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You could simply remove the brace. A buffer tube might look funny, but it's definitely never turning a pistol into a rifle.

I ordered a KAK too, and I think for the time being, any pics you might see of my pistol will likely be in it's new configuration...
 
Alright, as I stated elsewhere I do all I can for our 2A rights behind the scenes, but this brace business is giving me a headache . (Thankfully, good conversation and the hammer having not exactly dropped makes it less fear mongering than it could be)

Having only JUST dipped my toes in this whole AR pistol business. I want to resolve this issue swiftly, and with some kind of (nothing lasts forever) permanence.

A: Order an 'approved brace' before noon (KAK, SB15, etc) for the time being
B: Lengthen barrel, convert to rifle because <5" is not a big deal for me. (New upper$$$, barrel$$, or pinned device $ longer than 4.5"... Does that exist?)
C: wait...

All of my AR uppers, have barrels 16" or longer. One is a 14.5" barrel with a 1.5" flash hider that is pinned and "welded". So they are all legal to put on either a non-NFA rifle lower or a pistol lower. I have not assembled the lowers yet (80% lowers).

I only have a brace on one long gun - a "firearm"; a Shockwave.

Personally, I prefer bullpups, IMO the best of both worlds - usually.
 
All of my AR uppers, have barrels 16" or longer. One is a 14.5" barrel with a 1.5" flash hider that is pinned and "welded". So they are all legal to put on either a non-NFA rifle lower or a pistol lower. I have not assembled the lowers yet (80% lowers).

I only have a brace on one long gun - a "firearm"; a Shockwave.

Personally, I prefer bullpups, IMO the best of both worlds - usually.
Yes, ultimately I wish I had gotten another Bullpup, but had wanted to get hands-on with more AR15 platform experience, as I felt it was important to have well-rounded firearm maintenance experience and manual-of-arms. For right now the easiest is to get a piece of plastic that has the thumbs up, and try and sort the rest out/make it a rifle.
 
From the article:

"A Freedom of Information Act response selectively released by the ATF FOIA office shows that, on July 18, 2018, the ATF sent a letter to SB Tactical declaring that only two of their model braces had been approved for use as a pistol stabilizing brace."

Two problems I see.
1. Somewhat click-baity headlines. I respect what Guns and Gadgets does for informing us about 2A issues. However, he released two videos about this within an hour of each other, one suggesting that all braces are illegal, the other (linked in this thread) that 23 braces are illegal but you had to watch to find out that those 23 braces are all SB Tactical models that don't have ATF approval letters. The problem is already very bad...bad enough that there is no need to embellish headlines.
Several other youtubers have also claimed that millions have been made felons overnight. Which leads to the second point...
2. ATF sent this letter to SB Tactical over two years ago. So, if SB Tactical knew about this for 2 years and continued to sell these as "approved" braces then SB Tactical has a lot to answer for to the millions of us who may have purchased one of these braces, because it appears that many brace owners have actually been "felons" for over two years...

The ATF shenanigans are infuriating enough. But the possibility that SB Tactical may have known about this since 2018 and kept it quiet ticks me off almost as much.
 
AR pistols come in many cartridge flavors.

Agreed - the most common being 5.56x45. If I were to go for a barrel shorter than 16" on the AR, it would be the CMMG MK47/Mutant/et. al. in 7.62x39, but I don't have a use for that as I already have other 7.62x39 rifles that are better yet and just as handy.

The 7.62x51 doesn't do well in really short barrels either, and I don't have a use for .300 BLK at this point. Other chamberings are even more esoteric and less useful - to me.
 
@The Heretic ; AFAIK, the only times barrel lengths and overall lengths (OAL) comes into play is when...

SBRs with barrels less than 16"

SBS with barrels less than 18" (what Randy Weaver's wife and baby was shot for )

AOWs where ATF has published an OAL of 26" as being the upper limit of "concealability"

Remember that letter to Q Armory about the Honey Badger firearm being considered either an SBR or AOW?


I have a 12" 6.5 Grendel firearm; the known ballistics from what I could find, mostly from 65forums is that it performs very well and retains more energy than a 5.56 from a same length barrel at same yardage. Of course using 120-123gr rounds versus 55-62grain rounds sure have a lot to do with that ;)

Since my Grendel build has an OAL of 27" according to my tailor tape; it is not a "concealable" firearm, and not a SBR due to not having a shoulder stock. A 3d printed brace is on it, and its a blade type that just happens to be shaped very similarly to the old CAR 3 position stocks
It does have this engraving on it, "NOT A STOCK". Being that its 3d printed, there's not much ATF can do because the designer/maker of it has published that it is not intended to be shouldered :s0092: I might Form 1 it later when I can spare the funds for it.
 
So kak shockwave braces are still legit for now?
The letters of approval for those have been posted multiple times, so I'm going with allegedly yes-

that said, can a KAK blade easily replace an SB brace? I'm reading something about proprietary tubes? I want to know if I can order just the chunk of plastic, or do it need the whole kit?
 
So the KAK Shockwave 2.0 is still legal on a pistol but any of the SB Tactical Braces arent because of Bureaucracy? :eek::mad:
I have not read the entire thread past @Knebel's question back on Page 4 (yet), but according to the 31 OCT 2017 letter from the ATF that can be found at @arakboss's link, if you have a KAK Shockwave 2.0 Blade Stabilizer, but you have removed the arm strap, then that is not an approved configuration. Apparently, if you leave the arm strap on it, then it falls within the intent of the 31 OCT 2017 ATF letter. That's how I read the letter.

Click on the link below, then click on the top link in the search return.
Here is an example of a determination letter for a brace that is approved to be used on a short barrel firearm without making an NFA item. It's for the Shockwave 2.0

Edit can't get direct link to copy:

It is top link in this search results page:

Read the whole letter! Pay particular attention to what is stated on Pages 6 and 7 regarding the arm strap.

ETA: Struck out my "preamble" since I have now read the entire thread and am caught up with all 8 pages to date.
 
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Well well well. If THIS doesn't show how useless the ATF is then..... I mean they don't have real criminals to go bust MIGHT AS WELL go after law abiding Joe gun owners right? :s0098::s0154:
 
Well well well. If THIS doesn't show how useless the ATF is then..... I mean they don't have real criminals to go bust MIGHT AS WELL go after law abiding Joe gun owners right? :s0098::s0154:
I am in the final pages of Unintended Consequences. None of what is occurring with the ATF right now is surprising, having nearly finished reading this book.
 

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