New Stabizing Brace letter / rule

[SAnd]

The ATF issued a letter that rules the use of stabilizers as a stock on a pistol is a Short Barreled Rifle. It over rules any previous letter.

Link to the page listing the link to the letter-
http://www.atf.gov/content/Firearms/firearms-industry

Direct link to the letter-
http://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/Firearms/FirearmsIndustry/open_letter_on_the_redesign_of_stabilizing_braces. pdf

I think it does anyway.

I didn't find this anywhere else (I hope)

[Zundfolge]

So is this yet another new letter? Or a "letter to end all letters"?

[thvigil11]

I like how its an undated letter that overrules all letters. Nice touch.

[asmo]

If you stand one way your fine.. If you stand another way, you're a terrorist.

[ruthabagah]

So is this yet another new letter? Or a "letter to end all letters"?

seems like The Letter for now.... how enforceable is it is the question. During a recent visit to a local range pretty much all the shooter present were using a SBX...

[mutt]

And now the precedent has been set - reclassification based on use regardless of actual classification or intent. One would hope the likes of the NRA and GOA would sue over this but they won't. Better start practicing your one handed pistol shooting. Using two hands is technically redesigning a pistol. Wonder when they'll decide bump firing is redesigning a semi-auto into an illegal machine gun. Give it time.

[Zundfolge]

And now the precedent has been set - reclassification based on use regardless of actual classification or intent. One would hope the likes of the NRA and GOA would sue over this but they won't. Better start practicing your one handed pistol shooting. Using two hands is technically redesigning a pistol. Wonder when they'll decide bump firing is redesigning a semi-auto into an illegal machine gun. Give it time.

Yep, that's kind of how I interpreted this ... The Weaver or Isosceles stance is now the illegal manufacture of a SBR (or at least an AOW).

At the very least this ruling would seem to me to extend beyond the SIG brace ... AR pistols before this had foam wrapped on the end of the buffer tube, and even without the foam people often shouldered them (since 5.56 doesn't really recoil all that bad).

Seems to me those would also now be illegal under this letter.

[68Charger]

Reminds me of the whole "it depends on what your definition of the word "IS" is..."

so if I pick my nose with a pencil eraser, I've redesigned the pencil?

[ThunderSquirrel]

Who didn't see this coming? Especially with the ATF on such a hot button issue of NFA weapons?
No agency likes to have its rules circumvented on technicality, no matter how awful the original rules are, and they will do whatever they can to close the loophole. Even Backtrack.

[mutt]

Reminds me of the whole "it depends on what your definition of the word "IS" is..."

so if I pick my nose with a pencil eraser, I've redesigned the pencil?

According to the ATF you did. Be glad they don't regulate the use of pencils or you'd pay dearly for that redesign.