How would this work in a case where a stripped lower was gifted to a family member if it had once been part of a rifle? The giftee intends to build a braced pistol.
How would this work in a case where a stripped lower was gifted to a family member if it had once been part of a rifle? The giftee intends to build a braced pistol.
Slight nuance to add to my post above. I'm assuming the lower that was gifted started its life as part of a complete rifle. If it started life as a receiver, was built into a pistol, then the upper was swapped to a rifle configuration, then gifted....no problems.
"had once been part of a rifle"
To be real nitpicky, I think the test is 'was originally a rifle'. As in, if you first build it as a pistol, you can then switch pistol->rifle->pistol->rifle->pistol to your heart's content. But if the initial build was as a rifle, then it is forevermore a rifle. It's like original sin or something.
It seems silly, but if you are building an AR and have a pistol upper, mount the pistol upper before adding a stock. Then it's a pistol. You can immediately swap to a rifle upper and add a stock, but you will forevermore be able to legally convert back to a pistol.
If Colt/Bushmaster/whoever originally built it as a rifle, it has to stay a rifle. If it left the factory as a bare receiver, you'd have to ask whoever originally assembled it whether they first assembled as a pistol or rifle. I make a practice of always doing the pistol thing first, so I don't have to remember which is which.