Can a rifle be shortened by one sixteenth of an inch if it has a front aimer?

No. You can shorten it by two thirty-seconds if it has a loopy style front aimer. If it has a stickyuppy aimer, you have to go four sixtyfourths

What the fuϲk is a "front aimer"? Do you mean a "front sight"?

Here's a news flash for the fascinatingly ignorant: Any firearm may be shortened, front sight or not. You remove the front sight, shorten the barrel, put the front sight back on.

The problem lies in the LEGALITY of the shortening. For a rifle, the legal limit in barrel length is sixteen inches to remain a mostly-unrestricted Title 1 firearm. Going ANY amount below the legal limit of sixteen inches changes the LEGAL STATUS of the rifle from a Title 1 Firearm to an NFA Title 2 Firearm -- specifically, a "short barrelled rifle" by federal definition. This requires the making or transfer tax to be paid and a tax stamp applied to the paperwork in order to be legal in the eyes of the United States Government.

Furthermore, there are quite a few states which outright prohibit NFA Title 2 firearms, in which case even IF you get the paperwork and the tax stamp, if you're in one of the prohibitive states, you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

However, the question you're asking is not one of legality, but of physical interference of one structure attached to the barrel. The answer I shall give you is: That structure is removable, whether you call it a "sight" or an "aimer" or a "little rampy thing". A gunsmith will REMOVE it, shorten the barrel, recrown the barrel, re-attach the sight, and possibly refinish the area.

Whether it is a sixteenth of an inch, or a foot, does not matter. The sight is removable and can be re-applied.

However, you could find yourself in legal hot water if federal law is not adhered to.

Yes, Jesse, however if it is right on 16" now and you happen to go under legal length then you are living on the edge. Some of the guys that carry those measuring sticks have a zero tolerance attitude.

DON'T LISTEN TO THESE DUMMIES. SHORTENER UR BARREL BY 1/16 INCHES WILL TURN IT INTO A SHORT BARRED ROFL.

GORGE W BRUSH CALCIFIED ALL SHIRT BURNED RAFFLES AS WEAPONS OF MAST RESTRUCTION. SATURN HOSSOM DID THIS IN THAT FIRST WAR AND THAT'S WHY THEY CRUCIFIED HIM.

Sure, all you have to do is find someone that will let you use their cutting torch.

Why would you want your barrel 1/16" shorter?

chris w is accustomed to working with a 2 and 1/16 inch front aimer all the time.

I would take the one sixteenth of an inch off the butt of the stock . The rifle will be 1/16 in shorter and that way you won't have to re-crown the barrel .