Recent 2A news regarding AR pistols

[Sociopathicsteelerfan]

(10-07-2020, 10:43 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: I tried to find an article on this that wasn't from a gun blog, but it's an interesting topic so I'll type it out.

There is a company called Q that produces a firearm called the Honey Badger.



Now, if you think this is a rifle, you would be wrong. With a barrel at 7 inches, this would be a short-barreled rifle (SBR) because any rifle with a barrel under 16 inches is classified as such. However, this is not intended to be shoulder mounted. What looks like a stock is a "stabilizing brace" that is designed to strap to your arm to stabilize the weapon so it can be used as a pistol. There has been a lot of back and forth on this and the ATF has never been a fan of these things. There was a time when shouldering it made it an SBR, but holding it as designed was fine. Then the ATF backed off of that. The issue is that while this looks like it is intended to be shouldered, intent is very difficult to prove.

Well, two months ago, Q was sent a cease-and-desist from the ATF regarding this firearm saying that it is an SBR. This has sent shockwaves throughout the firearm community as it is a whole new regulatory position from the agency and they didn't go through any of the typical public input.

Anyway, just some interesting stuff going on. I know not everyone here will know about AR pistols and how that all works. Personally, I'm against the NFA classification of SBRs, but I also think the whole "stabilizing brace" work around was a crock. I think I've seen one used as "intended" one time, ever. Every other time they have been shouldered. As a process guy, though, the ATF pulling this out of their collective asses is a highly concerning situation.

I thought about making a thread on this, but concluded it would be dismissed by some as more 2A nonsense from SSF.  As you say the whole initial classification.  However, I think your description is a bit off.  An SBR can have a stock, and most often do.  It's the AR "pistol" that has the stabilizing brace that's ostensibly meant to be strapped to your forearm.  The ridiculous part of this is that the minute to you put this "stabilizing brace" to your shoulder you've just committed a felony as your firearm is considered a pistol and not an SBR because you didn't get your tax stamp to be allowed to have an SBR.

All that being said, you've hit on something that has annoyed the piss out of the firearms industry, and gun owners, for years about the ATF, they're capricious and mercurial in terms of firearms classifications.  This feature makes this firearm a "destructive device" and therefore verboten.  This feature does not change your firearm to an AOW (any other weapon).  Your shotgun cannot have a barrel shorter than 18.5" or you go bye bye.  Don't even get me started on effing 922r import restrictions.  Quite honestly, all this classification nonsense needs to go.  It's intensely confusing and subject to change at will.  It can turn law abiding citizens into felons overnight through zero fault of their own, all while real criminals are getting fewer and fewer punitive consequences.

Solution, let law abiding citizens have what they want.  If you feel a certain class of firearms needs to be restricted, pass a law regarding that class of firearms and see if it passes Constitutional scrutiny.  Otherwise leave it alone.  The whole tax stamp concept is outdated as hell as well, but that's a different conversation.