Ask Foghorn: Best Route to SBR?

By Nick Leghorn

John P. asks:

What is the best approach for an NFA newbie to make a Form 1 SBR? Is it better to start with a rifle, obtain the stamp, and then shorten the barrel? Or should I prefer to start with a pistol and, once approved, add a stock?

I’ve done it both ways now, and as with most things the answer is “it depends.”

First, a little background on the NFA regs. According to the ATF a rifle requires a barrel length of 16 inches or more, and a pistol cannot be designed to be fired from the shoulder. So you can have a fully functional shoulder-fired AR-15 if your barrel is 16 inches or greater, or if you start with something shorter you can’t have a shoulder stock. The day you get your approved Form 1 from the ATF you can slap a stock on your pistol or shorten your barrel, but as the current waiting time for a From 1 is about 90 days you’ll probably want to have a usable firearm in the meantime rather than just a pile of parts.

If you start with a rifle, you can have all the usability and features you want …read more

Source:: Truth About Guns