To SBR or not to SBR?

​It’s almost Shakespearean, such is the momentousness of the decision. And the question is always the same: “do I want to go through the process of filing all my personal data with the ATF and informing the local sheriff of my acquisition for the luxury of adding a stock to a pistol, or, shortening a rifle’s barrel?” How much red tape you’re prepared to endure in life is down to personal preference and your proclivity for headaches. If going to the DMV is an utterly repellent task then you may want to avoid applying for ATF tax stamps because it’s on a par with that. Do you want the scrutiny? Honestly, it doesn’t matter. Every firearm we purchase is logged into the NICS database and shareable with any law enforcement agency nationwide, so going through the ATF for a stamp is simply a formality and opportunity for them to collect $200. Do they honestly care that your barrel is a couple of inches under 16? Doubtful. Is there any tactical advantage? Negligible. And as for public safety, in my opinion the only gun law that’s had any valuable impact is the machine gun act of 1986, without which all those malfeasant individuals intent on attacking our schools, fast food establishments and malls would be able to up their evil carnage significantly. Short of that a gun is a gun is a gun. And so is a knife, it seems...recent ISIS attacks in London have proven a knife can be almost as deadly and inflict wounds that are often harder to recover from. Election be damned, the Brits should hide their forks and knives in preparation for the inevitable ban!

Short barrels on rifles tend to be less accurate at distance and short barrels on shotguns have a decreased affective range so benefits are not the argument here. But for concealability and close-up usefulness in tight spaces they make absolute sense. And for cool factor. We all like the idea of having a weapon normally reserved for our special operatives and movie stars so even if your lifestyle will never maximize the advantages, the cost for cool is worth it. In that light I say wholeheartedly, to hell with pistol braces, go for the real deal and have the option to add any type of actual stock you like. Being purpose-built and shoulder-able makes it truly useful. Just look on line at the amazing array of stocks from the ultra lightweight to fully benchrest adjustable and you’ll get my point. And the elevation from fairly inadequate pistol brace to purpose-made stock is huge, and authentically legal. Folks say breaking the rules is fun but in a few cases in life it’s the opposite: properly registered SBR’s (and suppressors) are all the more enjoyable for the absence of stress and the strange sense of accomplishment in having gone through the rigmarole of getting that antique-looking postage stamp stuck to your receipt. 

For pistol-up SBR’s (my favorite), the SBR stamp allows those who are inventive to fabricate their own setup (there are almost no commercial stock offerings for converting your handgun into an SBR unless you use a Glock, in which case there are three systems made by Mako, CAA {Micro Roni} and Endo Tactical). So for those like me who enjoy the stability of a shoulder stock on a pistol the opportunities for invention are numerous and displayed proudly throughout the web, just Google “stock on pistol” to get some inspiration. Once legally attached, the difference in accuracy and shot-consistency is astounding, enabling you to push shots comfortably from 10 yards out to 50 without breaking a sweat. Put a stock on a pistol and suddenly you become Hickok45! Shooting a stocked pistol opens your eyes to the inherent capabilities of what you felt was a limited-range weapon (your sidearm) whereas the rifle-down SBR variant tends to disappoint when the shooter attempts to match the performance of it’s longer barreled counterpart. If you love rifles for their range and accuracy then SBR’ing it will possibly be a let down. If you enjoy pistols for their compactness then throwing a detachable stock on it will be a step up in function, which is suddenly exciting and in my opinion the most sensible reason for getting your stamp. Either way, it's always worth it. GOM