shotgun barrel length legality question

[DoubleJ]

I know legal minimum length in WA is 18".  I have a neighbor who has an extra barrel that will probably never see the light of day again since being replaced.  We had a few drinks last night and discussed sawing it down to 12" just for poops and giggles.  Is simply owning a cut barrel without it being attached to the gun illegal or is it only illegal for the barrel on the gun to be under 18"

[Hunterman]

The legal min. length of a shotgun barrel is 18" no matter if its on the gun or not. Anything under 18 is illegal period. If your neighbor other barrel is under 18, its best to get rid of it.

Hunterman(Tony)

[DoubleJ]

It's not, yet.  Alcohol almost changed that but, I convinced him to wait until I checked today before he did it.

[Eli346]

 I've got a pistol grip shotgun with a 10" barrel under my computer desk by my front door. It's more for intimidation than anything as the firing pin is missing. If that don't work to scare them off the 9mm will and it's loaded and in working condition.

[yote]

Yeah I'd hold off on cutting that barrel the rest of the way, unless you guys want your own 12" barrel in prison when you're doing your sentence... 

[Heredoggydoggy]

Most guys I know that cut off their shotgun barrels cut them off at 18 1/2 inches--just to make DARN sure they're legal length.  When the ATF does a check of shotgun barrels, they have a dowel that is painted red for the first 18 inches.  They drop the dowel down the barrel to the bolt face.  If any red is showing, you can be sure you will find out what 12 inches is like!   

[DoubleJ]

the barrel we were going to cut is a 28" barrel with a built in, unchangeable choke.  He replaced that with a 20" barrel a few years ago.

[high country]

Ask randy weaver what an inch can cost you.

[Heredoggydoggy]

the barrel we were going to cut is a 28" barrel

The choke is right at the end of the barrel--you cut even 3 inches off, and the choke is GONE!

[snowpack]

If you register as an AOW I believe you can cut as short as you want.

[Wazukie]

So....what you are saying is that it is against the law to have a 12" piece of pipe in your home?  That's all a shotgun barrel is when not attached to the receiver isn't it?  It is not the barrel that makes it a controlled and regulated item.  Only when it becomes attached to a receiver does it become regulated as a firearm.  Just my thoughts and interpretation. 

[Heredoggydoggy]

If you register as an AOW I believe you can cut as short as you want.

As long as it has a pistol grip and not a buttstock.  A rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches, or a shotgun with a barrel less than 18  inches is classed as a short-barreled rifle/shotgun.  Illegal in Washington State.

Wazukie: You try arguing that technicality with the ATF--a gun barrel usually has a chamber machined into it, and a block attatched to lock it into the receiver.  In a State that says it's illegal to even possess a PART to a full auto firearm, I think your protest will fall on unsympathetic ears... 

[Wazukie]

so, if it is against the law to own a "part" to a full auto firearm, does that mean a semi-auto and a full-auto use different barrels or receivers or even triggers? 

[Special T]

Why would you want one that short anyway? 18.5 is plenty short. 

[DoubleJ]

the barrel we were going to cut is a 28" barrel

The choke is right at the end of the barrel--you cut even 3 inches off, and the choke is GONE!

It wasn't about cutting the choke off

[DoubleJ]

Why would you want one that short anyway? 18.5 is plenty short. 

Why not?  Seemed cool after a few beers

[Heredoggydoggy]

so, if it is against the law to own a "part" to a full auto firearm, does that mean a semi-auto and a full-auto use different barrels or receivers or even triggers? 

Yes, As in the case of an AR-15, in order to convert it to full-auto, a hole has to be drilled in the receiver.  Also, the bolt carrier is different, as well as a few other parts.  All illegal to posess if you don't have a Class III license.  Most manufacturers won't even ship the full-auto parts that they make to Washington State Class III Dealers the laws here are so restrictive!

[yorketransport]

You could just fill out the NFA paperwork and then cut it as short as you want.  I have a buddy who did that so he could have a 16" barreled shotgun. I can't tell the difference between 16" and 18" though when swinging it. But what do I know, most of my handguns have 18" barrels.

Andrew

[ribka]

No Civilian machine guns, short barreled shotguns, rifles permitted by WA state law unless grandfathered in.

Ok in Idaho, Oregon, Montana etc but not Washington

[DoubleJ]

You could just fill out the NFA paperwork and then cut it as short as you want.  I have a buddy who did that so he could have a 16" barreled shotgun. I can't tell the difference between 16" and 18" though when swinging it. But what do I know, most of my handguns have 18" barrels.

Andrew

Pistol grip only.  Sounds like a hand gun to me

[Fisherdave10]

so, if it is against the law to own a "part" to a full auto firearm, does that mean a semi-auto and a full-auto use different barrels or receivers or even triggers? 

Yes, As in the case of an AR-15, in order to convert it to full-auto, a hole has to be drilled in the receiver.  Also, the bolt carrier is different, as well as a few other parts.  All illegal to posess if you don't have a Class III license.  Most manufacturers won't even ship the full-auto parts that they make to Washington State Class III Dealers the laws here are so restrictive!

Full auto style BCGs are legal in WA.  An auto style BCG does nothing to make the AR fully automatic and it is not exclusively used in fully automatic guns, so it is not considered a machine gun part.  If auto style BCGs weren't legal here, local dealers wouldn't be selling them and mil-spec style AR rifles (Colt 6920, etc...) could not be sold here either. 

Off the top of my head, the rule is: if a certain part is exclusively used in a fully automatic version of a firearm and not used in a legally produced semi-automatic version, it is a machine gun part.  Auto BCGs are commonly used in semi-auto AR15s.  IF an AR15 had an auto sear or lightning link  (actual machine gun parts), the auto style BCG would trip it, allowing it to function as intended while a semi-auto only BCG could not trip an auto sear.  That's the only difference.

The "machine gun" parts for an AR15 are all in the fire control group and an extra hole/pin in the receiver as far as I know.

[Stilly bay]

isn't that how they got Randy weaver? he mentioned he had an illegal sawed off to an undercover ATF agent and they were on him like white on rice.

[jyerxa]

So......................... what'cha up to? 

 

[bear hunter]

Sell the barrel  What brand shotgun and gauge? 

[huntinguy]

You could just fill out the NFA paperwork and then cut it as short as you want.  I have a buddy who did that so he could have a 16" barreled shotgun. I can't tell the difference between 16" and 18" though when swinging it. But what do I know, most of my handguns have 18" barrels.

Andrew

Pistol grip only.  Sounds like a hand gun to me

A smooth bore pistol, I do believe, is not legal in Washington and in any state that allows them you have to have a federal stamp. Rossi tried that with the 28 gauge Judge. Uncle said no.

[DoubleJ]

You could just fill out the NFA paperwork and then cut it as short as you want.  I have a buddy who did that so he could have a 16" barreled shotgun. I can't tell the difference between 16" and 18" though when swinging it. But what do I know, most of my handguns have 18" barrels.

Andrew

Pistol grip only.  Sounds like a hand gun to me

A smooth bore pistol, I do believe, is not legal in Washington and in any state that allows them you have to have a federal stamp. Rossi tried that with the 28 gauge Judge. Uncle said no.

What if the barrel is rifled?

[DoubleJ]

Sell the barrel  What brand shotgun and gauge? 

Rem 870 12ga.  Not sure it's in sellable condition.  Need's re-blued in the worst way.  Doubt he's sell it anyway

[Fisherdave10]

You could just fill out the NFA paperwork and then cut it as short as you want.  I have a buddy who did that so he could have a 16" barreled shotgun. I can't tell the difference between 16" and 18" though when swinging it. But what do I know, most of my handguns have 18" barrels.

Andrew

Pistol grip only.  Sounds like a hand gun to me

A smooth bore pistol, I do believe, is not legal in Washington and in any state that allows them you have to have a federal stamp. Rossi tried that with the 28 gauge Judge. Uncle said no.

What if the barrel is rifled?

The Taurus Judge has a rifled barrel and is "officially" chambered in .45 Colt.  That's why it's considered a handgun and not a sawed off short barreled shotgun.  Rossi probably couldn't find a non-shotgun shell cartridge that would have worked in a 28 gauge rifled barrel and even then, the pistol might be considered a destructive device since it is over .50 caliber and has a rifled barrel.   Psssh... gun laws.