Does anyone regret getting an SBR tax stamp for their lower?
I was thinking about it however I’m wondering if the novelty of a shorter barrel would wear off after a while.
I’m also concerned about the loss of velocity going from a 16" to a 12", and the decreased resale value of the lower because of having to engrave it.
Nope, in fact nearly all of my AR’s are SBR’s now.
The only “use” for my AR’s, other than fun, would be self-defense, and any justifiable home defense shooting would be well within the effective range of SBR’s.
if you get tired of your SBR, build a new weapon. 
you’re not likely to get too many people say “yes” to this question… every man, to a man, that i’ve ever known to SBR has been more than pleased with their decision. it took me a while to warm up to the whole idea of registration, but i eventually got over that.
Yep, I regretted not sending in two form1s at the same time.
Nope. I never shoot nor have a need to shoot more than 100yds. My SBR is more than capable at that distance. My current configuration is 11 1/2" barrel which is so handy that I will never own another AR with a barrel longer than that. I knew from the get go that once my lower was engraved, I would own it forever. Seriously, who’s gonna buy a lower with some guy’s name and city, state engraved on the side? If you don’t want to engrave it, you can but a factory SBR rifle. If I do it again, I’ll go that route.
The good thing about ARs is that if you SBR one, and don’t like it, then all you’re stuck with is an engraved lower to stick in your safe. Every other part could be sold off or moved to another rifle, no problem.
If you bought a $150 lower, SBR’d it, and then decided to sell it, you’d be stupid. Even if you got the full $150 back, you’d still be losing the $200 you sank into it. Once you SBR it, there’s really not a good reason to sell that lower, unless you are specifically trying to purge it from your collection at any cost.
No regrets on mine, even though it will soon be a dedicated rimfire. I have subsequently built other carbines, converted some Saigas, etc. that will be above my SBR on the SHTF list. It’s just a really, really (really) fun range toy for me.
Yep that is about it.
Not in the slightest.
I doubt it will. The smaller size and increased handling are well worth it.
[b]Resale Value: A lower receiver is a $100 dollar part, give or take. If you form 1 it ($200), and engrave it, not to mention time, effort, energy and potential cost of getting the form 1 completed, you now have around $400 in that lower. Why would you want to sell it? There is no real point to sell it as a standard lower. And why would someone buy a Form 1’d SBR, when they can form 1 themselves, or buy a factory SBR.
Loss in Velocity: It’s a SBR. You have just compromised barrel length in favor of a shorter, lighter, more maneuverable gun. With good ammo choice, the SBR will pull it’s weight in the tighter quarters for which it was designed. If you are that concerned about the loss in velocity, have two guns, or two uppers. I mean, a 20" has better velocity than a 16", but most people compromise in favor of the 16" for size and handiness of the package. Pick your weapon accordingly.[/b]
it would be very easy to make an argument that virtually any application for an AR one could envision for a non-LE civilian use would be frankly best served by an SBR (and quite the vast majority of LE use).
No regrets here.
Now I want a Krink to go with my SBR AR though!
-RD62
This.
Shot placement and training are the key regardless of barrel length, but to answer the main question no I have not regretted it. Just do it.
just to reiterate and build on my earlier statement- you’re not required to keep a short barrel on an SBR’d lower, by the way. you can stick a 16 or 18 or 20 or whatever you want on that sucker. i THINK the ATF probably still wants you to jump through their hoop to travel with it, even with a longer barrel on it, but if it’s got a 16" barrel on it, why would the question ever come up to begin with?
the sooner you get that form filed, the sooner you can decide for yourself.
No regrets here just wish I had the extra cash to do it to all of mine.
I Just got the paper work in the mail.Alabama Senate is In the process of voting On a repeal On the Ban Of SBRs ,I am Hoping it makes it through And I can SBR My Colt Lower to a Colt 14.5 Upper I have with a Pinned Extended FH. I have had to sell Most of My weapons in the pass due to Bills and just getting bored with it .I am sure with My Name on it .It will stay with me til the end.And it is a little Bit due to when I was in the Army I used and trained with the M4 and Now to have a weapon so close to the one I trained with But without the Go fast switch:D It brings Memories of Good friends(some of who are No longer here) and a Honor I am proud of .Damn I sound like my dad.and I am in a urban area so this really fits my needs
Even though I am in no position to do anything NFA, the registration makes me iffy about it.
I’m uncomfortable with the idea that every government agency knows that I have “anti-personnel” weapons.
I have two ARs, so I’m thinking of SBR’ing one and buying an LWRC M6A3 12.7" 6.8mm SPC w/ a AAC Blackout Adaptor (so I can add a suppressor later).
I figure the velocity loss wouldn’t affect the 6.8mm as much, and a gas piston system is more beneficial on a carbine length system.
The only things I don’t like about SBR’ing are the registration, the engraving, and the loss of velocity.
One other question about suppressors: The “tax stamp” is for the suppressor and not the rifle? Does that mean you can use a suppressor on different rifles, or do you have to register it on a particular rifle?
You can put the suppressor anywhere on anything that it will fit. Since it is separate from the SBR it will have its’ own tax stamp.
Why are you hung up about the few hundred feet per second loss of velocity? People that have SBR’s generally don’t plan on using them for long distance.
TIP- The ODA team where I am at are almost all to a man using 10.5" uppers on their M4’s. They seem to be getting the job done. Get good NATO spec ammo for serious use and learn to love life.
If I had my way, almost all of my stuff would be SBR’d. I am not attached to a lower receiver that is easy and cheap to replace.
When I SBR my lower, do I have to register it with a particular caliber, or can I have two 12" uppers (a 5.56 and 6.8) and switch them out?
I should probably standardizing my 5.56 flash hiders if I can use one suppressor on several uppers.
I was planning on either all Smith Vortex with and a Gemtech Halo, or all Surefire FH556-212A and a Surefire Mini.
Would a gas-piston system work better on an SBR with a suppressor, or do carbine length D-I systems work just as well?