Building an AR pistol

[IrishMexican]

Hello fellow gunners,
I want to build a AR pistol out of a stripped lower I purchased 2 years ago. I was wondering if it is still legal to do so. I purchased this lower from turners 2 years ago in December.

[yrs]

First, you have to find out/make sure the stripped lower you got was transferred as a pistol/handgun when you bought it. Usually it’s always transferred as a rifle which makes it illegal to build it to a AR pistol.

[edgerly779]

If not drosed as a pistol no chance. You have a rifle lower.

[Milsurp1]

[Master_Prestige]

Check your completed DROS to be %100 sure

[Quiet]

Hello fellow gunners,
I want to build a AR pistol out of a stripped lower I purchased 2 years ago. I was wondering if it is still legal to do so. I purchased this lower from turners 2 years ago in December.

How the factory virgin receiver was DROS'd determines how and if it can legally be utilized to make a CA legal handgun.

If the factory (07-FFL created) virgin (never used to make a functional firearm) receiver was DROS'd as a "long gun, rifle, receiver"; then it can not be legally used to make a "handgun" and doing so, would result in an illegal SBR and not a "handgun".

If the factory (07-FFL created) virgin receiver was DROS'd as a "handgun, pistol, receiver/frame"; then it can legally be used to only make a dimensionally compliant bolt-action single-shot pistol or dimensionally compliant break-open single-shot pistol.
Per CA DOJ, a handgun that is made as a a dimensionally compliant bolt-action single-shot pistol or dimensionally compliant break-open single-shot pistol, needs to remain configured as such in order to remain CA legal.

If the factory (07-FFL created) virgin receiver was DROS'd as a "handgun, pistol, semi-auto" or "handgun, pistol, semi-auto, receiver/frame"; then it can be used to make a semi-auto pistol that does not violate CA assault weapons laws and CA prohibited weapons laws.

[BigPimping]

It better be drosed as a pistol lower. seriously, at this point it's become so problematic that I wouldn't even try it. There's too many different laws that you can fall prey to.

[Jimi Jah]

Legal trap.

[Bigedski]

What if you have a lower that is DROSED as a pistol, could you make it into a rifle and then at some point down the road turn it into a pistol?

[igs]

Legally no, but....who's watching?

You mean yes.

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/ruling/2011-4-pistols-configured-rifles-rifles-configured-pistols/download

[Pistol Caliber Carbines]

What if you have a lower that is DROSED as a pistol, could you make it into a rifle and then at some point down the road turn it into a pistol?

Why would you do that ??

A pistol lower is worth a premium in California.

I would just spend the $80-$100 on a new lower and build a rifle from that.

[SCVlongstroke]

Why would you do that ??

A pistol lower is worth a premium in California.

I would just spend the $80-$100 on a new lower and build a rifle from that.

A pinned and welded 14.5 is mighty handy, not much bigger than a 12.5

[RickD427]

What if you have a lower that is DROSED as a pistol, could you make it into a rifle and then at some point down the road turn it into a pistol?

No. Such a weapon would be a "Short Barreled Rifle" under California's definition:

(c) Any weapon made from a rifle (whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise) if that weapon, as modified, has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length.

(d) Any device that may be readily restored to fire a fixed cartridge which, when so restored, is a device defined in subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive.

(e) Any part, or combination of parts, designed and intended to convert a device into a device defined in subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, or any combination of parts from which a device defined in subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, may be readily assembled if those parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person."

[onelonehorseman]

How the factory virgin receiver was DROS'd determines how and if it can legally be utilized to make a CA legal handgun.

If the factory (07-FFL created) virgin (never used to make a functional firearm) receiver was DROS'd as a "long gun, rifle, receiver"; then it can not be legally used to make a "handgun" and doing so, would result in an illegal SBR and not a "handgun".

If the factory (07-FFL created) virgin receiver was DROS'd as a "handgun, pistol, receiver/frame"; then it can legally be used to only make a dimensionally compliant bolt-action single-shot pistol or dimensionally compliant break-open single-shot pistol.
Per CA DOJ, a handgun that is made as a a dimensionally compliant bolt-action single-shot pistol or dimensionally compliant break-open single-shot pistol, needs to remain configured as such in order to remain CA legal.

If the factory (07-FFL created) virgin receiver was DROS'd as a "handgun, pistol, semi-auto" or "handgun, pistol, semi-auto, receiver/frame"; then it can be used to make a semi-auto pistol that does not violate CA assault weapons laws and CA prohibited weapons laws.

But you can't make a AR pistol featureless right? So wouldn't the semi auto AR pistol need to have been registered as a BBRAW to allow it to be a semi auto pistol with magazine outside of the grip?

[SCVlongstroke]

Seems like lots of AR pistol threads going on, wonder why?