Legal manufacture of a “firearm” like a shockwave

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WestKentucky

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What would the legal requirement be if a man were to manufacture his own reciever, perhaps identical to a Mossberg 500 or rem 870 and wanted to assemble it into a gun similar to a shockwave? Tax stamp for the AOW? How would you go about ensuring it would t be considered a destructive device?
 
You can manufacture [EDIT: Tom’s right, I should have said “make”] your own firearm for personal use. And as long as that firearm is configured as a Title I (non-NFA) firearm, you don’t need a tax stamp or any other paperwork or permission. So if your personally-made firearm were configured the same as a Shockwave, it would be a non-NFA “firearm” just like the Shockwave and wouldn’t need a tax stamp, just like the Shockwave doesn’t.

The legal definitions of the various types of firearms don’t change just because you're making the firearm yourself. A firearm manufacturer is working with the same legal definitions as you would be if you made your own.

(As always, I’m referring to federal law here. State or local laws might be more restrictive.)
 
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What would the legal requirement be if a man were to manufacture his own reciever, perhaps identical to a Mossberg 500 or rem 870 and wanted to assemble it into a gun similar to a shockwave?.....
Good luck making a receiver, that won't be easy. (and "manufacturing" requires an FFL, "making" does not).

What IS easy:
1. Start with a receiver that has never been assembled into a shotgun (shoulder stock, barrel of 18" or more, OAL of more than 26". This could be a new receiver or a pistol grip firearm that expels a shotgun shell (such as the Mossberg Persuader).
2.Remove the pistol grip, install a "birdshead" or similiar grip and a barrel. Your barrel can be any length but the OAL must be more than 26" to be a Title I firearm. Any shorter and you have a Title II or NFA firearm defined as an Any Other Weapon (AOW because it doesn't meet the definition of Short Barreled Shotgun).






Tax stamp for the AOW?
A tax stamp isn't required if you follow the above two steps.
If you started with a shotgun, you haven't made an AOW, but a SBS (Short Barreled Shotgun)......."Making" an NFA firearm of any type is a $200 tax stamp (AOW's transfer on a $5 stamp however).
If you go this route (making a Shockwave lookalike from an existing shotgun).......don't Form 1 as an AOW, do it as a SBS. An SBS can have a shoulder stock, an AOW cannot. An SBS remains an SBS even if you remove the shoulder stock and replace with the birdshead style grip.




How would you go about ensuring it would t be considered a destructive device?
Currently, such firearms aren't considered a DD because they expel a shotgun shell.
The ATF definition:
Destructive device. (a) Any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas (1) bomb, (2) grenade, (3) rocket having a propellent charge of more than 4 ounces, (4) missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, (5) mine, or (6) similar device; (b) any type of weapon by whatever name known which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant, the barrel or barrels of which have a bore of more than one-half inch in diameter, except a shotgun or shotgun shell which the Director finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes; and (c) any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in converting any device into a destructive device as described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this definition and from which a destructive device may be readily assembled. The term shall not include any device which is neither designed or redesigned for use as a weapon; any device, although originally designed for use as a weapon, which is redesigned for use as a signaling, pyrotechnic, line throwing, safety, or similar device; surplus ordnance sold, loaned, or given by the Secretary of the Army under 10 U.S.C. 4684(2), 4685, or 4686, or any device which the Director finds is not likely to be used as a weapon, or is an antique or is a rifle which the owner intends to use solely for sporting purposes.
 
It shouldn’t really be all that bad. A coworker dabbles in artwork where he “carves” a very porous and light foam material, which he uses as a greensand form for “lost foam casting” very similar to investment casting. We talked shotgun receivers a bit this week as he wants a custom receiver at which point I got the idea that it would look best if made very similar to a shockwave rather than have the 18”+ barrel. Lost foam casting can recreate the basic form with most of the detail already inside for the ways for slide arms and whatnot. The remaining work would be in polishing up the casting which he also has tools to do a good job with. The plan would be a 3 piece “chunk” inside the receiver “taco shell” which would block out the basic shapes, a heavier than normal wall section would allow for the foam to be rigid enough to cast and would also prevent voids since the metal could flow before cooling to a solid. Sprue on the top where he intends to cast/machine in an integral picatinny rail. The 3 piece chunk would be held together with a light dowel rod through the trigger group pin location.

And of course if this works even halfway decently I would set up and cast one myself just for grins. How about a “jack” 870? Or even better, a birds head grippen double barrel “firearm” !!!
 
It shouldn’t really be all that bad. A coworker dabbles in artwork where he “carves” a very porous and light foam material, which he uses as a greensand form for “lost foam casting” very similar to investment casting. We talked shotgun receivers a bit this week as he wants a custom receiver at which point I got the idea that it would look best if made very similar to a shockwave rather than have the 18”+ barrel. Lost foam casting can recreate the basic form with most of the detail already inside for the ways for slide arms and whatnot. The remaining work would be in polishing up the casting which he also has tools to do a good job with. The plan would be a 3 piece “chunk” inside the receiver “taco shell” which would block out the basic shapes, a heavier than normal wall section would allow for the foam to be rigid enough to cast and would also prevent voids since the metal could flow before cooling to a solid. Sprue on the top where he intends to cast/machine in an integral picatinny rail. The 3 piece chunk would be held together with a light dowel rod through the trigger group pin location.

And of course if this works even halfway decently I would set up and cast one myself just for grins. How about a “jack” 870? Or even better, a birds head grippen double barrel “firearm” !!!

The investment casting done by Ruger and some other manufacturers that make critical, high stress components that way involves processes, controls and castable alloys not really available to the DIY guy. Casting an AR lower or somesuch is one thing, but I don't think you want to mess around with trying to cast your own shotgun receiver. There's a reason lots of pistols have cast frames but forged or billet slides. Likewise with many guns that have sheet metal or polymer receivers but incorporate a machined martensitic steel trunion or barrel extension. Basically, any part that keeps the breech locked is gonna be made of a tempered high strength carbon or stainless steel.

Now, if you were to cast most of it and then use a tempered steel piece to create the barrel trunion with locking lug recess, that could work.

That said, unless you just want the experience of making it, it's gonna be a lot more practical and cost effective to just buy a Shockwave/TAC-14, or even SBS a budget shotgun. There's a reason non of the stuff I built duplicated something that was commercially available. Not worth the time.
 
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