Question about shotgun barrel length

[vintovka]

Met a guy at a show recently who was trying to sell a 16" mossberg 500 barrel. Familiar with MGs but not SBS and simply asked what it fit and if it was an NFA item. Tried to tell me it wasn't NFA if attached to a recvr with a birds head grip. When i gave him a funny look he about blew a gasket and ran off cussing. In short what was he up to?

 

[Mn Fats]

Met a guy at a show recently who was trying to sell a 16" mossberg 500 barrel. Familiar with MGs but not SBS and simply asked what it fit and if it was an NFA item. Tried to tell me it wasn't NFA if attached to a recvr with a birds head grip. When i gave him a funny look he about blew a gasket and ran off cussing. In short what was he up to?

Guy could have been right. I know the Shockwave comes with like a 14" barrel. But has the bird's head grip. There's some legal run around on these guns that another member will likely explain.

 

[vintovka]

Think seller said shock wave and i guessed it was 16 but prolly 14. Barrel was vented too but was real nervous and acted kinda psychotic. I have trouble hanging on to a 20" with regular stock and can't imagine what something that short would be like with real loads. Been on enough movie sets to know blanks/ flash loads don't really recoil that much.

 

[pdsmith505]

There are some nuances here.

In order to meet the legal definition of a shotgun, the firearm must be designed to fire from the shoulder... in other words, have a stock (26 USC § 5845(d) ). A short-barreled shotgun, subject to the NFA, is any shotgun with a barrel less than 18", or any weapon made from a shotgun with an OAL of less than 26" *or* a barrel less than 18".

An NFA "any other weapon" is a weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person. The length typically quoted as being concealable is less than 26".

If you have a firearm that has never met the legal definition of a shotgun (ie, has never had a stock), then it can have whatever barrel length you'd like, so long as you are over the 26" threshold for an AOW. The Mossberg shockwave is one such firearm, the various pistol-grip-only "shotguns" are as well. Some places will sell you a virgin receiver that you can build out yourself.

Still, you cannot legally install a birds head grip and short barrel on a shotgun receiver without filing a Form 1.

So, depending on how he worded his response to you, he could have been right or wrong.

 

[edwardware]

@pdsmith505 has done a pretty good job hitting the points. I would add as a summary:

1) If you have to ask this question, you shouldn't be playing this game. NFA is twisty and illogical, and the consequences of making a small error can be high.

2) Said nervous bloke was likely obfuscating in an attempt to get out of an expensive barrel he bought and couldn't legally use. Good on you for avoiding the same situation.

 

[vintovka]

Thanks for the responses. I have NO interest in NFA items and both the item in question and the sellers demeanor set off alarm bells. We always flat refused items that even appeared to be close to being subject to NFA regs when they came in shop over the years.. At the end we closed as could not keep up with the all new and ever changing state and federal laws. (Thats once a week in CA) I am a strong 2A supporter but there is no doubt the current NFA regs will be further perverted by the occupying regime. All we need is to have shows permanently closed and folks run up up the federal flagpole.

 

[entropy]

Met a guy at a show recently who was trying to sell a 16" mossberg 500 barrel. Familiar with MGs but not SBS and simply asked what it fit and if it was an NFA item. Tried to tell me it wasn't NFA if attached to a recvr with a birds head grip. When i gave him a funny look he about blew a gasket and ran off cussing. In short what was he up to?

Dumping a barrel he whacked down too short, for whatever reason.

 

[vintovka]

Dumping a barrel he whacked down too short, for whatever reason.

Don't think it was whacked. Looked brand new, vented and had factory red translucent front sight.

 

[entropy]

It's hard to see in this pic, but my Ithaca has a rib, and a fiber optic bead also. (Mine is a Spark II) Not hard to do. This barrel was an unprofessional 'whack job' also, but over (just over) 18" . I trued it up, cut the rib back to the next post and put the sight on it. It now sits next to my bed.

 

[GE-Mini-Gun]

A 14" barrel by itself is not a Title II item

 

[vintovka]

A 14" barrel by itself is not a Title II item

agreed

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Local guy bought a police surplus shotgun at auction, former prison guard gun. Turned out the barrel length was just under 18inches. He contacted the local ATF. He was advised to immediately remove the barrel from the gun, take it to a gunsmith, have a choke device or other barrel extension permanently installed.

 

[vintovka]

Local guy bought a police surplus shotgun at auction, former prison guard gun. Turned out the barrel length was just under 18inches. He contacted the local ATF. He was advised to immediately remove the barrel from the gun, take it to a gunsmith, have a choke device or other barrel extension permanently installed.

Weld on a bayonet for health and safety,