Neither you or a gunsmith can cut a barrel below 18"(18 1/2 for semi).
The bold part is wrong.
Here are the facts:
You may shorten a barrel to a length of 18" or greater. Cutting a barrel to a shorter length results in a prohibited status. You may purchased factory manufactured barrels in any length (except when a pistol is concerned...where there are prohibited length pistol barrels right from the factory). If installing one of these new barrels changes the gun's classification, you must report the change and the CFO will direct you accordingly.
When making such a change:
If the firearm is a manual action or rimfire, if the rifle's overall length remains over 26", the gun will remain non-restricted.
If the firearm is a centre-fire semi auto, the firearm will only remain non-restricted if the resulting barrel length is over 18.5". If you reduce the barrel length to under 18.5" (but remaining above 18"), you now have a restricted firearm, and it must be verified and registered to be legal.
Not to nitpick dogzilla, but telling people they cannot cut down barrels on a semi-auto below 18.5" is incorrect. For one, 18.5" is an arbitrary length for a semi-auto rimfire, and secondly, you may still shorten the centre-fire semi to 18", you'll just have a restricted when you go below 18.5" Given your post count and trader rating, I'm sure you've been around the block and know this, and were just answering in the context of the question being asked about the JR Carbine....but many people reading your answer are new and don't know any better.
