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Michigan Pistols question

NHCGRPR45

NHCGRPR45

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Chesterfield Township, MI
I have a question and am looking for your opinions on this. I have a line of AR recievers and plan on buying several and registering them all as handguns. My question is...To get the MI pistol designation do the pistols have to be "complete" to qualify or can the later be built into MI pistols. I have looked but can't find any firm answer in the law on this so I put it to the forum.

Thoughts?
 
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Phil McCracken

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Aug 13, 2012
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NHCGRPR45 said:
I have a question and am looking for your opinions on this. I have a line of AR recievers and plan on buying several and registering them all as handguns. My question is...To get the MI pistol designation do the pistols have to be "complete" to qualify or can the later be built into MI pistols. I have looked but can't find any firm answer in the law on this so I put it to the forum.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
How would you get the rifle shorter than 30" and still have a stock on it?

You're original question is sort of combining ATF and Michigan laws. The lower doesn't receive Michigan Pistol designation until it is a rifle less than 30" and more than 26" long.

However, if it is to be constructed as a pistol IAW ATF rules, then it has to be registered as an actual pistol before construction. Otherwise you'd be in possession of a short barreled rifle once it was constructed but prior to registration.

So if you're putting a 16" barrel on the lower, assemble it, measure it, and then register it.

If you're putting less than a 16" barrel on the lower, register it as a pistol and then assemble it.
 
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DrTodd

DrTodd

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3,272
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Hudsonville , Michigan, USA
NHCGRPR45 said:
I have a question and am looking for your opinions on this. I have a line of AR recievers and plan on buying several and registering them all as handguns. My question is...To get the MI pistol designation do the pistols have to be "complete" to qualify or can the later be built into MI pistols. I have looked but can't find any firm answer in the law on this so I put it to the forum.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Does #2, the second one, on page 36 of this document answer your question?

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Firearms_Guide_98674_7.pdf
 
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Phil McCracken

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Michigander

Michigander

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Mulligan's Valley
Can AR's actually get beneath 30" with a stock and 16" barrel? I'd have thought that'd be SBR territory, but then I'm not an AR guy.
 
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Phil McCracken

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Michigander said:
Can AR's actually get beneath 30" with a stock and 16" barrel? I'd have thought that'd be SBR territory, but then I'm not an AR gun.
Click to expand...

It becomes a short barreled rifle only if it gets below 26" with a stock, as with any rifle. It's the magic "less than 30 inches and over 26 inches" with a 16 inch barrel that makes it a "Michigan Pistol."

I really am interested in how the OP is going to do this. I'd love to have a true "Michigan Pistol" in an AR platform. The shortest I can get mine down to is 30.75 inches.
 
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choover

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May 6, 2009
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Belleville , michigan, ,
NHCGRPR45 said:
I have a question and am looking for your opinions on this. I have a line of AR recievers and plan on buying several and registering them all as handguns. My question is...To get the MI pistol designation do the pistols have to be "complete" to qualify or can the later be built into MI pistols. I have looked but can't find any firm answer in the law on this so I put it to the forum.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
So your wanting to buy them as rifle receivers and register them as a handgun versus buying them as pistol receivers to begin with? That seems like a good way to lock yourself into getting a mi pistol locked in before the law changes for cheap if you can do it, can a ar be a mi pistol though? Would like to know myself, may buy a receiver for future use if so
 
Michigander

Michigander

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choover said:
So your wanting to buy them as rifle receivers and register them as a handgun versus buying them as pistol receivers to begin with? That seems like a good way to lock yourself into getting a mi pistol locked in before the law changes for cheap if you can do it, can a ar be a mi pistol though? Would like to know myself, may buy a receiver for future use if so
Click to expand...

The point is that as I suspected and pat confirmed before getting banned again, MiDAP status cannot be had through a butt stock equipped AR recognized as a long gun by federal law. Between the spring tube preventing a folding stock, and a 16" barrel, it ain't gonna happen as far as I know.

It's not a bad idea to have a federal law AR pistol for the purpose of having rifle firepower on a CPL, and having that tube there to to position on your cheek for stability. But it would not in any way appear to be something to run out and buy before the deadline, because the ability to carry AR pistols is not effected by this new law.
 
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LEADHOSE

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Michigan
Michigander said:
The point is that as I suspected and pat confirmed before getting banned again, MiDAP status cannot be had through a butt stock equipped AR recognized as a long gun by federal law. Between the spring tube preventing a folding stock, and a 16" barrel, it ain't gonna happen as far as I know.

It's not a bad idea to have a federal law AR pistol for the purpose of having rifle firepower on a CPL, and having that tube there to to position on your cheek for stability. But it would not in any way appear to be something to run out and buy before the deadline, because the ability to carry AR pistols is not effected by this new law.
Click to expand...

Correct. Even with a 14.5" barrel with a pinned extended A2 flash hider (makes it 16" barrel) the overall length, with stock colapsed, is still just over 30".
 
Michigander

Michigander

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Quoted for reference before the next ban...

LEADHOSE said:
Correct. Even with a 14.5" barrel with a pinned extended A2 flash hider (makes it 16" barrel) the overall length, with stock colapsed, is still just over 30".
Click to expand...

This means two things. AR's are useless for MiDAP registration, and also too long for my proposed idea of having 16" barreled pistols with quick attach/detach stocks in order to satisfy the new law change.

Considering that smellslikemichigan made a pretty solid argument for the grandfather clause expiring if registration goes away, I would again suggest that instead of investing in MiDAPs, folks instead seek out federal and state law AK pistols with 16" barrels. This will either mean custom work or home gun smithing, but it is the best way to go that I am aware of at this point.
 
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LEADHOSE

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Michigander said:
Quoted for reference before the next ban...



This means two things. AR's are useless for MiDAP registration, and also too long for my proposed idea of having 16" barreled pistols with quick attach/detach stocks in order to satisfy the new law change.

Considering that smellslikemichigan made a pretty solid argument for the grandfather clause expiring if registration goes away, I would again suggest that instead of investing in MiDAPs, folks instead seek out federal and state law AK pistols with 16" barrels. This will either mean custom work or home gun smithing, but it is the best way to go that I am aware of at this point.
Click to expand...

Why the quick attach/detach stocks? Do an AK folder. Or a Sig556 folder.
 
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