Handgun or Rifle?

[GameHauler]

I picked up my new (to me) Contender frame from my FFL yesterday.
When he called it in and answered the ?  of handgun or rifle he said frame only.
The Gal on the other end was a little confused and said it had to be one or the other so he said handgun which I'm glad he did.

My question is that the seller had indicated to me it sold as a rifle new so legally
I may not put a pistol barrel on it.
Since it is now registered to me as a handgun does that truly change its listing

Hope so

[addicted]

When calling in a NICS background check they specify now on T/C frames if it's a 209X50, or a rifle IF you bought it with a rifle barrel on it or it's a pistol IF you purchased it with a pistol barrel on it.  Otherwise they have to go off the frame itself.  If it has a rifle stock and forend then it's considered a rifle(long gun), if you bought it with a pistol grip and pistol barrel forend then it's considered a pistol(handgun).  Once you have left the building with your frame you can do what ever your heart desires with the gun.  The only thing that will get you in trouble is putting ANY barrel under 16" on a rifle frame... then it's considered a short barreled rifle and unless you have the right license for that the BATF can do what ever they want with you.

Have fun with it, Joel

[Ladobe]

Mike,

In my case, I've never worried one way or the other what any of the 46 or 47 TC frames I've owned were first registered as in my 41 years of shooting them.   Never knocked on wood, just never worried about it at all.   Not once did anybody question it, probably because I never felt guilty about it so never had a guilty look.   For many years when I had the gun shop most of my customers and a lot of the people I shot competiton with were cops.   If one had asked, I would have told them I didn't know, I didn't care and neither should they as long as its in an otherwise legal configuration.   Bet I wouldn't have been padded for it.

You have to do what you have to do and make your own decision pard, but you now know what I'd do - just forget about it and enjoy the frame. 

L.

[Grumulkin]

When calling in a NICS background check they specify now on T/C frames if it's a 209X50, or a rifle IF you bought it with a rifle barrel on it or it's a pistol IF you purchased it with a pistol barrel on it....

The only thing that will get you in trouble is putting ANY barrel under 16" on a rifle frame... then it's considered a short barreled rifle and unless you have the right license for that the BATF can do what ever they want with you.

What you say is true in part.  You are definitely prohibited from putting a barrel less than 16 inches long on a frame with a rifle buttstock under Federal law unless you are approved via the proper paperwork.  What determines if a frame is a rifle or a handgun frame depends on what the configuration was when it was first combined with the parts to making it a working firearm.

The part about taking what was originally sold as a long gun and changing it to a handgun with grips and a short barrel is where there has been arguments and controversy on this and other forums.  I'm not going to rehash all that again.  Keep in mind though, there are two types of laws to consider; State and Federal.

If you live in a State with handgun registration, you can't change from a long gun to a handgun without registering the firearm as a handgun even if it was originally assembled as a handgun frame.

I've bought several Encore frames by themselves and each time the FFL holder submitted the paperwork as a handgun frame.  Whatever you believe about the legalities of changing a long gun to a handgun, I don't believe that what the FFL holder puts down has any bearing with the BATF though the State would probably be quite happy with it.