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For a while T/C sold a carbine kit for their handguns.
There was a lot of controversy about this, even a court case where T/C sued the gov. and won on appeal (it went all the way to SCOTUS). The ATF has posted a ruling on the issue:
http://www.atf.gov/files/regulations-rulings/rulings/atf-rulings/atf-ruling-2011-4.pdf
The executive summary is that if the "frame", i.e., the firearm was purchased as a handgun, it can be converted to a rifle with a 16" or longer barrel and buttstock, and back to a handgun, as long as the original assembly was a handgun and not a rifle.
You cannot go from an original rifle firearm to a handgun configuration.
The ATF argued that "once a rifle, always a rifle" even if it was originally a handgun, but the appellate court and SCOTUS did not agree. Now it is 'if originally a rifle from the manufacturer, then always a rifle' (paraphrased - read the PDF above for yourself).
I didn't say all this to get into a debate on it - that is NOT the purpose of this thread and I would prefer that posters NOT devolve it into a debate over the legalities therein. This has been discussed at length elsewhere, the SCOTUS ruled on it, and the ATF has posted an official ruling allowing it.
No, my purpose is to ask a simple mechanical question from those who have (or have disassembled) both T/C Contender/Encore rifle and handgun:
T/C no longer offers the carbine kit, they offer the full rifle sold as a rifle, and the pistol sold as a pistol.
Have they changed the frames of the handguns such that they will not accept the rifle buttstock, forend and barrel?
Or are they essentially the same and a person can still swap the parts around?
I say this because I would like to get a single shot firearm that takes multiple caliber barrels, that can be switched from pistol to rifle and back again.
There was a lot of controversy about this, even a court case where T/C sued the gov. and won on appeal (it went all the way to SCOTUS). The ATF has posted a ruling on the issue:
http://www.atf.gov/files/regulations-rulings/rulings/atf-rulings/atf-ruling-2011-4.pdf
The executive summary is that if the "frame", i.e., the firearm was purchased as a handgun, it can be converted to a rifle with a 16" or longer barrel and buttstock, and back to a handgun, as long as the original assembly was a handgun and not a rifle.
You cannot go from an original rifle firearm to a handgun configuration.
The ATF argued that "once a rifle, always a rifle" even if it was originally a handgun, but the appellate court and SCOTUS did not agree. Now it is 'if originally a rifle from the manufacturer, then always a rifle' (paraphrased - read the PDF above for yourself).
I didn't say all this to get into a debate on it - that is NOT the purpose of this thread and I would prefer that posters NOT devolve it into a debate over the legalities therein. This has been discussed at length elsewhere, the SCOTUS ruled on it, and the ATF has posted an official ruling allowing it.
No, my purpose is to ask a simple mechanical question from those who have (or have disassembled) both T/C Contender/Encore rifle and handgun:
T/C no longer offers the carbine kit, they offer the full rifle sold as a rifle, and the pistol sold as a pistol.
Have they changed the frames of the handguns such that they will not accept the rifle buttstock, forend and barrel?
Or are they essentially the same and a person can still swap the parts around?
I say this because I would like to get a single shot firearm that takes multiple caliber barrels, that can be switched from pistol to rifle and back again.
