Fondled a DDM4 PDW factory SBR at the LGS today…might have gotten some drool on it.
My question is - if I buy a factory SBR then I need to go Form 4 route and (just like a suppressor) we’re talking anywhere from 6-12 months, correct?
Or I can order the PDW Pistol from DD directly, have it in a week or so…then file a Form 1 and have that back within 3-4 weeks…so I’m getting the same thing in ~1 month rather than 6+.
Am I missing something or is it that simple? Why would anyone go factory SBR route versus pistol + Form 1? Seems almost all manufacturers offer their SBRs as pistols nowadays anyway, especially DD.
When you form1 the item then you also have to have the receiver engraved with your name or the name of your trust, city and state since you are making the NFA item. If a form 4 the original manufacturer is making the NFA item and their data is engraved on the item.
Yes buying the pistol and doing a form1 is faster and you end up with essentially the same thing. There is the engraving cost to go through and any other cost to change from pistol to rifle as far as the stock goes.
I always buy factory SBR’s if they’re available and the price is comparable to the factory non-SBR option. The reason for this is that factory SBR’s are much more salable than SBR’s that you make yourself. Sure, it’s often the same functionally, but potential buyers don’t want your name, city and state on their gun. Heck, I’d prefer not to have my name, city and state on my gun. When it comes to AR15’s specifically, SBR’s that you make yourself are pretty much not salable at all. If you decide you don’t want one any longer, you’ll have to part it out. For me, factory SBR’s is worth the wait.
Thats my feeling too, I have zero intention of ever selling them.
Thanks for the input - it’s pretty much what I figured. That factory SBR PDW was awesome but I think I’ll just sign up for the notifications from DD and snag a PDW Pistol when they come available, then maybe Form 1 it or just keep it as a pistol for a while.
On another note, that PDW really is awesome…my only real hold up on it is the availability of 300 blk ammo seems to be significantly worse even than 5.56 right now. I can still find 5.56 locally for ~$0.75/round but I have yet to see 300 blk for any price. Online it seems to be minimum $1.25/round which is just crazy.
What was 300 BLK selling for before all this craziness?
The best deal for blackout for awhile was the s&b green boxes. They made a 125 grain super and a 200 grain sub. The subs are like the PMC bronze of blackout subs-quite anemic, but I really like them, if your gun will cycle them. Both could be had for about .50-.55 if you found a decent deal and bought in bulk. I think the best deal I found was $450-$500/case of 1000. Almost everything else seemed to be .75-1.00 or more. I reload, so I rarely bought factory ammo. The cost to reload made way more sense for 300 than 556, so I usually loaded my own.
I rarely sell any guns. The additional wait time isn’t an issue for me. I’ve been in the NFA game for years. For me the wait is worth having a gun that’s worth more and doesn’t have my name on it. If you can’t wait the extra five months or so, there’s nothing wrong with going the Form 1 route.
Sometimes you can actually get factory SBR’s for less than the one that you’d make yourself. Last year I purchased a Colt LE6944 (14.5" monolithic upper) for $50 less than the lowest price I could find for a Colt LE6940 (same rifle with a 16.1" barrel). Once I factored in the cost of engraving and shipping a lower off to be engraved, it actually ended up being about $100 less than the LE6940.
No doubt, you go through all that hassle, eff that. I recently bought a couple of pistol lowers in case I need to travel across state lines or my son wants to shoot it. So both have their place, but since I have one son that will take my guns one day, I’ll pass the baton.