AR-15: 16" HBAR cut to 10.5"/11.5" Any problems ???

Pietro Beretta

Pietro Beretta

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Thinking of cutting this 16" HBAR down to a mean&###y 10.5"/11.5". Would there be a chance of experiencing any reliability problems due to the gas system, or anything like that???

If I get it done, it will be at Ellwood Epps (cost roughly around $150.00), they cut it, re-blue the crown, re-crown muzzle, thread barrel, fit flash suppressor.

Has anyone shortened their 16" to 10.5". Is it "safer" to go for the 11.5" instead of 10.5" (I'd rather have 10.5" by far). I just dont want there to be a chance of it not cycling 100% due to not enough gas pressure, or whatever.

Any thouoghts/tips/help/suggestions....Thankx:cool:

30rounder002.jpg
 
Newbie answer here so take it for what it's worth.. I was looking at something similar and was told that the existing gas tube would be an issue.. you need one that works with the shorter barrel length.
 
You can't cut the barrel to 10.5 period. You can buy a 10.5 barrel but you cannot cut a barrel for a semi rifle less than 18.5 inches. If you do it's a prohib weapon. Gunsmiths can't do it either. If you want a 10.5 it has to be factory made. I just went thru that cutting down my m14, and 18.5 is the low limit.
 
It actually does matter. The restricted status of an ar is irrelevant. I inquired about registering my m14 as resticted because I wanted a 16 inch barrel, and was told in no uncertain terms That it would be prohibited. You cannot cut a semi barrel under 18.5 inches. Try and get a gunsmith to do it and they will tell you flat out no. Why do you think everybody is crying because the short barrels are so hard to come by. If you want a short barrel call dlask they are a manufacturer so may have something.
 
prohibited firearm" means

(a) a handgun that

(i) has a barrel equal to or less than 105 mm in length, or

(ii) 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,


(b) a firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, and that, as so adapted,

(i) is less than 660 mm in length, or

(ii) is 660 mm or greater in length and has a barrel less than 457 mm in length,

read the last line above this sentence for the measurement
 
I believe your all wrong....yes, the shottie can only be cut down to 18.5, but AR can be cut down to 10.5" Epps said they'd do it, and didn't say it was illegal, they do jobs like this for many years, and would tell me in a second if it was wrong/illegal
 
bluestratus said:
prohibited firearm" means

(a) a handgun that

(i) has a barrel equal to or less than 105 mm in length, or

(ii) 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,


(b) a firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by sawing, cutting or any other alteration, and that, as so adapted,

(i) is less than 660 mm in length, or

(ii) is 660 mm or greater in length and has a barrel less than 457 mm in length,

read the last line above this sentence for the measurement
Click to expand...

this is from the criminal code of canada as plain as it gets regardless of what anyone says its the law. also backed up by a conversation i had with an rcmp firearms tech analyst
 
It is my understanding that if it's already less than 18' you can cut it down to 5" if you like.
A 16" AR is already shorter than the 660mm.

(ii) is 660 mm or greater in length and has a barrel less than 457 mm in length,

This article is so stupid it's rediculos, the gun might my 4 feet long but because the barrel gets cut down to <18" it's prohib.
 
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...because the barrel length is already less then 457mm, You would be Okay.

The way the law is written, would suggest, your okay to cut the barrel down to a max of 106mm, because at 105mm its then considered prohibited. (restricted firearms)

The AR is already Restricted... This law only applies to cutting down Non-restricted firearms with (factory) Barrel lengths greater then 457mm...?

just my two pennies!
 
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As Furet Says a 16" AR is already below the 457mm so it can be reduced more. Also an AR is nor a handgun ( unless registered as such, ie the LAR 15) so you can go. below the 105MM.

I'm sure Ellwood Epps, that has been around since before most of the board members here were born, knows the law a little better than most...
 
Your H-Bar is worth far more with a whole barrel than it would be without.
$150 at Epp's is the cost of installing another barrel. Not cutting the barrel.
 
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FWIW, you will also need to open up the gas port. Otherwise you will have short stroking issues. If you look hard enough on the net, you can find a chart with suggested sizes for the port based on the size/length of barrel.
 
bluestratus said:
this is from the criminal code of canada as plain as it gets regardless of what anyone says its the law. also backed up by a conversation i had with an rcmp firearms tech analyst
Click to expand...

I just had the exact same conversation with Gary Dare at the firearms center today in fact. He told me exactly the same thing, to shorten an AR barrel below 16" makes the barrel a prohibited item. The reason I asked is that we have a contract on the works with 1 of the bigger importers and because the DOS will no longer approve exports of short barrelled ARs or anything with a threaded muzzle, they want to solve this problem in Canada.
We as a manufacture can and are making short barrels for the ARs but by law can NOT shorten 1 made by someone else below 16".

Having FAR too much to loose will take Garys advise and refrain from cutting down barrels, if Epps wants to wander into the grey area of the criminal code good for them.
 
rivetc78 said:
Are barrels stamped with the length?
Are uppers checked to ensure proper length??

If you have a 10.5"...does that mean you will have to prove it was never longer??
Click to expand...

No the barrels are not stamped, but there is a different FRT# for every length of barrel.
How exactly the laws could be enforced eludes me, but living under the microscope do not want to test the bounds.
Call me chicken but to loose the ring after all these years holds no appeal now that I am actually making a living doing what I love to do.
 
Barrel chop

With Colt and other better quality manufacturers of AR's getting harder to find all the time why ruin the resale value of the gun by chopping a perfectly good barrel, most collectors prefer their stuff factory original and if they decide to modify a gun will usually buy spare or aftermarket parts for their project and keep the original parts to restore back to factory original condition when they sell or trade. If I bought that gun I would want it original as a collectible Colt model no mods. Usually there are shorty barrels that come up on tne EE every so often, not to mention some of the Canadian mfg's. that will be offering some in the future. Like buying an original factory Stang or Camero, not whats leftover after some 18 year old kid has gotten his hands on it and converted it in to what he thinks is his ideal version of a dream car. My 2 cents worth. g2.
 
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