DraftDraft definitions, under editorial review. Informational content is not legal advice.
Draftfederal and California definitions
Under the National Firearms Act, covered categories include a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches and a weapon made from a rifle whose resulting barrel is shorter than 16 inches or overall length is shorter than 26 inches. [1] The federal rifle definition incorporates design for shoulder firing. [1] California Penal Code section 17170 separately defines short-barreled rifle, including dimensional, restoration, and specified parts provisions. [2] Federal and California classifications therefore require separate statutory analysis; the shared abbreviation SBR does not merge their definitions. [1][2]
- 1. 26 U.S.C. section 5845, 2024 editionretrieved 2026-10-04
- 2. California Penal Code: General definitionsretrieved 2026-10-04
See also
- National Firearms ActDraft
The National Firearms Act originated in 1934 as a federal tax and registration statute for specified firearm categories, later amended by Congress.
- overall lengthDraft
A dimensional criterion used in several firearm statutes with different thresholds and scopes.
Terms that use short-barreled rifle
About this glossary
This entry is one of 153 defined terms in the CalGunHub glossary of California and federal firearm-law vocabulary. The 11 core terms are short plain-English definitions; the extended terms are cited research drafts, labelled as drafts, with their statutory sources listed under each entry. Every definition here is informational only and is not legal advice.
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