ARs are also NOT firearms under US law
not quite true. the frame or receiver is the serialized part of the firearm and is considered the firearm itself for purpose of bookkeeping, import, export, destruction, manufacturing, sale, et c.
an incomplete AR-15 is not a
rifle,
pistol, or
shotgun. though, so specific laws that would target rifles, pistols, et c may not apply to an unassembled firearm, which would typically just be a
firearm itself, or a frame or receiver. to wit: if you aren't legally allowed to hunt with a pistol, but are allowed to do so with a rifle, then you can use the same AR-15 to hunt, provided it's in a legal configuration. Franklin Armory's XO-15 does something similar where it fails to meet the definition of rifle, pistol, et c and so is just a "firearm", and a disassembled XO-15 has one part of the subassembly (the serialized part) defined as the receiver, which is legally considered a firearm in and of itself, with all other parts being accessories to it.
the guidebook makes this clear, and so does 18 USC. do not go to bed thinking that you are somehow getting one over on someone and committing a felony because you don't fully understand the definitions being used in regulation or legislation. the few cases i'm aware of where a weapons charge enhancement was dropped or dismissed (in one case getting the entire case dismissed) was because of either poorly worded local law (prohibited from carrying a pistol, and so merely changed the upper out for a non-short barreled rifle), or a failure to understand that firearm, rifle, pistol, machinegun, short-barreled rifle, et c are all classifications of firearm, and a frame or receiver is a
part of a firearm where, if unassembled, is itself a firearm (defined as such through legislation).
Muzzleloaders - ... are separated from modern firearms that use conventional centerfire or rimfire ammunition, whether made before 1898 or after or could be converted to chamber such a round as those would fall under the definition of "modern firearm".
any antique firearm (defined as manufactured prior to 1898 in 26 USC) and any
duplicates of such are not considered a firearm for most purposes except where they are used for criminal purpose (poaching for example). conversion cylinders (for example to change a percussion cap revolver to a centerfire revolver) are no longer duplicates of an antique, but are considered modifications of an antique when installed. there is an exception in 44 USC for original designs of an antique firearm that fire fixed ammunition as part of it's original design.
an 1858 Remington revolver would require the cylinder to be removed each time you want to reload and can be installed or uninstalled with no changes to the original antique firearm. the same is not true for a S&W new model 3, which fires fixed ammunition, but is an antique by virtue of it being integral to the original design prior to 1898.
modifying an uberti 1851 Navy revolver with a loading gate and a conversion cylinder would
manufacture a non-antique firearm, and this is federally legal, generally speaking, but if you are prohibited or have additional local laws to comply with, it
may not be legal in your local area.
using any firearm, even a BP musket or something in the commission of a crime would make that non-firearm a firearm for purposes of criminal indictment, typically. there's no "bank robbery loophole with antique shotguns" loophole or something to avoid a felony armed robbery charge.
www.atf.gov
