a "firearm", remove the vfg and it becomes a pistol once again. If when in "firearm" form with vfg it cannot be concealed or it becomes an AOW.

Current method of ATF measuring with a brace is to measure with brace extended without muzzle device unless it is pin/welded, if it has a Law Tac on it then it is measured when folded. Of course the ATF could change this method at anytime but currently this is how they took one shop down the rat hole.

Above is on the federal level, know your state laws as they may differ, such as TN or MI which have certain restrictions.