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FAL hb pistol build

3K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  panaceabeachbum 
#1 ·
here is a couple of pics of an FAL pistol I built in 1989 from one of the isreali falo sets sarco had at the time for $79 , somewhere I have some assembled pics and a cool vid of a thirty round dump at night I will find and post, I used a brazilian fal folder top cover and bolt. Around the same time I did an hk .308 pistol but the fal was by far the most fun to shoot




 
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#2 ·
Wow man that thing is intense, very nice. I started on FAL's when I started building, I'm not trying to hijack your thread but here are the two I built. I never really thought about building a pistol that short before out of one, :thumbup1:
Twissted

P.S sorry about the pic quality
 

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#3 ·
Nice pistol, but why? Kind of like making a racing car out of a Mack truck.


Twissted1 said:
Wow man that thing is intense, very nice. I started on FAL's when I started building, I'm not trying to hijack your thread but here are the two I built. I never really thought about building a pistol that short before out of one, :thumbup1:
Twissted

P.S sorry about the pic quality
Nice FALs!!!!
 
#5 ·
scubadvr said:
Nice pistol, but why? Kind of like making a racing car out of a Mack truck.




Nice FALs!!!!
With 9 variations of fals already in the safe it was just time for somethig different at the time I had about 30-40 of the falo sets I was selling at gunshows on the weekend and simply got bored one week so the project was born, if you think the fal pistol is silly you outta see my friends hk51k with the 4" bbl, he also has a 50 bmg single shot pistol with a 10" bbl thats pretty intense.

On the mac truck racing I notice they have circle track races, dirt and asphalt, drag races and I saw a division at the paris-daakar rally for semi tractors also, silly to me but hey one mans fun......
 
#6 ·
how long is the BBL on your pistol? did you machine the receiver for it? if you didn't machine it then aren't all but maybe the custom ones done by DSA considered a Rifle Receiver and does that count against this? just curious. I am really a big fan of FAL's and if the price hadn't gone up so much since my $99 kits from tapco long ago I would be all over a couple more to do atleast one pistol. a semi auto short bbl'ed .308 is my type of fun:thumbup1:
 
#7 ·
Twissted1 said:
how long is the BBL on your pistol? did you machine the receiver for it? if you didn't machine it then aren't all but maybe the custom ones done by DSA considered a Rifle Receiver and does that count against this? just curious. I am really a big fan of FAL's and if the price hadn't gone up so much since my $99 kits from tapco long ago I would be all over a couple more to do atleast one pistol. a semi auto short bbl'ed .308 is my type of fun:thumbup1:
the bbl is 9", the receiver was purchased as a new never assembled virgin rec and assembled as a pistol from the begining, same procedure used for assembling ar, ak or hk pistol on a virgin rec.
 
#9 ·
i am thinking of building a semi auto pistol in a rifle caliber.... my thoughts were... id take a FAL para folder lower.... and mill of the folding stock attachment... or fill the slot for the folder and mill the rest off..... so it will not be able to accept a stock.... and a local gunsmith said he would cut down the front end and throw a brake on for $200 but here is where the questions come in....

a semi pistol build does not have to be 922 compliant... right??

no parts count??? just be in semi config

just no forward grip, no buttstock attachment... parts count doesnt matter just as long as its under 26".... 30" here in michigan am i correct so far??

i heard of a 50 ounce pistol rule but i think that was under the AWB and is expired now??

my other question is the RECEIVER.... can i take a unassembled receiver... that has never been built into anything and have the ffl transfer it to me as a pistol, take the bare receiver to the police station and register that receiver as a pistol so i wont have any problems so i wont have any problems with not registering it right away...

or does the receiver have to come from the manufacture as either a "firearm receiver" or a "pistol receiver"??? or can i take a bare receiver that was transfered to the ffl as a rifle but never assembld, sold to me from the the ffl as a pistol in the 4473 and be ok???

please email me any atf letters that might be floating around that would be of interest to my build....

one last thing..... how about a cetme or g3 pistol build... where can i find a pistol endcap or can i just use a standard stock and machine off the sholder piece and weld a flat piece of steel on the back of the endcap where the stock attaches so none could ever be attached??
 
#10 ·
11" DSA front end looks almost a good way to go..

any idea who has receivers in stock i think i can use any receiver that has never been assembled into a rifle configuration.....

________________________________________


October 1, 1992


Firearms Technical Branch
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
650 Mass. Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20226

Dear Sirs:

The Greensboro, NC BATF Compliance Office suggested that I write to
you for information on the following point.

I am interested on whether it is possible to have a commercially
manufactured rifle receiver changed to be legally considered to be a handgun
receiver, and how this can be done. The Compliance Office said that this
might be possible via a "Letter of Determination", but advised me to write
to you about the criteria and procedures.

For example, if a person has a rifle receiver and wishes to have it
built into a rifle-caliber handgun suitable for steel silhouette target
shooting, comparable to the bolt action Remington XP-100 handgun. I
understand that the serial number of this receiver is recorded as being for a
rifle. Could this person have this receiver's serial number considered to be
a handgun receiver? If so, what procedures and paperwork would be
necessary.

Sincerely,

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Oct 29 1992
Dear Mr. XXXXX:

This refers to your letter of October 1, 1992, in which you inquire
about the legality of manufacturing a handgun which utilizes a rifle
type receiver.

26 U.S.C. Chapter 53 # 5845(a)(4), the National Firearms Act (NFA),
defines the term "firearm" to include a weapon made from a rifle if
such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches
or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length.

Utilizing the receiver of an existing rifle for the purposes of
manufacturing a handgun would constitute the making of a firearm as
defined above. Individuals desiring to make such a firearm must first
submit an ATF Form 1, Application To Make And Register a Firearm and
pay the applicable $200 making tax.

If an individual were to obtain a rifle type receiver that had not
previously been utilized in the assembly of a rifle, a handgun could be
made and not be subject to the provisions of the NFA. Verification
must be obtained from the manufacturer of the receiver to establish
its authenticity.

We trust the foregoing has been responsive to your inquiry. If we may
be of any further assistance, please contact us.

Sincerely your,
(signed)
Edward M. Owen, Jr.
Chief, Firearms Technology Branch
 
#11 ·
los48503 said:
any idea who has receivers in stock i think i can use any receiver that has never been assembled into a rifle configuration.....
I don't know where you could buy a receiver that had been used in a rifle.
 
#12 ·
sorry about the typo... just making shure i can use any reciever just as long as it is trransfer to me from the FFL as a pistol and that the ffl doesnt have to have recived the receiver from the manufacture being built inteded for use in a pistol build....

does my means to a pistol endcap sound ok?
 
#13 ·
I used imbel rec for mine, at the time they were $169, as soon as the coonan rec is available I am going to do another.
All the bare rec I have used were just listed as "receiver" and never specified firearm type
No us parts needed. The wieght restriction went out when the AWB sunset. I dont think there is an overall length restricion on pistols at the fedral level, just a min length on rifles.

You can use a standard lower for the pistol build just pull the recoil spring tube and weld the back end up . The para lowere dsa used to sell were just standard lowers with a block welded on the back
 
#16 ·
for a pistol I don't think the bbl can be rifle length 16" and when I asked earlier about your receiver being designated as a pistol I meant was, was it transferred that way? because when I received both of my Imbel Gears' they were transferred to me as long guns and logged that way in the FFL's log book. I wasn't trying to start anything just curious. the reason I bring this up is because an 18 year old cannot go buy a imbel receiver "being that age requirement is 18yrs for rifles/shotguns 21 for pistols" and then build a pistol out of it. it would clearly need to be catagorized that way from the FFL. perhaps just an opinion and a misunderstanding, and I think you do great work I really like alot of the stuff you're building lately. just kinda trying to figure out the exact circumstances that are required legally for a rifle kit turned pistol conversion on a 100% receiver...any FFL's care to shed some light on this for me? not trying to thread hijack just figured this was as good of place to ask as any.
Twissted
 
#18 ·
Twissted1 said:
for a pistol I don't think the bbl can be rifle length 16"[/qoute]





[qoute=Twissted1] and when I asked earlier about your receiver being designated as a pistol I meant was, was it transferred that way? because when I received both of my Imbel Gears' they were transferred to me as long guns and logged that way in the FFL's log book. Twissted

I have not seen this in print anywhere in the federal reg book, although I see it repeated on the various forumns. Would love to know for sure. The only dimeinsional requirements I see in the reg books for pistols is that they must have a grip that sticks conspicously below the rec and has a hieght eqaul or greater than 3 3/4". Of course if youre gonna have a 16" bbl you might as well call it a rifle and have the advantage of attaching a stock when desired




The imbel receivers I have purchased as well as a bunch of oow ak rec were all logged in and transfered to me on the 4473 as "bare Receiver". The dealer I order thru wants it very clear in all his paperwork that these are bieng sold as rec only as he doesnt want to be liable for any excise tax etc down the road if these are later sold as complete firearms. I know on the invoice for the imbel rec from dealerswharehouse it just said imbel receiver and did not specify pistol or rifle. Rightly so as they hadnt been assembled and tax paid as such. Maybe the dealer in your state chose to log them in as rifles to avoid a waiting period or some other state regulation
 
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