Quote:
Originally Posted by 1JimMarch
Gene, how do these rules affect a home-MODIFIED gun?
I'm right now building the pieces needed to make major changes to my Ruger New Vaquero. Right now it's a 357Magnum, marked as such with the factory SN.
When the conversion is done it will be permanently changed to a 9mmPara, with a replacement cylinder and a true .355 barrel. (Plus magazine feeding and gas ejection of empties.)
My understanding is that any permanent caliber change of this nature would require a professional gunsmith to have a handgun manufacturer's licence and re-mark the gun in question at least as to caliber, and a lot of these guys like Gary Reeder also put a new serial number on. At that point the gun is legally no longer a "Ruger", it's a "Gary Reeder" somethingorother.
I also recall that a bunch of gunsmiths doing caliber conversions were busted by ATF some years back, in a sort of sweep.
So...am I going to end up in a position where I need to at a minimum scratch out "357" and put in "9mm Para"?
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The current ATF policy would say its a new manufacture but I don't know if you'd have to change the serial number. In fact it is illegal to do anything with the serial number that's on it. Call DOJ and ask.