Legality: Vertical Fore Grip on a Handgun
“Handgun” is defined under Federal law to mean, in part, a firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand…. Gun Control Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(29).
The NFA further defines the term “any other weapon” (AOW) as any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, a pistol or revolver having a barrel with a smooth bore designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell, weapons with combination shotgun and rifle barrels 12 inches or more, less than 18 inches in length, from which only a single discharge can be made from either barrel without manual reloading, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. Such term shall not include a pistol or revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition. 26 U.S.C. § 5845(e).
The ATF has said that installing a vertical fore grip on a handgun, the handgun is no longer designed to be held and fired by a single hand. So if a vertical fore grip is installed, they are ‘making’ a firearm that requires registration with the ATF’s NFA branch.
Comments (2)
That’s quite silly of the ATF. What would a Glock 17 with a stock be considered? Or a G17 with a stock and vertical grip?
It’s amazing that by adding a $20 attachment to a $500 gun can get you 10 years in prison. There’s a video online of a guy who did this and managed to shoot his hand because it slipped off the vertical grip while shooting.