NorthJersey

Thankfully, the state police don't subscribe to that interpretation of the law. I met with a state police detective this morning and he told me that the Masterpiece Arms pistols have been evaluated and were found to not substantially resemble an assault weapon. A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned; I think the key is that the law doesn't not attempt to define a shroud. It attempts to define the type of shroud that contitutes an "assault weapon" feature. Based on the language of the law, a shroud that "is not attached to the barrel, and that does not encircle the barrel, or that does not permit the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned would not be an AW feature. It doesn't say a "pistol frame that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles the barrel . . . " or "an integral part of the pistol that encircles the barrel." In this instance the pistol frame is clearly not intended to act as a barrel shroud. You barely have anything to grip on the frame. Gripping a Tac rail on a Springfield XD, particlarly when a flashlight or a bipod is attached, would be a much easier method to hold a pistol with the non-trigger hand. In light of my discussion with the detective, I'm going to see if the FFL will just hold the pistol until I get my license. If the state police have already evaluated the cousins to my 5.7 Defender, I'm satisfied, especially since the 5.7 resembles a MAC even less than the common 9mm pistols from Masterpiece Arms. A Colt 6940 has much more against it than my pistol: Threaded barrel with a flash hider (can solved by permanently affixing a legal Branson brake almost identical to the flash hider) Bayonet lug (usually ground off) Six-position stock (usually pinned) Comes standard with two 20-round Colt magazines (permanently reduced to 15 rounds or replaced with aftermarket magazines in 10 or 15 round capacity) The ability to accept a detachable magazine (usually retained as one of two permissible evil features) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuosly beneath the action (usually retained as one of two evil features) Finally, this seems the most damning strike against the 6940: "The LE6940 has extensive parts commonality with the M4 . . ." and "the Colt LE6940 Advanced Law Enforcement Carbine is best thought of as a semi-automatic-only version of the M4" http://www.americanr...x?id=2324&cid=4 Here's how the Defender stacks up: Threaded barrel ( solved with permanently attached muzzle device) 50 oz. weight (retained as the one permissible evil feature) Accepts Five Seven pistol magazines (Masterpiece Arms does not manufacture magazines for this pistol, usually including a Promag aftermarket Five Seven magazine in 20 round capacity) As to parts interchangeability with the M-11, I received the following reply from the manufacturer: Our fire control group parts are not interchangeable with M/11’s and vice versa. Significant and deliberate modification to either the parts or our receiver would be necessary for one to apply M/11 fire control parts to our firearms. In my case a modification to the 5.7 version to accept M-11 parts would be practically impossible. The Colt requires four modifications for New Jersey compliance and the Defender requires one. Further, the Colt bears close resemblance to both named weapons and automatic weapons and has parts commonality with these weapons. I think the reason people feel uncomfortable with this pistol is that it is uncommon and it looks like a Hollywood bad guy gun. I didn't make this purchase to scare people or to look tacticool. I wanted a fun pistol to shoot in 5.7 since I also have an AR-57 upper. I can't justify spending $2000 on a Five Seven, so I bought the very inexpensive Masterpiece Arms pistol. I appreciate all the input.

On a serious note, you could start calling Picatinny rails on handguns barrel shrouds, but I think we're really stretching the definition. No gunsmith or firearms manufacturer would identify the Defender as having a barrel shroud. That is, unless you send the pistol to an 07 FFL to manufacture a lighter version of the pistol.

Incorrect. A barrel shroud is the "shoulder thing that goes up."

I already purchased the pistol. 50 oz. is not a problem unless you have another evil feature, right? In my case, the threads will be removed by permanently affixing a muzzle brake.

I was pretty impressed at my groupings with my old style 9mm carbine. I haven't actually fired my .40. I would really like one of the fancy new .45s.

Actually, I just got a call for an inspection tomorrow. The turnaround was only about four days from the time we got our fingerprints. Now we just need our FBI site visit.

[NorthJersey], 5.7x28 twist 1:9 The bolt utilizes a spring loaded, captive firing pin. The overall design is closed bolt, hammer fired, straight blowback, semi automatic. While the appearance is that of the older M/11, the operating system and fire control group are entirely different in definition. Our fire control group parts are not interchangeable with M/11’s and vice versa. Significant and deliberate modification to either the parts or our receiver would be necessary for one to apply M/11 fire control parts to our firearms. Regards, Brandon Newman Masterpiece Arms Manufacturing Facility www.masterpiecearms.com

Got the typos. Thanks! Good call.

A local FFL started to get nervous about my Masterpiece Arms Defender pistol in 5.57. The pistol is over 50 oz., so I need to have the muzzle brake pinned. Det. Hanneman (sp?) said he thinks it might be too close to a MAC-10. I'll be talking with Ron Keller tomorrow morning, so I want to have all my facts straight. Here are the difference as I perceive them: 5.7 vs. 9mm/45 ACP The Defender does not have the removable, collapsible wire stock of the MAC-10 The Defender is three pounds lighter than the 101 oz. MAC-10 The Defender takes Five Seven magazines instead of M3 "Grease Gun" mags The Defender is a closed bolt pistol. The original MAC-10s were produced in an open bolt configuration. 1/2-28 thread pattern for the defender vs. 3/4-10 or 7/8-9 for the MAC-10 5 inch barrel for the Defender vs. 4.5 inch barrel for the MAC-10 The Defender is a side cocker. The MAC-10 is a top cocker. The grip on the defender is an angled single piece that is uniform in width, and the grip on the MAC-10 has a fat contoured backstrap that attaches to the magwell Any other differences I should point out?

So far, so good. I'm just waiting for my State Police inspection. The safe is in place and the security system is mostly installed. I'm still looking for a display/showcase solution. My ATF application will go in as soon as they send me fingerprint cards.

Well, the baddies can gain footholds in the most unlikely places.

You may want to try the ATI stock. Here's a thread that may provide food for thought: http://www.thektog.org/forum/f100/hi-point-995-build-project-206926/

If I can get there, I'll be the guy with the four little kids in tow.

FYI, the ATI Omni lower weighs 4.9 oz, stripped. I was unable to find any weight data on the web, so I thought this information might be helpful to those of you who purchased when Palmetto was running its deals.

No nonsense. Showed up on time. Answered his phone. Thanks again!

Reliable buyer. Didn't drag me for days with questions. I hope we can trade again. On a side note, Hinchman wears some nice suits.

Very accommodating. I would not hesitate to do business with her in the future. Made a purchase decision without going back and forth for several days. Thank you!

Thanks for the easy swap! On a different note----->

No problem, Buddy. I'm happy to help.

I have purchased a couple of weapons that need to be brought into compliance, e.g., 50+ oz. pistol with a threaded barrel (magazine in the grip). I would rather not be locked in to one muzzle accessory. Since threads on my barrel present an undue threat to the peace-loving people of New Jersey, I wanted to use an adapter like the Bushmaster accessory you described. I think this would be an attractive option for customers who need their weapons neutered for NJ.

Match the muzzle?

The muzzle device on my Carbon 15 upper attaches to the barrel using a coupler much like one sees on an air hose. In the case of the Carbon 15, the balls on the coupler lock into little dimples on the barrel. I'm would like to do something similar for New Jersey compliance, by permanenly affixing a male adapter to a rifle or pistol barrel to remove the threads and replicate the Carbon 15 approach to AWB compliance. Is anyone aware of such an adapter?

No heavy barrel?

Likewise, Brother. I'm happy to hear the RWS worked out for you.