Question about my AR pistol build

[Slowassmiata]

Hi pafoa, I recently assembled an AR pistol, has 10.5" barrel, I tried to swap out the standard A2 bird cage with a 7" fake can muzzle brake ( I know I know, I'm lame , but I think it is gonna looks cool since the fake can and my barrel are both stainless lol) anyway, my question is , if I add this muzzle device onto my 10.5 barrel, does it makes my pistol become a rifle lol?

Base on my researching, this will not turn my pistol into a rifle , it's not part of the barrel unless I weld the extension onto the barrel which makes it permanent.

just wanna make sure it is still a pistol

[Gunsnwater]

Don't put a stock on it. Pistols can have any barrel length.

[Democrat Gun Owner]

If you’re asking if it is still a pistol because you’d like to still be able to carry it loaded in a vehicle, here is my advice...

Don’t mix mallinja toys with true SD weapons. Keep them at the range.

The short answer to your question: No

[Slowassmiata]

Not trying to carry it lol my 45 goes with me .. but it would be nice to keep it loaded whenever I go to the range

[Slowassmiata]

I though to define a pistol, barrel must be less then 16" , nothing to do with the stock , I might be wrong.. I don't have a stock on it.

[ExFlyinguy]

I though to define a pistol, barrel must be less then 16" , nothing to do with the stock , I might be wrong.. I don't have a stock on it.

The 16" defines a short barreled rifle.

*or maybe I should say is one of the factors that differentiates between a rifle & a short barreled rifle.

[LMTguy]

I though to define a pistol, barrel must be less then 16" , nothing to do with the stock , I might be wrong.. I don't have a stock on it.

Unless you permanently attach your muzzle device (weld/pin) your barrel is still 10.5".

[:-)]

You can build a rifle with a 17.5" barrel if it is pined and welded and you are sure your total barrel length is over 16" with the 10.5" barrel and the 7" fake can muzzle device welded on.
It may not be easy to do if your fake can is made out of aluminum.

Or

Buy a 16" barrel and use a fake over barrel can for the same look. You would get the benefits of having the extra barrel length and still be able to remove the fake can whenever you want.

But if your question is that if screwing a fake can or even a real one on an AR pistol makes it a rifle, the answer is NO because it is removable.

[Xringshooter]

Putting any REMOVEABLE object on the end of the barrel will not change what the firearm is designated. That said, putting something on the butt end CAN change the designation of the firearm (put a buttstock on a pistol AR and you've just turned it into an illegal SBR. Put a pistol buffer on a 16" AR rifle and you've made it (according to the BATFE) into an illegal pistol - however, you can make a pistol into a rifle and then back into a pistol if you want

Can I lawfully make a pistol into a rifle without registering that firearm?
Assuming that the firearm was originally a pistol, the resulting firearm, with an attached shoulder stock, is not an NFA firearm if it has a barrel of 16 inches or more in length. Pursuant to ATF Ruling 2011-4, such rifle may later be unassembled and again configured as a pistol. Such configuration would not be considered a “weapon made from a rifle” as defined by 26 U.S.C. § 5845(a)(4).

[26 U.S.C. § 5845, 27 C.F.R. § 479.11; ATF Ruling 2011-4]

[ExFlyinguy]

~snip
Put a pistol buffer on a 16" AR rifle and you've made it (according to the BATFE) into an illegal pistol - however, you can make a pistol into a rifle and then back into a pistol if you want

~snip

I've not yet come across this, can you elaborate?

Never mind I miss-read. To clarify- You can build a "pistol" AR with pistol buffer tube & 16" barrel, but you can't take a "Born Rifle" and change to a "pistol" regardless of barrel length.