AR Pistol

[Cain379]

I couldn't find any information online and the lady I spoke with on the CFO line was no help.
So my question is, what makes an AR-15 a pistol or a rifle? Is it barrel length?, no stock? both?
Or is it just because that is what the lower is registered as and nothing else matters?
TYIA.

 

[ottawastartup]

Edit. I was very wrong.

 

[tharkhold]

There are some "AR15" lowers that are registered in Canada as pistols 'types' (look on any restricted/prohib certificate).

Whatever they register it as when it firsts comes in the country, that's what it is for life. You can't go to/from pistol-rifle.

Now, how they figure out if a lower is a 'rifle' or 'pistol' I have no idea though. The RRA lower is/was exactly the same as any run-of-the-mill ar15 lower.

I've heard about the "if you can cycle a firearm completely with one hand, then it's a handgun"... but that doesn't appear nowhere in legislature, of course.

As for a pistol manufacturer for "ARs", try Rock River Arms. I've had a 'LAR-PDS' and it was indeed a pistol.

You can have a barrel less than 106mm on a lower registered as a 'rifle', but you can't have it on a lower registered as a 'pistol' since it would make it prohibited.

I know it's fked up, but that's how things are.

This is a pistol:

One on top is a pistol, one on bottom is a rifle:

 

[VinnyQC]

I couldn't find any information online and the lady I spoke with on the CFO line was no help.
So my question is, what makes an AR-15 a pistol or a rifle? Is it barrel length?, no stock? both?
Or is it just because that is what the lower is registered as and nothing else matters?
TYIA.

Pretty much. Same thing for a 10-22.

 

[play.soccer]

I have an ar pistol. Nea made some lowers a few years ago.

 

[VinnyQC]

In Canada, there is no such concept as a pistol vs. rifle for classification. There is non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited. Most restricted firearms are restricted by barrel length (> 4.5" and < 18.6"). The AR15 however is restricted by name. Thus, all ARs regardless of length are restricted. Unless somehow you managed to build an AR with a barrel shorter than 4.5", which would be prohibited.

There are however some nuances in the way pistol vs rifle MAGAZINES are regulated, which is why 10rd AR15 pistol mags are OK.

Absolutely false. A pistol will always be restricted. A rifle that is restricted by barrel length (for example a scorpion, kriss vector, whatever) can become non-restricted if you switch to a longer barrel. Not so much with a handgun. A rifle that is non-restricted can become restricted if you swap its barrel for a shorter one.

 

[BadLieutenant]

ARs registered as handguns are fairly rare..... I have a RRA LAR9 registered as a handgun.....and was offered one time as a trade a XCR Micro Pistol that was also registered as a handgun.....

I wanted a FX-9 Pistol .....but none are registered as a handgun here in Canada that I know of....

I like the fact that I can bring these little toys in the US

 

[LUCK12]

As another member stated NEA manufactured some lowers that were marked/registered as a pistol. Owned two back then

 

[cr5]

Doesn't make any difference what it is marked as in Canada, if it's an AR or AR variant it's a restricted firearm regardless of barrel length. Whether you call it a pistol or a rifle makes no difference here.
But, if as BadLieutenant stated, if you have plans to travel to the US with it then there is a difference.

 

[play.soccer]

Doesn't make any difference what it is marked as in Canada, if it's an AR or AR variant it's a restricted firearm regardless of barrel length. Whether you call it a pistol or a rifle makes no difference here.
But, if as BadLieutenant stated, if you have plans to travel to the US with it then there is a difference.

Well all I know is if i ever get asked about my LAR15 mags i can point to my LAR15 gun and connect the dots for anyone asking questions. Lol

 

[rimlick]

In Canada the only AR pistol is LAR15 with no buffer tube. Anything else made off a traditional ar-15 receiver set will be a rifle. I own a 7" AR and could not have it registered as a pistol

 

[jacotsmith]

I've owned 4 different pistol-registered AR variants, and still own 3. Sold the NEA, but still have a Thureon Defense, a Bushmaster and a Rock River Arms. Don't try to make sense of our laws because they don't make sense to begin with. But I like the idea of owning a "pistol" for the reasons stated above regarding the continued use of 10 round mags.

 

[cr5]

Well all I know is if i ever get asked about my LAR15 mags i can point to my LAR15 gun and connect the dots for anyone asking questions. Lol

Unnecessary, if your magazine is marked LAR-15 10 round pistol or something similar then you don't need an AR pistol to justify owning or using the magazine. There is nothing illegal about using a pistol marked magazine in a rifle, I have the documentation printed off the RCMP website sitting in my gun room and so far the RCMP have ignored the pistol mags and only addressed their concerns with people using the 50 Beowulf mags with 223 rounds in them. Their letter or propposed amendment only mentions that the Beowulf and similar magazines can not hold more than 5 rounds of 223/5.56 but there was no mention of the LAR mags.

I've owned 4 different pistol-registered AR variants, and still own 3. Sold the NEA, but still have a Thureon Defense, a Bushmaster and a Rock River Arms. Don't try to make sense of our laws because they don't make sense to begin with. But I like the idea of owning a "pistol" for the reasons stated above regarding the continued use of 10 round mags.

Same as above but you do have a point, they can change the laws at any time so it may buy you a little more time.
My prediction though will be that they prohibit the magazine instead of limiting their use to firearms only marked as pistol.

 

[play.soccer]

Cr5 regardless it's always better to match the mag to the gun than to dig through papers from the interweb to educate local leo. If anything you'd get your mags and gun taken until they can verify your papers while you can match lar15 to lar15. I know what I would present first.

 

[alberta tactical rifle]

In Canada the only AR pistol is LAR15 with no buffer tube. Anything else made off a traditional ar-15 receiver set will be a rifle. I own a 7" AR and could not have it registered as a pistol

Aaah, not quite. We made a limited run of AR pistols to justify to the RCMp the making of our AT15 pistol mags. We had to as the manufacturer register the lowers as pistols from day 1 as opposed to registering the lower as a standard AR and then changing it once the lower was used for a build, which is stupid but what we had to do. If the importer or maker of your 7" originally registered it as a carbine/rifle then it stays that way but if registered by the importer or manufacturer as in our case as a pistol it stays that way as well.

 

[cr5]

Cr5 regardless it's always better to match the mag to the gun than to dig through papers from the interweb to educate local leo. If anything you'd get your mags and gun taken until they can verify your papers while you can match lar15 to lar15. I know what I would present first.

I know what you're saying but it's printed clear as day on their own website so there really shouldn't be much for them to argue about. Just stay calm and explain it to the officer if he/she doesn't know. The paperwork is irrelevant since it can also be looked up with a cell phone in under 5 minutes.
You are following the rule of law using a pistol mag in anything it will fit into, and as long as you don't act like a douchebag and call the officer an idiot for not knowing his job you'll probably have no problems.

Wouldn't be any different than me taking my non restricted Kriss Vector out with 10 round Glock 17 mags. Nothing illegal about it on or off the range and a simple call to his/her boss would clear up any misunderstanding any unfamilliar officer may have.

It literally took me 2 minutes to find this page on their website. A google search for RCMP magazine capacity pistol and it was top of the list

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/bulletins/bus-ent/20110323-72-eng.htm

In Canada having your AR registered as a pistol serves no purpose other than it lets you take it to the US without dealing with their SBR rules if you decide to travel there. Restricted is restricted here, nothing else matters.

 

[katazone]

I believe if you built a pistol using an AR lower, you need to call it in and register it as such. But once it's classified as a pistol you can't make it a rifle again.
Not unless you re-register it.

I'd stick to dedicated AR pistol, like a 9mm.
Here's a little gun ####
4.5" bbl

 

[enefgee]

Just to muddy the waters a little more (like it needs it) a prohibited pistol has a barrel length equal to or less than 105mm. No such restriction exists for rifles - technically, if you really wanted to, you could build an AR 15 rifle with a 4 inch or shorter barrel, and you could do so in 32 acp. and it would not be prohibited.

 

[katazone]

Just to muddy the waters a little more (like it needs it) a prohibited pistol has a barrel length equal to or less than 105mm. No such restriction exists for rifles - technically, if you really wanted to, you could build an AR 15 rifle with a 4 inch or shorter barrel, and you could do so in 32 acp. and it would not be prohibited.

Hmm. I wonder!!!

 

[enefgee]

Your barrel has to be 4.25" or greater or it will be prohibited!!
Went through that with my built. I almost had a panic when I was on the phone registering it.
So, NO, you cannot have a 4" barrel.

Please reference the section of the firearms act that prohibits a rifle from having a barrel length under 105mm.

According to the Criminal Code, a prohibited firearm is:

a handgun that
has a barrel equal to or less than 105 mm in length, or is designed or adapted to discharge a 25 or 32 calibre cartridge, but does not include any such handgun that is prescribed, where the handgun is for use in international sporting competitions governed by the rules of the International Shooting Union,

a firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, and that, as so adapted,is less than 660 mm in length, or is 660 mm or greater in length and has a barrel less than 457 mm in length,

an automatic firearm, whether or not it has been altered to discharge only one projectile with one pressure of the trigger, orany firearm that is prescribed to be a prohibited firearm

The Skorpion is available in 32 acp (same section of the act) because it is classified as a rifle. As long as you don't chop the barrel, a 4 inch AR rifle is good to go, as would be a Skorpion in 25 acp, or an AR rifle in 25 acp.