There a continuing discussion on the site regarding the purchase of AR pistol lower receivers.  As I understand it, any virgin AR lower receiver may be built up into a pistol, as long as it really has never been a rifle.

Here in PA, there is a separate procedure for buying a pistol that requires exxtra paperwork.  I ordered 10 Stag Arms lowers, and they are at my dealer.  I have so far transfered 3 to myself, and they were transferred as pistols. They were entered into the dealer's bound book as pistol receivers, they are on the 4473 as pistol receivers, and I filled out the separate pistol transfer form required by the PSP for pistol sales.

My plan is to have the gunsmith mark each of the 10 receivers with the word "Pistol" and transfer the remainder of them in the same fashion as the first three.

My presumption is that once this is done, each of the receivers will be lawful to builld a pistol or rifle on, much in the same way that a Thompson Center single shot carbine can be switched back and forth, even if you buy the parts initially to build it into a rifle (and transfer the receiver to you as a pistol).

Am I missing something here? Or should I just send a letter to the ATF for a determination?

Here's the Thompson cite, if anyone is interested: supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/91-0164.ZO.html

You are being paranoid, IMHO.

When you build them for PERSONAL USE, write a letter with the specifics (S/N, date, etc) and if you feel itchy, get it noterized.  That is even overkill.

Have fun!

mark
[email protected]

Quoted: You are being paranoid, IMHO. When you build them for PERSONAL USE, write a letter with the specifics (S/N, date, etc) and if you feel itchy, get it noterized.  That is even overkill. Have fun! mark [email protected]

Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean someone isn't out to get me.


PA seems to require the pistol style transfer for stripped lowers; everytime I've bought them I've had to fill out the extra form. Not sure why, and the dealers weren't black rifle adverse.  

So other than listing the receivers as pistols on all the paperwork I touch, the only extra paranoid part is having the gunsmith identify the receivers as pistols.  Doesn't cost me anything beyond the $12 to Brownell's for the letter stamps to spell out the word., so I figured a little overkill here wasn't a bad thing.

DC: Your having your gunsmith add "PISTOL" to the reciever? I for one actually think that's a good idea! Why not CYA in case of future legislation... I guess that takes the guesswork out of a lot of hassle by being proactive...

Since the sunset can the pistols have a foreward mounted vertical grip installed?

FS

Quoted: Since the sunset can the pistols have a foreward mounted vertical grip installed? FS

Nope - still NFA (AOW).    Handguards = OK now; 2nd PG on a "pistol" = still a no-go.


(Someone please correct me if this is wrong. )

Quoted: Here in PA, there is a separate procedure for buying a pistol that requires exxtra paperwork.  I ordered 10 Stag Arms lowers, and they are at my dealer.  I have so far transfered 3 to myself, and they were transferred as pistols. They were entered into the dealer's bound book as pistol receivers, they are on the 4473 as pistol receivers, and I filled out the separate pistol transfer form required by the PSP for pistol sales.

What's the pistol form?  I don't remember filling out anything other than a 4473 when I bought my Glock and Kel-Tec.

Quoted: What's the pistol form?  I don't remember filling out anything other than a 4473 when I bought my Glock and Kel-Tec.

If you bought them in PA you also filled out a multi-part white form for the PA State Police. It's the law for any handgun sale in PA.

on the 4473 are 3 boxes: pistol, rifle, and shotgun the dealer checks one or the other.

What does one put for barrel length on the form if you haven't bought an upper yet or haven't decided what upper ?

Quoted: What does one put for barrel length on the form if you haven't bought an upper yet or haven't decided what upper ?

My forms all say "stripped lower", and where required, "pistol".

I'm just looking at my white form from a pistol purchase, they specify make, model, caliber,length of barrel, and serial #. the only thing I cannot provide in this case is barrel length, how have you filled this part out? I'm only asking because my FFL will not do this for me, he is misinformed but I don't have an answer to this question. TIA. Mark.

Under "Length of barrel" my white forms say "Stripped lower receiver"

Ask your FFL what he would write there if you just bought a 1911 frame.  This isn't any different.

Thanks Dave, talked to another FFL dealer I use for consignment, he's a bit more of a drive, but knew the law, he ordered a receiver for me tonight. He told me that if I changed a barrel on my Desert Eagle I don't have to fill another form out. Just what you said, barrel length doesn't matter as long as you are legal building. He said as long as I put in a barrel length on the form it doesn't matter because it's not illegal to change barrel length on a firearm as long as it does not conflict with local, state, or federal laws, which it does not. Thanks for the help Dave. Mark.