SBR Shooter or Not?

[UncleDano]

Went to the local public shooting range today.
While I was there I noticed a man in the pistol range area shooting a 8 1/2" barreled AR with no sights of any kind installed.
Curious why anyone would want to shoot using the flat top picatinny rail as a sight, I stepped to get a closer look. As I watched him shooting 3 foot over the top of the target frame at 7 yards, I noticed that this "shorty" pistol had an adjustable length carbine stock. A SBR.

After he stopped to reload, I leaned in and asked if he knew he was shooting and illegal weapon - an SBR. His response was: "Well this is the way I bought it". With a kind of mind your own business attitude in his voice.

Wow, first of all what in the world did he expect to gain by him, Mama and Daughter shooting this weapon, tearing up the baffles, target frame, posts, and everything except the paper target?

As far as I know, an SBR must be registered with the Federal Government like a silencer or machinegun and the cost to make or transfer one is a $200 tax. I don't know what the fine might be, but I am guessing it might be large and include some jail time. This guy obviously could not care less about what I was telling him. And I am not an ATF secret agent, so I just let it go.

Eventually, the range officer asked him to stop shooting the sightless weapon. He had no other weapons to shoot, so he, Mama and Daughter left the range.

Was I wrong to say anything to this guy? How do you educate people who don't really "give a chip"?

 

[Ckleeves]

It could have been a pistol with a brace, the line between what's a legal pistol brace and a SBR is pretty thin.

 

[milo-2]

Was I wrong to say anything to this guy? How do you educate people who don't really "give a chip"?

I don't think so, but anytime in this situation, it could go either way. Next time the person may thank you. He did deserve a ripping for no sights, that may have been a clue that he did not care, lol

I do have some adj braces that you need to look hard to discern them from a stock.

 

[UncleDano]

It could have been a pistol with a brace, the line between what's a legal pistol brace and a SBR is pretty thin.

Not a brace, but a multi-position adjustable carbine stock

 

[squeeeeze]

Yes you do have to file a form 1 and pay the BATF a $200 fee for a tax stamp which is what I went through on mine and almost 1 year before i could legally put the stock and adj. buffer tube on. So $400 in tax stamps for the SBR and can, ouch.

You did the right thing, but some people already know best. It will probably catch up to him eventually with that kind of attitude.

 

[dk17hmr]

I have had people tell me my cans and SBR are illegal, they aren't I have the stamp collection. I don't feel it necessary to inform them about my business unless they have credentials. So I usually blow them off.

 

[TennJed]

Regardless of how it was received, as responsible gun owners, IMHO we need to politely, as you did, let the uninformed know about illegal or unsafe practices. What they do with it is out of our hands, I think you did the right thing.

 

[JasonAL]

First off SBR's are not "illegal" depending on your state and local laws.
Agree with him firing without sights, range officer should have stopped that.
I bought my SBR complete and to buy it I had to wait 18 months and a $200 tax stamp later and it came "like I bought it".
My SBR has an adjustable stock as well as my AR pistols have adjustable arm braces. All legal.
If I took my SBR or ar pistols to a range and someone approached me telling me they were "illegal" I'd tell them to mind their own business.

The same with AR's in general in my area. I use them hunting and had have other club members calling the club president on me saying I had a machine gun out deer hunting.

 

[UncleDano]

First off SBR's are not "illegal" depending on your state and local laws.
Agree with him firing without sights, range officer should have stopped that.
I bought my SBR complete and to buy it I had to wait 18 months and a $200 tax stamp later and it came "like I bought it".
My SBR has an adjustable stock as well as my AR pistols have adjustable arm braces. All legal.
If I took my SBR or ar pistols to a range and someone approached me telling me they were "illegal" I'd tell them to mind their own business.

The same with AR's in general in my area. I use them hunting and had have other club members calling the club president on me saying I had a machine gun out deer hunting.

Right, illegal was the wrong word to use here (unless I knew he had no stamp)

 

[lancetkenyon]

How would you know if he has a tax stamp or not? I don't paste mine on the items that require them....

If someone told me something like that at the range, my response might be far less cordial to a misinformed bystander. Actually, it has been on occasion.

 

[UncleDano]

How would you know if he has a tax stamp or not? I don't paste mine on the items that require them....

If someone told me something like that at the range, my response might be far less cordial to a misinformed bystander. Actually, it has been on occasion.

Granted, I made some assumptions based on his shooting range actions and behavior.

 

[Bravo 4]

Maybe he was only checking function of the rifle/pistol thingy?

 

[lancetkenyon]

Granted, I made some assumptions based on his shooting range actions and behavior.

Yeah, I can see that.
I actually got ejected from a range I used to frequent weekly and knew all the range masters due an idiot at the bench next to me.

 

[Wedgy]

Are SBR's legal in your state ? I don't think I could stomach one unless it had a can, even a full length barrel on a braked AR is painful to be near. One more reason to avoid public ranges.