The Reformation from Franklin Armory.
Several weeks before the 2018 SHOT Show, Franklin Armory, who are known for their binary triggers, teased us with a picture of what appeared to be a non-NFA short-barreled rifle (SBR).
Offering scant details, the Nevada-based company said that the firearm was not, in fact, an SBR, short-barreled shotgun (SBS) nor an any other weapon (AOW).
The firearm did not require a Tax Stamp and did not fall under the red tape of the National Firearm Act. This started a frenzy of speculation, as bloggers and journalists tried to figure out exactly how the Reformation was getting around the NFA.
To get maximum accuracy from the Reformation, you need a special projectile equipped with a fin. It functions similar to the fin on a dart.
On the first day of SHOT Show, Franklin Armory held a press conference at their booth where they explained the legalities of the Reformation. Since shotguns have a smooth bore, and rifles have a rifled bore which imparts spin on a projectile, Franklin Armory opted for neither and instead cut straight lands and grooves.
Straight lands and grooves do not impart spin on a barrel. Therefore the Reformation is not a rifle. In their press release handed out during the presentation, Franklin Armory claimed the Chief of the ATF’s Firearm Technology Division confirmed that a firearm with a stock and straight cut lands and grooves is neither a rifle nor a shotgun, but defined as a “firearm.”
So what do you shoot through it?
To achieve a modicum of accuracy, Franklin Armory developed a fin stabilized round that Franklin claims will hold, “near MOA.” Conventional ammunition will hold 4-5 MOA at 100 yards.
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Impression
What do I think of the Franklin Armory Reformation? B+ for ingenuity. A+ for interpreting the National Firearm Act, and D+ on price.
The Reformation with Franklin Armory’s BFS III trigger has an MSRP of $2,094. A Reformation without the BFS III trigger will have an MSRP of $1,679.
Seriously guys? For $1,679 I can build a military grade short barreled rifle or pistol and have enough money left over to pay the tax stamp and purchase a solid optic or mid-range suppressor.
Anyways, the Reformation should be available in Q3. The Franklin representative stated that his company was working with the industry to bring those specialty rounds to market. For more information, make sure to visit FranklinArmory.com.
I will NEVER understand why on earth anyone would buy this weapon. Why not just buy a REAL SBR that shoots readily available ammo? And I’d like to know why a manufacturer would think this was a good idea. Can anyone explain this to me? I can only see this as a novelty item…
I`m a NRA member and proud of it . We need to stop fighting with each other and prepare for the day when we will need to watch each others back. This country is in for a fight . Lock and load and pray.
I’m sure there are people who have been saving money in the hope that some manufacturer to come out with a firearm that:
is inaccurate;
is designed around ammunition that may or may not ever be available and;
offers no obvious advantage over other firearms currently on the market.
Looks like Franklin Armory has a winner!
I have read all the comments, some good and some that came from Schumer/s staff. The NFA should be shit canned, it was passed because of Al Capone and his buddies in Chitcago. As you can see Chitcago still has the problem, let it cover that town and leave the rest of alone.
Who cares what AR stands for? The point is simple….there is no such thing as a “common sence” gun law. ALL gun laws are stupid and illegal by there very existence. “Shall not infringe ” is very straight forward and quite simple to understand. What part don’t you get?
They can keep their expensive rifle. But I’d like to get a few of those barrels for CQB weapons. 25 yards is plenty for a sweep gun.
A lot to do about nothing IMHO… At that price you could buy a decent AR complete, mod it to an SBR, buy a suppressor and pay for a tax stamp for both for less than the price of this contraption with it’s specialized ammo that no one will have but this company… Does is come with a can of bore snake oil too?
+1 for ‘bore snake oil’
Wow a very interesting way to circumvent the interpretation of the SBR rules. I now see a market for other barrels with the “straight groove technology” to start becoming available. Then you could build your own for $400 on up. This is just a brilliant example of using what you have to make the best of things while avoiding government red tape. Instead of bemoaning the company how about applauding them for making us start thinking in the right direction. For instance how about a projectile that has a hollow core and small spiral holes in the sides of it to impart spin without the need for rifling just using the gas from the powder. Lets use this as a jumping off point to increase technology and gain an advantage over antiquated laws.
What does a moab and this have in common? Watch and see😂😂😂😂
To the handful of idiots bemoaning the firearms industry and gun owners finding legal ways to make an end run around the ridiculous and un-Consitutional steaming pile of dung know as the NFA and to the Fudds that ask ” Why is this stuff needed?” and suggesting that the NRA take the lead in trying to create more un-Constitutional restrictions on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms: Go look in the mirror, you are the among the most dangerous enemies of our 2 Amendment Rights today. You’re modern Quislings, just waiting for the opportunity to betray the rights of your fellow citizens to prove to the opposition that you’re “reliable” and “safe”.
The NRA should be leading opposition to every gun law on the books and fighting tooth and nail against every additional proposed gun law or regulation. Primarily because there is not a single gun law on the books that doesn’t infringe on the right of people to keep and bear arms, a Right protected by (not given by) the 2nd Amendment. Secondarily because regulating inanimate objects because one objects to certain actions and behaviors of individual persons is ineffective, illogical, and ludicrous; the problem isn’t the inanimate object. Thirdly because “restricting” or “banning” items for which there is a demand never stops those items from being available, please note the effectiveness of Prohibition in the ’20s and the War on Drugs from the 80’s onwards not to mention every single felon who’s been caught in possession of a firearm since 1934.
To the Fudds out there: Keep selling the rest of the firearms owners down the river simply because you don’t care for their choice in guns. If you’re betrayal comes to fruition I’ll be sitting back with a big bowl of popcorn watching as you turn on each other and watch as you pare away your rights, hunters vs trap and skeet folks, modern smokeless powder folks vs muzzle loaders. Eventually you’ll be down to registered matchlocks stored and used only at approved, government supervised, ranges with “reasonable commonsense” membership screening and application processes…meanwhile I’ll still be making my own modern firearms at home, accepting the risks while you, “Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you”.
People like you are the sellouts of our constitutional rights. It seems you dont get it, they want all of your guns and want you defenceless no matter what you or others do. America is a place where one man can screw it up for everybody.
Sad but true.
I despise quislings more than the enemy.with the enemy you expect the knife and fight back to the wall.quislings? You never see the knife coming. Sadly we won’t see them fall into the lime dusted trench because we will already be dust.
LowKey’s argument that every gun law on the books is an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment is ridiculous as is his labeling anyone who disagrees with that particular stupidity a “quisling”. Applying his reasoning (such as it is) to the First Amendment would mean any law against child pornography, libel, slander, or really any law where speech or assembly are factors would be unconstitutional.
I think the projectiles look like something my grandsons shoot out of their Nerf guns. $2000 buys 3 or 4 wise purchases.
Working on learning to finish an 80% AR, 1911 and Glock. Why, as said earlier, why not?
Is it something kind of different? Yes. Is it a way for them/others to try to sneak around the law?
I could go on about that but all this gun is actually going to do is cause them to relook at the current laws and make new ones so that this will be an Naf regulated item as well…
And it’s not really affordable to the average Joe. And I’m sure that they proprietary ammo would not be affordable or readily available even if you can afford to buy this firearm.
An oxymoron, by definition, “rifling” MUST have a spiral, or it AIN’T rifling!
I think many of you are completely missing the point of this innovative yet rather goofy firearm.
It is NOT made so Franklin earns a ton of profit by selling a ton of these guns.
It is NOT made to enable us gun owners to beat SBR rules. Although, either of these is a possibility.
NO, it is made for the sole purpose of MAKING LIBERALS’ HEADS EXPLODE. They try to make new rules every time an innovation comes along, we come up with a new innovation. We don’t even need to come up with actual practical and useful firearms. All we need to do is come up with something new to make them wet their pantries. Again. THAT’S the reason for bumpstocks and binary triggers and now, this NON-SBR baby rocket launcher.
So relax and enjoy watching the Pelosi’s and Schumer’s and assorted other liberal dipshits foul their underwear again on national tv as they rant at the SHEER HORROR of this latest evil gun.
Neat, thinking outside the box! Will I buy one…nope. Too expensive, too Buck Rogers, too proprietary, kinda goofy, too provocative, too uninspiring. Innovation is a good thing, but it can usually lead to a dead end like this and this one would definitely lead to a lot more regulation of the right.
Yup…exactly what you said AND they have not yet disclosed the dollar price tag for a box of that fancy ammo either. It looks like a rifle for conversational purpose rather than taking to the range unless one is multi-millionaire.
Another expensive answer to a question that no one asked! I’ll pass on this! I have 2 SBRs and getting the tax stamp was no big deal, I have an NFA trust and had both stamps back from the ATFE in less than 6 months! The 1st took almost 6 and the 2nd was back in 4.Even with the stamps and the cost of the trust both rifles came in well under the asking price for this “thing”. They are both very accurate and I can reload for them and not need some “lawn dart” looking proprietary bullet! As I see it the downs far out weigh the ups!
If one looks at all the dead end ignition systems that occurred between the Match Lock & the modern Primer, it is obvious that progress is not a single step finished process.
This gun is a step. Will it lead to innovation? Or be a dead ends? Who knows?
Should we stifle innovation because you don’t want one?
If you don’t want one don’t buy one!!
OK, so the straight lands and groves rule changes and you stuck holding an useless gun…..I own a Franklin Binary Trigger, put it on a SR556. Installed a Lantac Dragon muzzle brake and Lantac BMD.. I enjoy shooting the AR, but shooting 30 rounds in 5 seconds adds up fast… .I can imagine the price for the Dart to produce the same money sucking style rifle. I will settle with what I got until the Dems take that away.
I saw an earlier test where the patterns (you can’t call it a group with a straight face) were 5 MOA at 25 yards. Keep it.
Badlandsnative; well said.
nope – way wrong
If anyone is shooting themselves in the foot its the whole firearms industry.. Why is this stuff needed? Why do we have to make an AR-15 with no serial number? Why do we have to have a firearm with little rocket bullets? All this crap does is get the government more involved to make new laws to further restrict the purchase and ownership of firearms and give the liberal media more ammo…
Who in hell needs anything like this little rocket launcher, I feel the same way about citizens running around the neighborhood in no see me suits, body armor. bump stocks. and carrying two back up sidearms. The whole gun industry is getting out of control and pushing shit that has no practical use down the throats of the pubic.. This is one NRA member who is damn tired of the gun industry always trying to get around the government regulations. The NRA should have took the lead in trying to get rid of bump stocks and take a second look at how some of its membership really feels.
You must hate freedom.
I think what he really hates is stupidity. Which seems to be strong with Franklin Armory!
Amen!
Exactly right Badlands. Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should do something. The fear mongering that has led us to replicating full auto function, 80%s and weapons w/o serial numbers as a means of preserving 2A is sickly twisted. To justify the perversion of practical, usable firearms as defense of our rights is selfish and irresponsible. All of it plays into the hands of those who would take away our right to bear. No challenge at all finding examples of 2A interpretation run amok. It’s right here. As always it has nothing to do with our rights, it’s all about ego and $.
Yikes, you guys just live Government intervention don’t you? Why do I like 80% lowers? Because no matter what laws people like Feinstein or Schumer et al try to pass or actually do pass they’ll never know about firearms that are made, at home, by the individual. That is the ultimate definition of the Second Amendment and freedom for the law abiding citizen. Why shouldn’t I be able to buy, unemcumbered, any gun I want to? I’ve broken no laws, I’ve hurt no one and yet people like you guys are perfectly happy with having the government tighten the screws on everyone in the hopes of stopping the very few who commit crimes! What’s wrong with you? Laws don’t prevent or stop criminals or criminal acts.
Seems like there are a few millenials on this web site that dont seem to understand the 2nd amendment.Any fire arm we can carry should be legal according to the 2nd amendment.KEEP AND BEAR ARMS==DICTIONARY ( SAYS BEAR) ===
SUPPORT ==CARRY
Do you have Zikka? Because your brain is definitely way to small. Full auto’s should not be restricted in the first place. Serial numbers should NOT be required on firearms. These burdens have been placed upon us despite our constitutional rights. I guess you don’t like the constitution.
“The NRA should have took the lead.” Why would anyone listen to someone who clearly didn’t pay attention in grade-school?
THE N R A IS MORE INTERESTED IN MAKING MONEY SO THEY CAN PAY WAYNE LEPIERRE SIX MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR
The NRA should’ve been shut down and replaced 10-years ago. They’re nothing but a political deep-pocket scam that at best, doesn’t even remotely represent the best interests of their due paying (suckers) members. Members really need to pay their ridicules salary’s, expenses, etc., because they’ll continue to tell you they’re representing your best interests. It’s truly has got to be way beyond acceptable. Many due paying members (suckers) are struggling to get by while these con-men are living, partying high-on-the-hog off their hard earned dues. Members (suckers) need to wake-up!
Everything’s just fine and dandy with the NRA just as long as it doesn’t interfere with them collecting their members (suckers) fees. Members need to wake-up!
You must not understand the second amendment in our constitution. We the people are the militia and the first line of defense on US soil. Our military is designed to fight our enemies on their turf to prevent them from invading our homeland. I’m order for the citizen militia to be prepared
, we must have weapons capable of defending against invaders both foreign and domestic, and the training to use said weapons, that is the definition of well regulated. Our right to keep and bare arms is also not to be infringed, no restriction to rifles, pistols and shotguns, including what the military has. Our rights have been usurped for almost a century now and it is time we the people take back our right by hopefully peaceful means before we end up being overlorded by a ruling government. Most people seem to forget the we elect representatives not leaders or rulers, they work for us.
The bleating stops when they pop the last sheep.do you think they are going to let you live because you dropped your liberty teeth in the dumpster like a good “citizen?” Nope! If you know about weapons you are a threat and will nourish the soil
Agree.. I feel like every new innovation coming out is designed around cheating the laws in place, as a community this seems like a terrible way to conduct ourselves. This is America, so produce whatever you want that’s “legal”, but it just seems stupid to me and something I’m not willing to support. I don’t personally want some overpriced subpar SBRish gun that’s only being produced to get around some stupid laws in place. I just don’t understand why this community can’t work towards passing some common sense gun laws as well as clarification and deregulation of most NFA items. Like who here really thinks people should have access to non-serialized weapons or people should be able to buy weapons private party with no need for any background checks or even verification of their age? I just feel like if the gun community gets behind common sense gun laws it’s easier to be taken seriously when you talk about deregulation of NFA items. Honestly I’m just tired of bump stock, binary triggers, AR-Pistols (“R” standing for Rifle), non-SBR SBRish guns, etc. Can’t we put our efforts towards true innovation and better or more defined gun laws that the entire community can agree upon?!
YOU WOULD COMPROMISE US OUT OF EVENTUALLY LOSING ALL OUR RIGHTS.THEY ALLWAYS TRY TO DO AN INCH AT A TIME UNTIL ITS ALL GONE..THINK HOW THE NATZIES DID IT , ONE STEP AT A TIME
If you think our opponents in the arena of self defense rights are sane reasonable people who will give and take?
Then you are a special kind of stupid or you are new,very new to this! I have been in this fight since teen years and these people give nothing only take! And once they have everything,,,
Agree.. I feel like every new innovation coming out is designed around cheating the laws in place, as a community this seems like a terrible way to conduct ourselves. This is America, so produce whatever you want that\’s \”legal\”, but it just seems stupid to me and something I\’m not willing to support. I don\’t personally want some overpriced subpar SBRish gun that\’s only being produced to get around some stupid laws in place. I just don\’t understand why this community can\’t work towards passing some common sense gun laws as well as clarification and deregulation of most NFA items. Like who here really thinks people should have access to non-serialized weapons or people should be able to buy weapons private party with no need for any background checks or even verification of their age? I just feel like if the gun community gets behind common sense gun laws it\’s easier to be taken seriously when you talk about deregulation of NFA items. Honestly I\’m just tired of bump stock, binary triggers, AR-Pistols (\”R\” standing for Rifle), non-SBR SBRish guns, etc. Can\’t we put our efforts towards true innovation and better or more defined gun laws that the entire community can agree upon?!
Your comment is so full of BS it’s hard to know where to start so I’ll just take the obvious. There is no “rifle” in AR. AR stands for Armalite. Geez, you could have kept your mouth shut and let everyone think you were ignorant rather than opening it and proving it.
Vanns40… I would direct you to Armalite’s website.. but hey what do they know about their own company. http://www.armalite.com/history/ “All rifles were designated AR, short for Armalite Rifle” If you have anything else I would love to hear it. If not you might want to take some advice from your previous comment.
You’re asking the wrong question. Here’s a little example… I took a $500 Glock and made it a $2000 Glock. All the while everyone kept saying “Why?” or “Why waste you’re money when it’s already a good enough gun.” I heard it daily until I finally decided enough was enough and in the middle of a “Why…it’s good enough” bash session I said the same thing, “You’re asking the wrong question. Why? How about why not?! I know it’s ridiculous…that was partially the point. Why? Why does a dog lick his own testicles? Because he can.” And the whole “it’s good enough” is a very good argument but, why does “good enough” have to be the status quo? As shooters if we have one decent day of training, you don’t never train again because you had the best day of training ever so you feel “after today I’m done training…that was good enough for…” Instead, you take that best day ever and build on it.
For some, good enough is just that. Good enough for them. Others like to push the envelope, others like to better their best each and every day. Back to my “why”, did I think dumping money in that gun would make me a better shooter. Nope. Did half of the upgrades really make the firearm shoot better overall. A little where I felt there could be improvement but, end of the day I did it because it was fun. If I were a manufacturer, especially as a Nevada AND California AR manufacturer, yeah, they should keep thinking outside the box. Am I gonna jump on one of these? Probably not but, I’ll nexer knock someone for trying to do something new. Or, even better trying to do something new that throws the gun grabbing antis for a loop at the very sound of it:)
And that’s the beauty of all of this. No ones right, no ones wrong. You have the right to love it or hate it and can buy it or not. We still have that freedom at least.
Grab your Steven’s Crackshot and your Remi pump POS and your giant vagina and go back to South Dakota. The rest of the consuming public happens to like innovation and product improvement. You are very obviously in the minority on this issue. Have you ever been to SS? Do you know anything about business? The constitution? America?
Just because a motorcycle or sports car can go 200mph doesn’t mean we can’t have one. Same goes for bump stocks and other range accessories. Just plain fun. Hundreds of thousand of those bump stocks have been owned for years and years. If you don’t want one don’t buy one. Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t waste my own money on!
Give an inch they’ll take a mile. We’re just taking a little back. I’m not into the antique war relic guns, does that mean we should get rid of them because some of those guns may have actually ended a life. NO! The media is against all guns-giving them a taste of blood (success in eliminating any part of modern gun culture) and they will go into a lack of “common sense” feeding frenzy.
Just look at all of that real estate on the sides of those fins on that projectile! You could get ad sponsors to put they’re product name on the fin or maybe there’s even enough space to put a bar code. That way the feds can trace the bullet right back to your front door! Silly!
John, that was funny as hell. I spit my coffee out.
Fires a “proprietary” cartridge that, I’m sure, will be cheap and easy to find during a SHTF scenario…no thanks
Sorry not seeing any value in this over priced toy .
So a $2000 ‘weapon’ that is going to require specialty ammo that few shops will carry and probably cost $2 a shot, sure its a great idea.
ayayay! watch the vid estupido. Fires standard ammo as well.
Love the idea. Hate the name.
Price is a bit steep, but avoiding the stamp and hassle is worth more than the stamps cost. Also would be easier to resell.
I bet other manufacturers will go down this road and the price will come down.
Easier to resale? Who have to use special ammunition to fire this rifle. Proprietary ammunition that you cannot go down to walmart or local guns store any buy. Good luck finding anyone who would want to buy that novelty. Who cares about the name.
Read the article dummy. Shoots standard ammo also.
my guess is that it’s just another way for Franklin arms to shoot themselves in the foot…..reminds me of the gyrojet ….and we all know how popular those were…
Okay, but do you remember this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctCm-xpscd0
haha…you very funny – Docta Jones!
Just because it isn’t an NFA firearm does not necessarily mean it will be legal in all fifty states. It has grooves; the fact that they do not spiral down the barrel doesn’t necessarily mean, under the vague definitions usually found in statutes, that it is not “rifling.” In other words, if “rifling” is simply defined as grooves cut in a barrel, vis-a-vis a smooth bore, then arguable it is a rifle even if the groove does not cause the bullet to spin. What are the bets that liberal states will so find, or immediately ban this firearm because it is a “SBR.”
Weed is now legal in many states for pot smokers, queers can get married nationwide. It’s now time to scrap the NFA for firearm enthusiasts. Let’s get something done NRA!
Amen to that! I always find it interesting that liberals always seem to think that laws they don’t like are optional, and then governments at every level end up bending over backwards to coddle and appease them. We now have multiple states in open rebellion with federal pot laws being openly violated on large scale, and businesses functioning as felony level drug dealers. And we are trembling in our boots about weather or not our rifle barrels are a few inches too short, and heaven forbid someone build and install a suppressor. The feds would descend on any violator of these literally stupid laws like a ton of bricks.
Equal justice? Do we live under the rule of law or not?
Well said, if the NRA and GOA and the gun manufacturers would make as much noise as say, the LGBT community, things would change. The liberals all claim that legislators are in the pockets of the gun lobby, it sure doesn’t appear that way to me as law after law is passed infringing on our rights. It appears that all our contributions and dues are not being spent protecting us. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so how ’bout you guys start squeaking.
It’s called the criminalization of America with excessive target focused laws so that with support of the illegal Police Surveillance State, due to ‘we the stupid, lazy, brainwashed sheeple allowing it, the forfeiture of your gun rights and subsequent mass passive (much of it voluntary, sadly) confiscation and ultimate disarmament of a once great Liberty loving nation, is GUARANTEED!
👍
This!
Why should the government give a hoot how long or short a gun is. The whole sbr/sbs was to close a loophole that would exist if the makers of the law banned handguns like they were going for.