AOW vs SBS

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nightwolf1974

New member
can someone explain the differences in AOWs & SBSs?

if go this route i only want a gun with no stock, just a pistol grip.

can the stock on an existing gun be reshaped to a pistol grip?

my ideas are.......

sxs with 12" barrels like the one Mel Gibson had the Road Warrior
o+u with 12" barrels
and T/C Encore with a 12" 12ga. smooth barrel and pistol grip

would these be AOWs or SBSs?

I'm totally new to this idea, but i'm confused. I need guidence before I think about them anymore.
 
The Gun Control Act defines a shotgun as "…designed or redesigned to be fired from the shoulder…"

So if it isn't able to be fired from the shoulder, its an AOW.
$5 to transfer or $200 to make and register
 
Incorrect.
If you are making the weapon from an existing shotgun, it will always be a short barreled shotgun.
AOWs have to be made on a receiver that has never had a shoulder stock.
Either way, the tax for making is $200. Transfers on AOWs are $5, SBSs $200.
 
That's an interesting point. I knew that applied to pistols, but I never put 2 and 2 together for shotguns...
Which is why my questions go to an NFA lawyer, not the internet ;)
 
AOW's also include lots of other types of guns:

cell-phone gun
GRAD .22 Knife gun
wallets designed to hide a gun, but permit it to be fired.
Brief-case guns.
Pen guns

Anything that makes a gun look like something other than a gun will be defined by BATFE as an AOW.
 
Which is why my questions go to an NFA lawyer, not the internet
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A lawyer is not the right person to call. Call the NFA branch directly and talk with an examiner or “specialist” if you have to. If they are not available leave your number and they will call you back.

Many here have done that, it looks like Bill talked to the same specialist I did and got the exact same answer.
 
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Man, tough crowd...

A lawyer can contact the ATFE directly as well as give you their own legal advice. I don't see what the problem is there...
 
The point being, only NFA branch employees have even the slightest idea how the NFA works. Their opinion on the phone is nothing more that just that.

IF you want a legal opinion on an NFA firearm, write to the Firearms & Technology Branch of BATF&E. Be very detailed in your question and you will get a written response that will hold up in court.

Unless you consult an Attorney that is a specialist in NFA Firearms cases, you are wasting your time and money.

The National Firearms Act of 1934 is pretty easy to read and understand.

Is sounds like you are trying to "PLAY" or find a loophole in the NFA.... I highly recommend against that !
 
i'm not looking for a "loop hole", just i have no experience in this field and hoping someone with knowledge could help set things straight so it can help make up my mind wether or not this pursuit is worth while.
 
If the original "parent" gun had a shoulder stock on it at any time during it's existence, it would be considered a short barrel shotgun (SBS). This will cost you $200.00 to build on a Form 1, or to have transferred to you from an 03 FFL on a form 4. If it never had a shoulder stock (Mossberg JIC series, or other FACTORY pistol grip shotgun) or the build started from a bare receiver that had never been assembled into a firearm, it could be registered as an Any Other Weapon (AOW). That will also cost you $200.00 to build. If it is built by a 07 manufacturer it could be transferred to you on a form 4 for $5.00.

The only reason to go for an AOW vs a SBS if you are building it yourself would be if your state doesn't allow SBSs but does allow AOWs. If you are purchasing an already assembled firearm, the transfer tax is cheaper for an AOW.

So, to answer your question,
can the stock on an existing gun be reshaped to a pistol grip?
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Yes, for $200 dollars if you do the work yourself. OR For $200.00 + whatever the 07 manufacturer charges you to do the work.

The examples you gave asking whether they would be SBSs or AOWs . . .
sxs with 12" barrels like the one Mel Gibson had the Road Warrior
o+u with 12" barrels
and T/C Encore with a 12" 12ga. smooth barrel and pistol grip
Click to expand...
Would depend on what the receiver was before it became what it is.

Joat
 
No, it is a legal AOW. It is not registered as a SBS.
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YES!!!

The difference between an SBS and an AOW is like the difference between Diesel and Gasoline. Yes they are similar in many ways, but making an SBS out of an AOW is like putting diesel in a gasoline engine, you're gonna get in BIG trouble and and spend a lot of money cleaning up the mess you created.
 
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