It is now illegal to shoulder a "stabilizing brace" while shooting a pistol AR or AK

[yqtszhj]

The big deal on "short barell rifles" is PENETRATION. No pistol round has the same penetration as a rifle....ok ok some may argue the 5.7 has the penetration.

Maybe so but in the 30's it was more about concealable weapons including pistols. Now from a total firepower position i think its outdated. Keeping automatic weapons, ok maybe. But SBR's, they need to just drop it. Bag guy will carry what he wants anyway.

[Longitude Zero]

Placing the buffer tube against your shoulder was and probably still is legal. This reversal was caused IMHO by a bunch of over zealous asshats. Many of them in the gun press and YouTube fools.

[RRP]

This reversal was caused IMHO by a bunch of over zealous asshats. Many of them in the gun press and YouTube fools.

This I agree with.

Placing the buffer tube against your shoulder was and probably still is legal.

Please show us where ATF ever said this was legal.

[TheTman]

I posted the following in the comments on the youtube video:
It's only a problem if you get caught. If you use it for home defense, who is going to see you? Just don't do it out in public. Or use as intended when in public. People were using a product sold as one thing, for a different purpose, and I understand why, but they should have known this was coming. I don't see much advantage in having a short barrel rifle anyway, what is a 4-8 inch shorter barrel going to accomplish for you? Other than reduce your ballistics. And maybe make it easier for criminals to hide. Why not mount a cheek piece on the buffer tube, and add a flat piece at the end to place against your shoulder, using clamps so they could be removed quickly? Someone with a 3D printer and a decent CAD program could probably make up those pieces pretty easy. Or you could probably come up with something using common wood working tools, some screws and some hose clamps. You could probably come up with something less bulky and lighter than those arm braces, and say they were to brace the pistol against your waist or hip or something, for point shooting. Use your imagination, I can think of all sorts of things that would be better than that shoulder brace.

Plus if you made up your own parts, you could customize them exactly to your specs and probably end up with something much better than that arm brace. If I can find the dimensions of the buffer tube, I could probably whip up something in the shop pretty quick. I bet The Colonel could too with all his wood working tools. Might be a nice way to pick up a few extra $$$, selling "hip or waist rests" for point shooting from the hip to chest area. I'm really wishing I had a 3D printer right now. Might as well go with black plastic to match the rest of the furniture on the AR pistols. If you have camo colored furniture, a couple cans of spray paint for plastic would probably work out to make the parts match well enough.

[addictedhealer]

Honestly not surprised. Sucks for all those who bought into it. I didn't and won't.

My 16" is short enough to me. Get a 14.5 with a fully collapsed stock gets better performance and shootability.

[srk468]

According to this letter shouldering the buffer tube is illegal. The problem here is their language, the have claimed that you "redesigned" the brace when putting it to your shoulder with no physical alterations. If this ruling stands then using two hands when shooting a pistol is a "redesign" of the grip and you now have an AOW and you are guilty of the same consequences. The ATF must rule if this is a pistol brace or a stock and I hope everyone contacts both their representatives and the ATF directly and demands this. This redefining words cannot be allowed to stand otherwise we are all in trouble. Just my $.02

[Longitude Zero]

I agree the BATFE muddied the waters even further. What IMHO will eventually happen is the "arm brace" will be outlawed in its entirety that is about the only way out without making it even more of a joke. The BATFE will take the easy way out and that is it. I knew from the start that the BATFE bofoed in allowing it in the first place.

[Longitude Zero]

This I agree with.



Please show us where ATF ever said this was legal.

They NEVER said it was not and that is the point. Until the Brace was brought to their attention they never had any reason to answer the question of putting the pistols buffer tube against your shoulder was illegal and thus they let it alone. In the past I saw AR pistols being shot this way thousands of times and nobody batted an eye. Once the Brace came to the fore now there is a reason for the BATFE to react. This is another example of letting sleeping dogs lie.