Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
I've noticed a few of these threads, where people are thinking about dipping into NFA territory, or where people aren't sure what a specific modification might mean legally, so they ask... And then you've got 30 posters bashing them because the modification would turn the firearm into an NFA item and that's BAD. Why is everyone so quick to assume that it's going to be done illegally?
Good point, really. I think perhaps what comes off as an assumption of unlawful intent is really just severe apprehension or concern, perhaps not well communicated. These rules are SO illogical and obtuse that most folks who aren't VERY familiar with them assume that there is some "good-enough is just ok" allowance where close counts -- or they simply misapply the terms, misremember the measurements, forget minor details, etc.
And a lot of folks will phrase their inquiries (or responses) similarly to the OP's: (Paraphrasing...) "Why SURELY this simple modification can't REALLY get me into any serious trouble. What's a 1/4" more or less? Why this gun is about the same size as other guns which are legal, so it must be legal too -- logically speaking," etc.
That makes some of us instinctively respond, "WOAH! FULL STOP! DO NOT PROCEED!" any time someone asks a question because the stakes are so very high for such meaningless and arbitrary malum prohibidum restrictions. We probably come off as edgy, accusatory, suspicious types -- when really we're just hyper vigilant because we know the stakes are high.
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