If your checklist reveals too many points, you lose the game and your AR gun with the stabilizing orthosis falls into the area of the SBR rifle. In June 2021, the ATF redefined rifles by explicitly excluding AR pistols and shoulder straps from the definition. Instead, this proposed new definition would move AR pistols from the pistol category to the NFA`s restricted short-barrel rifle line. Obviously, the easiest way to avoid legal trouble is to simply remove your brace from your gun and sell it to someone else. Or at least never put it on one of your weapons again. Is that extreme? Yes. But is it unbelievable, legally certain? Certainly. This checklist also discusses the different types of stabilizing assistance provided by the gun`s struts, including the counterweight, fin, and cuff stays, which award them points. Keep in mind that we are dealing with law enforcement that does not boast violations, and as we see in the history of NFRTR administration, cover-up, and outright perjury. When they show up at our doors, let`s not forget the advice of law professor James Duane in his video presentation, in which he gives probably the most important piece of legal advice a citizen law enforcement turns to will ever hear: The ATF has released the timeline for banning braces. The final promotion date was supposed to be August 2022, but has since been moved to December 2022 (see above). Unfortunately, there`s a lot of confusion about what makes a pistol support a pistol accessory rather than a rifle butt, as they look a lot alike when you look at a fully assembled gun.
1) Remove or modify the “stabilizer accessory” so that it cannot be attached, thereby converting the firearm back to its original pistol configuration (provided it was originally configured without a butt and as a pistol) and thereby exempting it from regulation as a “firearm” under the NFA. Exercising this option would mean that the gun would no longer be “equipped” with the stabilizing orthosis as defined in the proposed rule. Supporters and critics of Second Amendment rights see pistol struts very differently, and so this simple accessory is no longer so simple. The argument of the gun accessory versus the butt of the gun does not depend on how you hold the weapon or whether you can shoulder the gun accessory. In any case, the ATF has so far rejected arguments that, if it can be assumed when firing the weapon, it must be a stockpile. This is consistent with how the ATF sees all weapons. Consumer abuse alone should not make an otherwise legal product illegal. Currently, it all depends on what the product was designed for and how it should be used. The number of braces used in the United States is not known. The ATF says between three and seven million braces have been sold in the last decade alone. The Congressional Research Service says the total number could be between 10 and 40 million accolades, and there`s simply no way to know for sure. “Any person who intends to use a handgun stabilizer accessory as a shoulder rest on a pistol (with a rifled barrel less than 16 inches in length or a smooth-bore with a barrel less than 18 inches in length) must first file a Form ATF 1 and pay the applicable tax, because the resulting firearm is subject to all provisions of the NFA.
The ATF said in its “open letter on the redesign of the “stabilizing braces”. We`re going to take a close look at what these braces are, how they`re used, what`s going on with the laws, and how we can move forward from now on. Whether you place the stabilizing splint on your shoulder or simply support it against your arm, you increase your points of contact with the firearm. This results in more accurate shooting as you have more contact and control over the weapon. Simply removing the adjustment straps can be a “transformation” of the orthosis into a butt, converting your AR gun to SBR. In addition, firearms such as the B&T APC9K and CZ Scorpion Evo3 are both subject to the proposed conditions. It remains to be determined whether the length considered refers to a firearm without an installed orthosis or with a fully deployed weapon, as there is uncertainty about firearm frames such as the Flux Raider. They are called stabilizer pins for a reason, right? Right. As mentioned earlier, an orthosis allows more contact with the firearm, making it more stable and therefore more accurate. In 2014, the ATF issued its first statement on gun braces, stating that if the device was “used as a shoulder rest,” it would constitute “the manufacture of a rifle.” This is not a new law. The definitions come from the NFA of 1934 and the GCA of 1968. Biden asked the ATF to try to change their definition to make up to 3 million armrests regulated by the NFA.
The laws governing pistol struts have gone back and forth quite a bit in recent years. At first, the ATF said you couldn`t shoulder the accessory because it would turn it into a short-barreled rifle. Then they changed their mind and said you could wear the accessory without turning it into a short-barreled rifle. A year later, the ATF`s Firearms Technology Criminal Branch issued another statement, reiterating its 2014 position by noting that the shoulder of a gun rest is synonymous with a redesign of the device. Excerpt from the ATF proposal: The total length is uncurled – “Total length. Firearms with a total length between 12 and 26 inches may be considered pistols when a “stabilizing accessory” could reasonably be attached to assist in one-handed shooting. As of March 2021, the answer to the question “Can you wear a gun accessory?” is yes, but there are caveats. They reiterated this assessment in a 2014 recommendation to a Colorado police department, noting that “some firearms accessories, such as the GIS stability brace [of the Directorate of Firearms Technology], were not classified as shoulder rests and, therefore, improper use of the orthosis does not constitute a design change.” Then, in 2015, everything changed. Now that we`ve covered what makes a pistol holder a pistol holder, let`s look at what makes a rifle stock a rifle butt. The short answer, it should be pulled from the shoulder to absorb recoil. This was the case of U.S. v.
Larry Douglas Friesen, in which federal authorities pitted an Oklahoma City lawyer and a hidden-port instructor against authorities charged with illegal possession of machine guns and lying to authorities, with five counts being returned by a grand jury and Friesen facing a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. Also, even if there was an ulterior motive, is it enough that the pistol holder actually serves many gun users who need extra assistance when firing a large-format pistol? Not everyone who buys a large-format firearm has powerful weapons to hold the gun, and democratizing who can safely shoot different types of firearms seems fair. Find out if it`s legal to put one against your shoulder. Designed as a simple gun accessory, pistol struts have been at the center of the gun control debate lately. While there are no statistics available to meaningfully measure the number of stabilization devices already manufactured and sold in the United States, unofficial estimates suggest that there are already between 10 and 40 million stabilizing braces and similar components in civilian hands, purchased as accessories or already attached to firearms. that are made at home or in the factory. ” says the report. Because CRS is the official research group of the Library of Congress that works “primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff,” GOA chose to use the same data that lawmakers rely on. It can be intimidating to try to stay on top of all the changing gun rules and regulations, and adding pistol struts to the mix doesn`t make things any easier.
Yes, the short answer of shouldering a pistol holder without a tax stamp is legal by federal standards. However, let`s dive a little deeper into the laws, because who doesn`t like to do that? We would avoid braces at this time unless you`re in an area where you know local law enforcement doesn`t believe they`re breaking the rules. In this case, you should always keep abreast of changes in the law and be careful when transporting a firearm with a pistol mount mounted in your vehicle. Of course, if the ATF issues a final statement on pistol struts, it would eliminate the risk in this situation by providing clarification in one way or another. Sometime after the launch of the SB15, most AR-15 enthusiasts and most YouTube gun channels noticed that the pistol accessories superficially resembled shoulder rests.