AR Pistol Question - max length upper that can be installed?

[deephouse]

Fam,
Sorry if this has been addressed in another thread. Wanted some clarification.

My understanding is that my AR Pistol (DROS'd SSE in 2014, as full pistol) can be "converted to rifle length" legally. That is, slap a 16" upper on it (with fixed DFM mag and/or featureless grip) and shoot away. Forward thinking here.
Can also be "converted back to a pistol". That is, back to 10.5" upper.

EDIT: To clarify, will keep the Pistol brace on during all formats.

Hope I got that right, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm going through some of these emotions right now: Keep and register my AR pistol with a few rifle length uppers (16" and 18") and just move my other ARs when the time is right.

TIA!

[static2126]

once converted to a rifle, in california you cannot convert back

[jimbo74]

don't convert it to a rile, it can't legally be converted back.....

trying to convert it back, is an SBR -- doesn't mean anything that it was originally a pistol

[deephouse]

once converted to a rifle, in california you cannot convert back

So at most, I can go up to a (say) 11" upper?
Or what ever is just under the dimensional min for a rifle...

[deephouse]

don't convert it to a rile, it can't legally be converted back.....

trying to convert it back, is an SBR -- doesn't mean anything that it was originally a pistol

Gotcha, thought I read something on another thread but maybe that was for LEO only. So back to the original Q, the max upper would be anything that keeps me under the MIN rifle length... hope I'm on the right track here.

[LeadFarmer74]

So at most, I can go up to a (say) 11" upper?
Or what ever is just under the dimensional min for a rifle...

You can shoot whatever upper you want on your pistol lower. You however cannot put a stock on it then go back to a pistol.

[static2126]

So at most, I can go up to a (say) 11" upper?
Or what ever is just under the dimensional min for a rifle...

No I think you are confused.

You can go 16 inch upper on ar pistol but no stock

Then you can swap back and forth

But if you put on a stock with an under 16 inch OAL upper you create a SBR (very bad)

If you put on a a stock and 16 inch OAL upper you create a rifle and cannot put on a under 16 inch OAL upper again

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[deephouse]

You can shoot whatever upper you want on your pistol lower. You however cannot put a stock on it then go back to a pistol.

Ah, good point - to clarify, I will leave the arm brace on it. Let me update my original post.

[LeadFarmer74]

Ah, good point - to clarify, I will leave the arm brace on it. Let me update my original post.

If you leave the lower in a pistol configuration and just change the length of uppers/barrels you'll be good to go. Might not be effective per say but yeah nothing says you can't run a 20" upper on a pistol lower.

[deephouse]

No I think you are confused.

You can go 16 inch upper on ar pistol but no stock

Then you can swap back and forth

This is basically what I needed clarification on - thanks man!
I will keep my Pistol brace on during all formats...

[deephouse]

If you leave the lower in a pistol configuration and just change the length of uppers/barrels you'll be good to go. Might not be effective per say but yeah nothing says you can't run a 20" upper on a pistol lower.

Golden - thanks for the prompt replies man!

[LeadFarmer74]

My understanding is that my AR Pistol (DROS'd SSE in 2014, as full pistol) can be "converted to rifle length" legally. That is, slap a 16" upper on it (with fixed DFM mag and/or featureless grip) and shoot away. Forward thinking here.

Just to be clear: AR pistols can never be featureless.

[deephouse]

Just to be clear: AR pistols can never be featureless.

Roger that.

AR Pistol lower, with arm brace, and LESS THAN 16" upper will just need Fixed Mag or BB Reloaded.

[LeadFarmer74]

Roger that.

AR Pistol lower, with arm brace, and 18" upper will just need Fixed Mag or BB Reloaded.

You got it. With AR pistols the owner can register or use a new BB that is compliant.

[Quiet]

Under CA laws...

A "handgun" is a firearm with a less than 16" barrel length. [PC 16530(a)]

If you attach a 16" or greater length barrel to a handgun, you will make it into a "long gun". [PC 16865]
With an arm brace attached, it can be classified by any of the 58 DAs, as a "rifle". [PC 17090]

Once it is made into a "rifle", it can not be made into a "handgun" because doing so will make it a "SBR". [PC 17170(c)]