14.7 Inch Barrel Legal in CT

[SkinnyGrey]

I bought an AR 15 on Gunbroker about a week ago and I believe its barrel is 14.7". If I have a muzzle brake pinned and welded to the barrel, making the barrel length 16 inches, my understanding the gun will then be legal in Connecticut. Is this so?

Please, please let this be so!

 

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

Whoa. It would be an illegal transaction to ship a complete AR with a sub-16 inch barrel. I would be very surprised if someone actually listed and shipped a rifle with a 14.7 inch barrel and no permanent brake. But yes, if you permanently attach anything to the barrel to increase its length to 16"+, it should be of legal barrel length. But until then, you will be in possession of an unregistered Title II weapon, which is a felony.

 

[SkinnyGrey]

The upper and lower are being shipped by an FFL dealer to another FFL dealer in two separate shipments.

 

[Revoliver]

If I have a muzzle brake pinned and welded to the barrel, making the barrel length 16 inches, my understanding the gun will then be legal in Connecticut. Is this so?

Yes.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

I saw a guy on GB sell two unregistered, drop-in, auto sears with no mention of the legality (or not) of them. Both sold as BIN. They kinda smelled of ATF to me with the lack of prior auction listings. I wouldn't put it past them to put contraband for sale and wait for the new owner to be in possession of it.

 

[SkinnyGrey]

But if the upper and lower are being shipped separately, where is the crime?

 

[rcmodel]

When the OP gets them and puts it together to make a complete rifle again..

rc

 

[SkinnyGrey]

But the upper and lower will be made compliant before they are put together again.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

I wouldn't transport them in the same vehicle at the same time. Make two trips, or have your FFL hold the lower until you have the upper corrected for length.

 

[SkinnyGrey]

the upper and lower are being shipped to my ffl separately where both the upper and lower will be made compliant and then finally put together when i pick the rifle up.

 

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

In that case, shipping them separately is not illegal, but possessing them at the same time, even unassembled, technically is. Just transport them in separate vehicles, and attach a muzzle brake or flash hider before you take it out.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I saw a guy on GB sell two unregistered, drop-in, auto sears with no mention of the legality (or not) of them. Both sold as BIN. They kinda smelled of ATF to me with the lack of prior auction listings. I wouldn't put it past them to put contraband for sale and wait for the new owner to be in possession of it.

It's perfectly legal to own FA fire control parts. Where you get nailed is if you ALSO own a receiver to put them in (constructive possession).

With SBR, constructive possession is a little tougher sell, but I wouldn't want to get caught with a sub-16" upper and ONLY a rifle lower in my possession. Technically, they'd have to prove you assembled them into a title II SBR, but I don't think I'd want to be in the defendant's chair arguing about this finite detail in the current legal system with 10 years of my life hanging in the balance.

 

[SkinnyGrey]

But if the upper and lower are shipped separately to the dealer and then made compliant before assembled, where is the crime?

 

[Revoliver]

SkinnyGrey,

Please contact your local police department or law enforcement agency of choice and end the debating with barracks lawyers.

Please feel free to report back in his thread what the law enforcement officials you cantact have to say.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

It's perfectly legal to own FA fire control parts.

IIRC, an aftermarket "drop-in" auto sear was registered as a Class III firearm in itself with legal, transferrable ones having a serial number stamped on it, and it did not matter if you did not have possession of the firearm it goes into at the same time. *SNIP*.....

Edit - I did a quick search to job my memory. This site describes the non-registered ones manufactured before 1981 being fine to possess as long as you do not own an AR - http://www.quarterbore.com/nfa/dias.html It's the post-'81 models that were registered. I forgot how the pre-'81 units were handled.....I wonder how many people, these days, buying one off of GB really understand the legal issues associated with that part.

As for the OP's question and new information, yes, I believe you should be fine if you do not take possession of the upper and lower at the same time with the upper not being modified. It's been a few years, but I want to say that if you have a lower that is not a dedicated pistol lower and you own an upper with a barrel length shorter than 16", the ATF has been known to frown upon the combination even if they are not mated together at the time of the discovery.

 

[MrCleanOK]

SkinnyGrey, I think you are reading posts from users who haven't read the whole thread. If the upper and lower are being sent separately to your FFL, and the FFL will pin and weld a muzzle device to bring the length of the barrel over 16" before you pick it up, you are just fine. If you really want some insurance to CYA and prove that you aren't trying to break the law, just get your FFL to print a work order stating that he will pin/weld the muzzle device.

It sounds like you have everything figured out, but the way your first post is worded makes it sound like you are unsure of the law, have mistakenly ordered something you shouldn't have, and are now trying to find a way to make it right after the rifle is already in your possession.