NEF Sidekick Pistol

[truckie]

I posted this on another wedsite awhile back. I have had a thought to have a NEF sidekick made into a pistol . Since the sidekick is a blackpowder muzzleloader only, would this be legal . I think a good gunsmith could make one fairly easy. The only other blackpowder pistol I have seen is the Encore (pricey for me) . I have a Sidekick and love it .  I feel a black powder pistol for hunting would be a great challenge. Does anyone have any ideas on this

[Keith Lewis]

I think you are going to have to get a decision from the BATF guys even though it is blackpowder only. I think you should be OK but I do not know for certain. I do know that to convert any rifle to a pistol is a definate NO-NO. It is illegal even to use any part like a spring from a rifle to make a pistol. Those rules are the ones that BATF has control over and the blackpowder only falls just outside their control although they might not look at it that way. I would sure like to hear the final decision as I have considered the very same thing. I have a single shot .410 that was made as a pistol with the same type of action and it has to be registered (and is registered by the way) on Federal Firearms Form 1 and is classified as an "any other" since it does not fit any descriptions in the 1938 Firearm act. I could duplicate the way they made the handle for the .410 on the muzzleloader if it is legal.