Never too old to learn

[Char-Gar]

When I droped my Krag and 03A3 barrel off at the gunsmiths for a marriage, I requested the old shot out Krag barrel back. I mentioned that I wanted to use the chamber and couple of inches of the bore to make a straight line bullet seater. I have several barrels of various kinds waiting in line for a new life as bullet seaters.

He told me to make certain and turn off the threads in the process. If it retained the ability to be fitted to a rifle, I might have trouble with the Feds for having a illegal short barrel.

[Baldy]

YEP!! He's right. Of course the feds may never have a reason to enter your house and nose around. Your call if you want to chance it. Good Luck.

[Char-Gar]

Baldy... I have enought problems in this life without having a "felonious bullet seater" on my bench. I will just turn off the threads and be done with it.

[Bret4207]

Since there are a million pistol and revolver barrels around shorther than 16" and since the barrel "chunk" wouldn't be attached to a rifle or shotgun action I don't think the problem would even exist. Sounds like a fertile imagination to me, but better safe than sorry I guess.

Making a case on something like this would be akin to making a case for a DWI arrest because someone had access to a car and some booze. The mechanics are there, but until you combine them you have nothing.

[arkypete]

Trooper Bret

No offense intended.
Keep in mind that most of the members of the Gestapo and KGB ( internal) were cops! The people who burned down the Branch Dividians place and killed that fellas wife at Ruby Ridge, were cops!
Just because an individual is issued a badge does not mean he has common sense, or is not making a run at a promotion.
It's better to assume that a cop would just as soon charge you, for what ever, since it costs him nothing to have the local prosecutor drop the charges.
Jim

[Bret4207]

No offense taken. Believe what you will.

[9.3X62AL]

I agree with Bret--it would quite a "reach" to have that barrel stub considered an NFA item without attachment to a receiver.

The only exception I'm aware of to that rubric is the "auto-sear" mechanism for AR-15 series rifles--these were deemed by BATFE in 1981 to be "automatic weapons" per se, and I don't know of any case law that has modified that "administrative finding" by the Federales.

No disagreement with making an error on the side of caution, however.

[montana_charlie]

Keep in mind that most...were cops!
Just because an individual is issued a badge...
It's better to assume that a cop would just as soon charge you...
Most serial killers who ply their trade in hospitals are doctors or nurses. Should we carry guns when stopping in for a flu shot?
Then, there's all of those gardeners who turn out to be rapists. Should we be a bit paranoid about anyone with a landscaping business?

And, by the way...
Even though it's true that the whole operation was poorly planned...the people who burned down the Branch Davidian complex were Branch Davidians.
CM

[fatnhappy]

this whole thread seems a little over the top. According to a gunsmith my reloading dies are now illegal weapons?

I suppose I could thread them into my unserialized ram breeched RCBS receiver and really menace society if it weren't for the threat of the GESTAPO or KGB kicking in my door. [smilie=1:

[waksupi]

If a barrel isn't attached to a reciever, it is only a pipe, with some tooling inside.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

After what I've seen here in Georgia related to various cases and evidence, I highly recommend anyone thinking about it always, absolutely always, err on the side that assumes the police WILL charge you, regardless of how minor something seems or how impossible it might be to prosecute.

[JBMauser]

Once you cut this barrel off to cigar length. Let me know what is left on the other end. I got a butchered up Krag with no sights. I also have a neat Herter's 30/06 seating die that has a sliding insert that fully supports the pill on it's journey into the neck.. perhaps a trade?? jboconnell@gmail.com

[Char-Gar]

Guys.. you just can't compare a pistol barrel, a reloading die and a rifle barrel that have been shortened from the muzzle to below the Federal mimimum limits.

The jist of the post is..if you turn off the threads, you no longer have a rifle barrel shortened below the Federal limits. You now have a loading tool or whatever you want to make out of it.

Pretty sound advice.. at least IMHO..

[pjh421]

...damned gardeners.

Paul

[carpetman]

Glocks have plastic barrels so if you are doing PVC plumbing and need nipples and such of shorter link with the fittings attached--be careful.

[Bullshop]

Well how could anyone say weather its a rifle barrel or a pistal barrel ifin it aint screwed inta anythin? Sounds kinda silly to me, is it supposed to be? Did I miss somethin? Like with a contender barrel if its under 16" it aint illegal till you put a rifle stock on it.
I prolly missed sumthin and look perty stupin right now!!!
BIC/BS

[Ron]

Here in Oz in my home state of Victoria, if you have a barrel, receiver part etc which if fitted to other parts makes a firearm then the barrel etc IS A FIREARM. Even if the part is not operative, the law states that if it can be repaired and made to discharge a shot, bullet or missile, it is a firearm

I once charged a dock yard worker with possession of an illegal firearm and he was found in possession of only the receiver and stock, no barrel. He was convicted.

And you thought you had crazy gun laws in the States!

[carpetman]

Maybe there is some sense to this. I wanted to get a Win model 12 shotgun to my son in law. First thought was take off the barrel and send it in one package and receiver in other. Can't do that. I was told if the part has serial number it is considered a gun???

[FISH4BUGS]

Some of you may know my posts occasionally contain references to machine guns. I don't usually boast, but I own a bunch of NFA stuff (damn it is fun to shoot!) this is a subject I know something about.
The rule for machine gun owners or ANY NFA (National Firearms Act) ownership is to know the regulations and follow them to the letter. You got GOOD advice. Follow it. Your gunsmith is doing you a favor.
In theory, you could be charged with what is called constructive possesion.
If you have a short barrel, and you have a receiver, the two together (assembled or not) consitute possesion of an unregistered short barrel rifle. This often happens with AR15 barrels that are below the 16" minimum. Possesion of the barrel alone is fine. Possession of the barrel and a receiver, assembled or not, is not. As long as you COULD do it with the materials at hand, it is illegal.
The chances of this worst case scenario happening are probably a million to one, but ask the guy that gets hit by lightning about the odds of being hit by lightning.
It is stupid, yes. It is unnecessary, yes. But it is what it is. You don't need to have to pay $50,000 in legal fees because someone you pissed off blows the whistle on you. The ATF must investigate all tips, especially if someone has a bunch of guns.

[Firebird]

BATF doing something that sounds silly or violates common sense would never happen. Like the Thompson-Center Arms prosecution that went all the way to the Supreme Court when they brought out a rifle stock to fit the Contender pistols - BATF said since people can make a short barreled rifle, it's illegal. Or the current flap over charging gunsmiths with illegally manufacturing a firearm when they convert a revolver from one caliber to another - if they don't have the manufacturing license then BATF syas it's illegal.
ALWAYS play it safe and know the rules, and have a good lawyer when it comes to the BATF and firearms.

[rvpilot76]

You know, if you could "manufacture" a firing pin device for your rock chucker, you'd have a non-serial #'d firearm. Think about it; a round is chambered in die, and the die is screwed into the press, or action. If you made an ignition system for a RockChucker, you'd have one of the most unique firearms of all time! Hmmmm....would that be considered a lever action? :-D

Kevin

[FISH4BUGS]

......that if you held up your local 7-11 and fired a shot with it, you WOULD be charged (among other things) with possession of an unregistered firearm. Maybe even without firing a shot.........intent is all you need for the charge.