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.
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.