Change xp100 into rifle

S

stratboy

New member
Hello, is it legal to turn my xp100 center grip pistol into a benchrest rifle with a 20" heavy barrel thanks Joe
 
Yes. Converting the other way (rifle into a pistol) is not legal.

But, like all things legal/illegal, you should check any local ordinances/ regulations etc.

Ray
 
I can't imagine why he would have said that. It's been done many times. It was not too long ago that Benchrest rifles built on XP100 actions were very popular. I have a very nice live varmint rifle that I built that way.

Unless - you are talking about a rifle stock, right?

Ray
 
I have one that is a switch bbl and I use it as a rifle in one stock and a Pistol in the other. I did this way back and even have both large and small bolts. Cheeckako is correct you can make a pistol a rifle BUT not vice versa.
 
I would suspect that it is entirely legal to add a long barrel to a pistol. Even a rifle stock. The problem is that under that
serial number it is still what it was and thats was a pistol which requires transfer upon selling. Federal records will always
say that gun was a handgun, no matter what you added
 
Bob - I'm not disagreeing with you but, I have an XP100 manufactured in 1963. Are you saying that somewhere in a deep dark store room of ATF&E there is a record that says this is a pistol and I can only sell it to another person as a pistol?

Just last year I sold an XP100 rifle and sent it to an FFL in another State using USPS Priority mail. I assume the FFL recorded it as a rifle. Are we both going to Leavenworth?

Ray
 
Ray, regarding 1963 manufacture, I have no idea what laws were at that time or how it was recorded.

That you sent it to a FFL certainly means something

If you bought it as a pistol and added a rifle barrel , then sold it to an individual, non FFL it still in the feds eyes

would be a pistol, because it was manufactured as such. JMO
 
They were turning xp's into rifles at least as far back as late 70's. I dont know about any permits.
I had one in 6x47 Intl.

However Dave is correct. If you want to shoot BR your best bet is to just invest the money in a true BR action.
Otherwise the money you spend truing perfecting this action will end up costing more and being less of an action than a true modern BR action.
There have been several other posts over the years. You could do a search for them.
 
Hate the thought of another XP going south. Please sell it and build on a custom action. If you make me anything like a reasonable price, *I'll* buy it. I might have to liquidate a S&W first, but I'll do it.
 
It's worth reading the Supreme Court case United States vs Thompson Center. As I understand the findings, a legally registered >pistol< receiver may have a long (>16") barrel put on it. That does not make it a rifle. If the barrel is over 16" and if adding a shoulder stock makes it over 26" overall there is no law agianst it adding a shoulder stock too. It is still a pistol. It is perfectly legal to convert that action back to pistol configuration( technically remove the stock first) A pistol registered action should be transferred as a pistol as it was when it was origianally sold by the manufacture. It should not be sold to a person younger then 21 which would violate federal law.

I'm not a lawyer. I don't know if a case has been tried where a used T/C or XP-100 action with a rifle barrel and stock was sold to a person of age 18 to 21 with it listed on a form 4473 as a rifle. There are two separate issues. One is the possion of any firearm which doesnt meet legal barrel length and overall length if it has a shoulder stock whether it's registered as a pistol or not. The second issue is transferring (possession, not ownership) of a pistol to a person under 21 which is not legal.
 
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Louis, do you have your "ownership" and "posession" switched in your last sentence? My daughter was able to get a concealled carry permit when she was 18, but couldn't buy a handgun until 21.

Jim
 
We need to hear from a manufacturer, such as Jim Kelbly, who can give the straight dope on what paperwork is involved when a firearm is made.

My understanding is that new firearms are not licensed or registered. Paperwork is submitted that gives the serial number of the action or receiver but it is not necessarily shown as a rifle or pistol or shotgun. When Jim makes a new Cub action it is shown as an action since that is how he sells it. Someone taking that action and building a rifle is not required to submit any additional paperwork unless he is a licensed FFL and I'm not sure what his records would show. If an individual makes the rifle there is no paperwork whatsoever (except for any possible local requirements).

As far as I know, the only time a new firearm is registered is if it is one that requires it, such as a machine gun, short barreled rifle, etc. I made a couple of those back when it was legal to do so and I submitted a Form 1, along with a tax stamp, fingerprints, photograph, etc. Once registered, the firearm cannot be transferred or changed in any way without submitting an amended form. It can also be "unregistered" with proper paperwork and the receiver or action reverts to just that, a receiver or action.

I may be completely wrong on this stuff. BTW, that rifle that I sold last year started as an XP100 pistol, was converted to a rifle, then back to a pistol, and then back to a rifle. I know of other guys who did similar things back in the 20th century so if I'm guilty of breaking any laws I have a lot of company.

And another BTW. You guys always talk about how it's a waste of money to invest in something like a trued XP action because it will always be worth no more than the basic action. If that is so, how come I can never find a BR rifle built on an XP that doesn't cost as much as one built on a custom action?

Ray
 
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I'll at least agree that the words ownership an posession add more confusion than leaving them out would have.
 
What a revolting development that is!!! That makes criminals out of a lot of past, present, and future shooters. I can't comprehend why BATF&E would adopt such a regulation. It seems to me it would be practically impossible to enforce and I doubt if most agents would try to do so except under extraordinary circumstances.

Another example of government gone crazy.

Ray
 
well I read the ATF letter and it sounds to me that Jim Kelbly is wrong I can change my XP into a benchrest rifle I just can't change it back I just want to be legal
 
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