Has anybody ever been shooting at a public range and had someone of authority question or do a check of some sort as to whether the T/C frame you were shooting was a Pistol frame or a Rifle frame? Have you ever heard of someone getting in trouble for making the mistake of grabbing the wrong frame while at home and using it at the range in the wrong configuration?

Richard.

How the heck does anyone at the range know how it was configured originally. What if you purchased the frame seperately, with no barrels.

Just a question.

Jim

Don't worry about it...it ain't ever gonna happen. If anyone does ask...you ask them to see their BATFE badge and if they don't have one tell them to **** off.

I thought everybody bought their Encore and Contender frames as pistols just to prevent this sort of imperial entanglement...

calmountman wrote:

quote:

a check of some sort as to whether the T/C frame you were shooting was a Pistol frame or a Rifle frame?

Unless they were BATF and had immediate access to all of the records at their fingertips, it would be impossible for them to "check" anything regarding the frame's origin. A cursory glance tells you nothing as the frames are built the same way.

This topic has been thrown around for a number of years now, and the bottom line is this: If you have it properly set up (no sub-16-inch barrels on a rifle setup), you are just fine.

There is no record of anyone being deemed to be in violation of rifle/pistol frame mixups. And it would be a case that would be impossible to prosecute, anyway, as once they are sold, John Doe may say it's a rifle frame, and his dealer will book it as such. Then Jane Doe buys and later sells it, and it's booked as a pistol frame.

So don't sweat it. If a range officer would attempt to "check," you can simply explain that he or she has no way to verify what the frame is registered as and that his or her authority does not stretch anywhere near that far...

If you have a frame that you would like to know the status of as to how it was originally sold, contact T/C and give them the serial number and they can tell you if it was sold as a pistol or rifle frame.

If you are caught committing a crime, giving the authorities a reason to investigate the status of the firearms you own or have in your possession, that's when you would be likely to get into trouble. Although it is probably a good idea to check with T/C on how any used frame was registered with the factory and BATF to be sure you are putting the right barrels on the right frames if you didn't buy any of them new.

If you are with someone who shoots more than their legal limit of doves and gets caught, and you unknowingly have a rifle frame with a pistol barrel on it because you bought it used and assumed that it was a pistol frame, you could be in a lot of very expensive legal trouble through no wrong doing of your own.Problems like that are best and easily...Rusty.

If you have a frame that you would like to know the status of as to how it was originally sold, contact T/C and give them the serial number and they can tell you if it was sold as a pistol or rifle frame.

If you are caught committing a crime, giving the authorities a reason to investigate the status of the firearms you own or have in your possession, that's when you would be likely to get into trouble. Although it is probably a good idea to check with T/C on how any used frame was registered with the factory and BATF to be sure you are putting the right barrels on the right frames if you didn't buy any of them new.

If you are with someone who shoots more than their legal limit of doves and gets caught, and you unknowingly have a rifle frame with a pistol barrel on it because you bought it used and assumed that it was a pistol frame, you could be in a lot of very expensive legal trouble through no wrong doing of your own. Problems like that are best and easily avoided in my view...Rusty

The rifle range I have had to use on occasion doesn't employ anyone "of authority". I have never been asked for anything like that and even "the dullest knife in the drawer" would have to wonder if their time was well spent asking me silly questions about laws they don't understand or focus their attention to the twit down three booths with his loaded AR he is flipping around to unjam. Or maybe the guy next to me who can't keep his mitts off his gun during a 'cease fire'.

I do get lots of questions about some of the chamberings I have brought and shot. The funny looking "thutty/thutty" case that now has a sharp shoulder, straight walls and 6mm neck always brings out a question or two.

Just so you will know, after the court case involving the BAFT and TCA, ALL T/C frames start life as a HANDGUN FRAME. That is the way they are accounted for at T/C.

I've had mine since '81. I've NEVER been questioned by ANYONE about whether it was legally a pistol or rifle, EVER.

I've only shot it as a handgun, until these last few months when I've configured it as a rifle and been having my daughter shoot it to prepare for her first deer hunting trip. And this is many trips to a large public shooting range that's run by the state's game and fish dept.

If you're configuring it with a rifle stock and pistol barrel, or a pistol grip and a rifle barrel, you are begging for trouble, and being stupid. If you're configuring it properly, rifle stocks and rifle barrel, or pistol grip and pistol barrel, you don't have anything to worry about.

Much ado about nothing.

It DOES give the internet lawyers something to jaw about however...

[
If you're configuring it with a rifle stock and pistol barrel, or a pistol grip and a rifle barrel, you are begging for trouble, and being stupid. If you're configuring it properly, rifle stocks and rifle barrel, or pistol grip and pistol barrel, you don't have anything to worry about.


Not quite true.You can use the Rifle barrel as a Pistol barrel,but not a pistol barrel as a rifle barrel,unless it is 16" long. OB
.

Um, NO, If you have a rifle barrel and a pistol grip, you're over all length is too short and you're going to prison.

As long as you're intelligent about using the T/C platforms, you have nothing to worry about.

Either configure it totally as a rifle, or totally as a pistol, and you're fine, and you won't draw any unwanted attention of the LE kind.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Slowpoke Slim:
Um, NO, If you have a rifle barrel and a pistol grip, you're over all length is too short and you're going to prison.

Where the hell do you get this crap from?????Its to short for what???????If its less than 26" over all length and has a Pistol grip.Its a Pistol.You can have any length barrel on a pistol.I BUILD HAND PISTOLS with up to 32" Barrels.We do it on Howa Actions that have never been used as a Rifle.It is legal and you had better call up the BATF cause you are talkin through an orfice besides your mouth!!!!

You can have ANY length on a pistol setup, just as OLBIKER said.

Sub-16" barrels with a rifle buutstock is a no-no.