Franklin Armory’s Reformation non-NFA firearm: The secret is in the rifling, or lack thereof (PHOTOS)

By Chris Eger

Franklin Armory’s BFSIII-equipped Libertas firearm seems like it would be an SBR, but it only seems that way. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The method that Nevada-based Franklin Armory was able to bring a .300 BLK non-rifle to market with both a stock and shorty barrel rests in straight-cut lands.
The AR-15 based Reformation includes an 11.5-inch barrel with a muzzle device and a Magpul MOE SL carbine stock but does not require a tax stamp as it technically is neither rifle nor shotgun.
After two weeks of buzz, Franklin Armory President Jay Jacobson on Tuesday let the cat out of the bag on how the gun works — by using a barrel with straight cut lands and grooves and a standard chamber. The resulting firearm uses rifle ammunition, but as it does not impart spin on the bullet during firing, does not meet the legal criteria of a being a rifle or shotgun in the eyes of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and escapes National Firearms Act regulation as well.
“On August 3rd of 2017, the Chief of the Firearms Technology Division confirmed that a firearm equipped with a stock and a barrel featuring straight cut lands and grooves is defined as

Source: Guns.com