Making a 14 inch Contender barrel longer

[MrWolf]

I solved my problem by getting a $200 SBR tax stamp, now all of my contender barrels are legal carbine barrels...

Are the stamps for individual firearms or do they cover all your firearms? I was under the impression they were needed for each undersized.

[Larry Gibson]

Are the stamps for individual firearms or do they cover all your firearms? I was under the impression they were needed for each undersized.

It is the serial numbered receiver that is registered as an SBR. The $200 transfer tax applies to individual firearms so it applies only to that particular receiver. However, with the Contender NoZombies can put whatever barrel and stock, or combination there of, on that Contender receiver......legally.

[marlinman93]

Permanently affixed does not mean it needs to be pinned, or threaded on. If it's a snug fit, and made permanent by using a permanent Loctite as used to install barrel liners, it's as permanent as it can ever be.
I've had this done with a number of barrels, and if done properly it's also invisible on the exterior. I had this done with a .22RF barrel that was 22" and I wanted the longer sighting radius, plus weight, and better looks of a 30" barrel. So I had a larger .45 caliber extension installed over the existing barrel via a press fit, with Loctite.
It has no ill effect on accuracy, and I can hand the gun to anyone, and they've never been able to detect where it's spliced and extended once it was blued.

[MrWolf]

It is the serial numbered receiver that is registered as an SBR. The $200 transfer tax applies to individual firearms so it applies only to that particular receiver. However, with the Contender NoZombies can put whatever barrel and stock, or combination there of, on that Contender receiver......legally.

That is what I thought. One comment was made about one stamp for all contender barrels he had so was confused. Thanks.

[Lonegun1894]

Permanently affixed does not mean it needs to be pinned, or threaded on. If it's a snug fit, and made permanent by using a permanent Loctite as used to install barrel liners, it's as permanent as it can ever be.
I've had this done with a number of barrels, and if done properly it's also invisible on the exterior. I had this done with a .22RF barrel that was 22" and I wanted the longer sighting radius, plus weight, and better looks of a 30" barrel. So I had a larger .45 caliber extension installed over the existing barrel via a press fit, with Loctite.
It has no ill effect on accuracy, and I can hand the gun to anyone, and they've never been able to detect where it's spliced and extended once it was blued.

If we are trying to use common sense, you're 100% correct, but we were talking about the ATFs definition of "permanently affixed" so whoever follows this advice doesn't end up in jail. ATF says pinned and welded is required to be "permanent", so regardless of logic and common sense, that is currently the limitation, and as always, subject to change.

Now as to your attaching the .45 barrel above to your 22" .22 barrel, while I personally love the idea and your rifle looks great, it is irrelevant to NFA laws because your barrel is over 16" so not subject to NFA laws. Now if it had been under 16", even though your extension brings it up over 16", your attachment method isn't "permanent" per ATF, so you would have an illegal SBR unless you had a stamp for it. Yes, it is stupid, and I would pay to watch them trying to remove your extension because it would take a lot of work for them to do, but I'm tying to keep people out of prison with this information, and as we all know, common sense and government just don't mix.

[marlinman93]

I wasn't presenting my rifle barrel change as an NFA example. Sorry you took it that way. But it is an example of a permanent way to lengthen a barrel. If someone put that barrel in a barrel vise and tried to twist the extension off they'd simply unscrew the barrel from the action. It's as permanent as a barrel liner is.
The ATF's rules concerning muzzle brakes, and how they are attached is not applicable for all barrel lengthening. Obviously their rules for pinning, soldering, or welding a muzzle brake are all correct. But a lengthened barrel done in other ways like my rifle's barrel is not a muzzle brake or flash hider.

[Lonegun1894]

Marlinman93, you're absolutely correct, in a practical sense. I was speaking purely for NFA purposes, which the laws and regs surrounding that mess are all beyond retarded. For NFA, your method doesn't fit the definition of "permanent", even though we all know it is, just because they specify it has to be pinned and welded. But as usual with government, this is what we get when we have rules made by some idiot who knows nothing about what he's making rules about, and instead of asking a machinist or gunsmith about guns and metal working, he asks his drinking buddy because said drinking buddy got lost and walked into a gun shop on accident once when he was a kid and saw a deer head on the wall once, making him the resident hunting and gun expert of the office.

[marlinman93]

Marlinman93, you're absolutely correct, in a practical sense. I was speaking purely for NFA purposes, which the laws and regs surrounding that mess are all beyond retarded. For NFA, your method doesn't fit the definition of "permanent", even though we all know it is, just because they specify it has to be pinned and welded. But as usual with government, this is what we get when we have rules made by some idiot who knows nothing about what he's making rules about, and instead of asking a machinist or gunsmith about guns and metal working, he asks his drinking buddy because said drinking buddy got lost and walked into a gun shop on accident once when he was a kid and saw a deer head on the wall once, making him the resident hunting and gun expert of the office.

But doesn't the pinned or riveted apply to muzzle brakes or compensators?

[Lonegun1894]

But doesn't the pinned or riveted apply to muzzle brakes or compensators?

Now this is only for NFA purposes, so irrelevant for an extension like you did with your .22 since it wasn't an NFA item anyway. I will use 2 ARs I have had in the past as examples and hope it helps. The legal minimum is 16" breech to muzzle, but that is the legal minimum, and includes any permanently attached muzzle devices. So my current work rifle is 16", and has a standard A2 flash hider screwed on the end, bringing it to about 16.5" or so. When that is removed, it is still 16", so for legal purposes, I can screw on the flash hider, or a suppressor, or whatever, or nothing for that matter, and it does not change the legality of the rifle itself. My old one had a 14.5" barrel, but had a AK-74 style muzzlebrake installed (Bushmaster factory rifle), which had been pinned and welded to make it permanent, as if it had been removable, it would have been considered to be 14.5", and since I didn't have a stamp for it, it would have been an illegal SBR. Both rifles with muzzle accessories were 16-16.5" long, but have to be "permanent" to keep you out of legal trouble, unless you get the tax stamp. Now what I think is somewhat funny, is that several manufacturers offer a 11.5" rifle, with a approximately 5" extension/flash suppressor that is pinned and welded, so it keeps the owners out of legal hot water, but really is absolutely useless for any purpose other than legality. So a plain metal tube, or whatever design someone chooses to attach, the way I understand it at least, is fine, as long as it's a permanent extension that brings the rifle up to 16". THe only exception to this that I know of is a rifle SigSauer made not too many years ago that used a muzzle brake that ATF claimed was a one piece silencer baffle stack, just without the tube surrounding it to allow it to be a functional silencer. Other than that, I'm not aware of any design limitations.

[Tatu]

The cost for adding a "permanent" barrel extension - as per BATFE / NFA rules and regulations for the T/C Contender Super 14" barrels cost me $125 return shipped for having one put on my husbands gun.

Some barrels are like the one pictured, others, we have the barrel/extension finished in different cerakote colors.

And the overall barrel length with the permanent extension installed is 16 1/2".

It may not be the prettiest by design, but it is functional and a lot cheaper than buying a new barrel, and where else can you get a useful and practical RIFLE that weighs 4 pounds, and without having to pay $200 for a stupid tax stamp!

[bdicki]

I have to wonder if adding some weight to the end of the barrel would affect accuracy, or just the point of impact. It would certainly change the vibration pattern. I'm thinking of the Winchester adjustable muzzle brake that they had a few years ago, they even had a weight to change if you wanted to hunt without the added noise.

[Lonegun1894]

The cost for adding a "permanent" barrel extension - as per BATFE / NFA rules and regulations for the T/C Contender Super 14" barrels cost me $125 return shipped for having one put on my husbands gun.

Some barrels are like the one pictured, others, we have the barrel/extension finished in different cerakote colors.

And the overall barrel length with the permanent extension installed is 16 1/2".

It may not be the prettiest by design, but it is functional and a lot cheaper than buying a new barrel, and where else can you get a useful and practical RIFLE that weighs 4 pounds, and without having to pay $200 for a stupid tax stamp!

Would you mind if I asked where you had it done? Looks much better than the one I did years ago.

[Tatu]

Lonegun1894,

PM sent.

Thank you,

Tatu

[MT Gianni]

The cost for adding a "permanent" barrel extension - as per BATFE / NFA rules and regulations for the T/C Contender Super 14" barrels cost me $125 return shipped for having one put on my husbands gun.

Some barrels are like the one pictured, others, we have the barrel/extension finished in different cerakote colors.

And the overall barrel length with the permanent extension installed is 16 1/2".

It may not be the prettiest by design, but it is functional and a lot cheaper than buying a new barrel, and where else can you get a useful and practical RIFLE that weighs 4 pounds, and without having to pay $200 for a stupid tax stamp!

Nice looking rifle but with a $200 stamp for the receiver you can run a dozen different barrels off of it. Your way is cheaper if you have a frame for each barrel.

[Lonegun1894]

Lonegun1894,

PM sent.

Thank you,

Tatu

Thank you very much!

[Tatu]

Nice looking rifle but with a $200 stamp for the receiver you can run a dozen different barrels off of it. Your way is cheaper if you have a frame for each barrel.

Why would I need a frame for each barrel?

I do not need a tax stamp because the overall barrel length is 16 1/2" long.

You just remove the forend, push out the pin, remove the barrel, install a new barrel, pin and forend, and ready to go shoot a different cartridge.

My hands are too small to shoot or even hold up a pistol the size of these guns with a 14" barrel, but with a barrel extension and set up like a little 4 pound rifle, I can shoot it all day.

Tatu

[Hamish]

If it's pinned, the pin heads (or head if blind pinned) need to be welded over by ATF regs.

This seems to have been ignored in this thread. BATFE says Welded, not easily removed. Or pinned and welded. Epoxy will get you problems.

[Lonegun1894]

This seems to have been ignored in this thread. BATFE says Welded, not easily removed. Or pinned and welded. Epoxy will get you problems.

It's been covered, but glad to have another opinion from someone who knows their stuff so there's several of us trying to keep people out of prison.

[MT Gianni]

Why would I need a frame for each barrel?

I do not need a tax stamp because the overall barrel length is 16 1/2" long.

You just remove the forend, push out the pin, remove the barrel, install a new barrel, pin and forend, and ready to go shoot a different cartridge.

My hands are too small to shoot or even hold up a pistol the size of these guns with a 14" barrel, but with a barrel extension and set up like a little 4 pound rifle, I can shoot it all day.

Tatu

For $200 you can stamp the receiver and run any 10"-14" bbl you want. That seems like less money to me than $125 for each bbl. No matter there is room for everybody in this old world.