Did the gun shop accidentally sell me an SBR?

[rogermc]

Today I picked up a Cobray CM-11 for a project. I've always wanted a Mac 11 but I'm not to familiar with them. So I got home and began searching for a magazine for it and how to take the faux suppressor, shroud thing off. Turns out that the ugly shroud is the barrel, a 17" barrel to be exact and the Cobray Mac 11 style guns stamped "CM-11" are actually Carbine versions.

The only problem is the gun itself is only 23" long total. This gun does not have a rear stock of any sort which i'm assuming it shipped with initially. So my concern is this. As far as I know a rifle has to be 26" long and judging by the long barrel and "c" stamp in front of M-11 im assuming this came out of the factory as a rifle. On the receipt from the shop the rang it up as a pistol and sold it to me in the 23" configuration with no stock. Can I run into any issues with this gun?

 

[Shotgun Surgery]

Nothing is illegal so long as the law-man doesn't find out. Also, I'm assuming you could just put a stock back onto it, right?

 

[Falcon1]

In

 

[rogermc]

Nothing is illegal so long as the law-man doesn't find out. Also, I'm assuming you could just put a stock back onto it, right?

On the receipt is was rang up as a pistol, would it show up as a rifle or pistol in databases?

 

[BillsCamino]

Could be "Other"...like a Shockwave ??????

 

[Bonecollector]

 

[emptyMAGS]

 

[TheGman]

Yes for a small fee I will take it and dispose of it for you

 

[Shotgun Surgery]

On the receipt is was rang up as a pistol, would it show up as a rifle or pistol in databases?

I've no idea, but I do know that you can legally modify a pistol into a rifle so long as you make it meet the legal definition of a rifle (16"+ barrel, 26" OAL). You just can't legally modify a rifle backwards into a pistol. Once a firearm has had a stock on it then it can no longer legally be considered a pistol.

Now, and this is related, last I heard it's the official position of the ATF that an AR "pistol" can have an upper with a 16" or greater barrel put onto it and then be reverted back to a sub-16" barrel upper without ever having made a SBR. If your gun has never had a stock put onto it then it might legally be considered a pistol despite having the longer than 16" barrel.

If it has had a stock on it in the past then I'm not sure whether or not your firearm is illegal. It's under 26" OAL but has had a stock on it in the past, so my guess as a pretend-lawyer-on-the-internet is that it wouldn't be considered legal. Mind you that you're well beyond the point of "Well the law says..." and into the point of how the ATF feels like interpreting what is actually written in the law. My simple solution is just buy a stock and put one on.

 

[shootsacanon]

Best thing to do is take it back to the gun shop and politely tell them your concern. See if they give you a satisfactory explanation that it is in fact a pistol, or if they’ll take it back, or supply you with an appropriate stock.