March 24 1995
(DISCLAIMER: Do not depend on me for legal advise, go to the correct government agency, or a lawyer if you want legal advise. Everything within this FAQ article is worth precisely what you paid for it, i.e. nothing.).
One of the often repeated questions on the net is "Is it legal to modify my gun by _____?". Due to the recent laws that have passed, this question is not as easy to answer as it once was.
Especially when dealing with semi-auto firearms, and firearms that are, in whole or in major part, imported, the answer to each question can get very complicated.
The only way to get a answer to these questions that is guaranteed to be correct is to get an answer in writing from the ATF. The ATF is well known for giving inconsistant or outright wrong answers to questions asked over the phone. GET IT IN WRITING!
Write a letter with your detailed question to them at:
ATF
Technology Branch
Washington DC 20226
Having said that, the following rules generally apply:
for non semi-auto firearms, Federal law dictates (KEEP IN MIND THAT STATES MAY HAVE LAWS THAT ARE MORE RESTRICTIVE):
Rifles must have a minimum barrel length of 16" and a minimum overall length of 26"
Shotguns must have a minimum barrel length of 18" and a minimum overall length of 26"
Unless the firearm is generally accepted as a 'sporting arm' the maximum caliber of the bore is 0.5". Sporting is defined at the whim of the Sec. of the Treasury.
You can convert a pistol into a rifle, but you can't convert a rifle into a pist a lot of expensive paperwork).
For semi-auto firearms, it gets a lot more complicated, and I refuse to step very far into that mine field. Get your answers either direct from the ATF in writing or take your chances with advise from other sources.
The gun ban of 1994 established a number of banned features, roughly: (Rifles: Pistol grip, folding stock, threaded muzzle, flash suppresser, bayonet Pistols: High weight, threaded muzzle, magazine out of the grip) and other I've included. Due to the ban, you can not "Make" a gun that has more than two of the banned features. Thus, if your modification results in a gun with more than two banned features, it's illegal.
For guns that were not domestically produced, the restrictions are even tighter. not venture into that area at this time.