If I cut down an existing AR barrel
- Thread starter Mr. Spectacular
- Start date
OK, I have a scenario:
Lets say you take your gun (18" barrel) to a gunsmith to exchange barrels. He puts on a NEW 14" barrel. All good and legal.
You have no need for your old 18" , so you leave it there.
Mr Gunsmith then cuts it down to 16" and installs it on some else's gun. Legal? If not, how could it be prosecuted to "beyond a reasonable doubt" in court?
Same scenario, except that AFTER cutting to 16", he runs a chamber reamer thru it and effectively creates a NEW barrel in a different chambering (from .223 Win to 5.56x45, for instance)
Lets say you take your gun (18" barrel) to a gunsmith to exchange barrels. He puts on a NEW 14" barrel. All good and legal.
You have no need for your old 18" , so you leave it there.
Mr Gunsmith then cuts it down to 16" and installs it on some else's gun. Legal? If not, how could it be prosecuted to "beyond a reasonable doubt" in court?
Same scenario, except that AFTER cutting to 16", he runs a chamber reamer thru it and effectively creates a NEW barrel in a different chambering (from .223 Win to 5.56x45, for instance)
Well...should I add fuel to the fire? I was always under the impression you couldn't cut any AR barrel regardless of its length...the firearm is already restricted and to do so would make it prohib (of course you can just change the barrel to whatever suits you). However, I can't seem to find anything to back up why I was under such an impression...
Bolivar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Yup, had my cut from 24 to 25.25 last year. The CFC even had to create a new FRT number for the "unique" barrel length
. I chased them to get it right. I did not want it registered with a wrong barrel length and end up in bureaucratic red tape, or worse 
, over it. Good news is, 25.25" is now "in the system"
In the end.... How would anyone know that it was cut anyway?
I'm not saying go ahead and break laws... I'm just wonder how would you or anyone know?
aftermidnight
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- West Kelowna BC
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
but you might end up with a problem in the end
Look at the little problem with the ex-Montreal police shotguns. Apperently they had +18" barrrels, teh force armouriers cut them down to 16", later they were surplused and sold.
Guys that bought them were informed recently that they had to surrender their prohibited shotguns that were registered (or at least the offending barrels)
I believe it all comes form the definitions in Section 84.(1) of the criminal code.
It says that the barrel is to be “adapted” by and “alteration” to less then ~18”. So, newly manufactured barrels do not apply. It also does not say what length you started at, so it doesn’t matter if it started as a 20” barrel or a 6” barrel.
Second, you have the restricted firearm definition that plainly states that any semi-auto firearm shorter then ~18.5” is restricted.
The way I read it, is if you take any existing barrel, even if you make a completely different firearm out of it, you will make it prohib if you cut it below 18”. How it can be proved that you cut a barrel or built one yourself I don’t know, but the law doesn’t really work that way.
So are we all cleared up here… Stupid laws…
It says that the barrel is to be “adapted” by and “alteration” to less then ~18”. So, newly manufactured barrels do not apply. It also does not say what length you started at, so it doesn’t matter if it started as a 20” barrel or a 6” barrel.
Second, you have the restricted firearm definition that plainly states that any semi-auto firearm shorter then ~18.5” is restricted.
The way I read it, is if you take any existing barrel, even if you make a completely different firearm out of it, you will make it prohib if you cut it below 18”. How it can be proved that you cut a barrel or built one yourself I don’t know, but the law doesn’t really work that way.
So are we all cleared up here… Stupid laws…
DaveMachine
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- That one place with a cowboy complex
When people ask me why I say our firearms laws are overly complicated all I need to do is show them this thread.
Since you only register the lower of an AR how would the CFC ever know anything? The upper is just an accessory.
If it was cut by a gunsmith and recrowned and finished nicely how could anyone tell?
Our laws are stupid and make no sense. You can buy a 7.5 inch barrel and install it in your basement and your AR is still restricted but you can't take a 14.5 inch to a gunsmith and have it cut down to 10.5 inch without breaking the law?
Makes perfect sense to who?
If it was cut by a gunsmith and recrowned and finished nicely how could anyone tell?
Our laws are stupid and make no sense. You can buy a 7.5 inch barrel and install it in your basement and your AR is still restricted but you can't take a 14.5 inch to a gunsmith and have it cut down to 10.5 inch without breaking the law?
Makes perfect sense to who?
When people ask me why I say our firearms laws are overly complicated all I need to do is show them this thread.
they are only overly complicated if you:
1) want to be unique
2) enjoy and understand firearms and workings
3) don't understand bureaucrats
4) don't have the $ to spend on items and are a DIY'er
To reduce confusion about our laws and why they are in place:
1) watch 80's action movies to fully comprehend the "massive killing capacity"
2) get a cat, pick up yoga, drink starf*cks coffee and write music in your underrated, under appreciated indie band
3) write poetry, hold your hand out for everything and have a degree in 15th century olde english
4)blame your pencil for your writing mistakes.
If you really want to get crazy, it doesn’t specifically say you have to be making it shorter.
“A firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by … any … alteration, and that, as so adapted, … has a barrel less than 457 mm in length”
So, you could potentially take a 7.5” AR barrel weld on 3” of barrel to make a 10.5” barrel and have a prohibited firearm. Not that I could see any reason why any one would want to do that.
“A firearm that is adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether by … any … alteration, and that, as so adapted, … has a barrel less than 457 mm in length”
So, you could potentially take a 7.5” AR barrel weld on 3” of barrel to make a 10.5” barrel and have a prohibited firearm. Not that I could see any reason why any one would want to do that.
BS. They gave you a PAL?
You cannot cut a barrel below 18" in length; no matter what length it originally was. Therefore you cannot cut any barrels that are less than 18" in length to begin with.
Oh, ####. Didn't mean to offend you. I was under the impression that you couldn't cut the barrel of a S/A firearm in any way. Please, pardon my ignorance.
Waynetheman
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vancouver.
I thought the smith wouldn't be breaking the law if he was also a manufacturer? True or no?
Or, you could jut call the RCMP tech listed in this thread:
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=569190
That would be my suggestion...
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=569190
That would be my suggestion...
