My frames are all handgun frames. The only Encore I have is set up as a muzzle loader right now, but was originally purchased as a hangun. If you buy as a rifle and decide to put a pistol barrel on it, the BATF requires you pay them around 200.00+ so you can put that short barrel on it with a handgun grip. As far as your selection, hope you have about 1200.00+ to invest if you're planning on buying new. I would suggest that you watch the classifieds for a handgun frame to come up for sale, and watch ebay and other places for a barrel and scope you want. You can sometimes get a good bargain if you know enough about what you're buying.
