Are handgun shot shells illegal

only smoothbore handguns are illegal. Handgun shot shells are just fine (albeit usually very ineffective against... anything).
 
I keep and use .38 and .44 shotshells for rattlesnakes. They work fine. They would work on rodents too but a .22 LR is much more accurate and can reach out further.
 
Not at all; they're sold mainly for exterminating rats, mice, and snakes, but if you try a few at even 5 or 6 feet against a paper target, you'll see that they're pretty useless even for that. A smooth-bored handgun that fires a SHOTGUN SHELL, OTOH, can be fairly effective, and were pretty popular before the NFA made them "controlled items" in the 1930s. You can get to one of those in 2 main ways; either as a SBS/"short-barrelled shotgun", or as an AOW/"any other weapon", which differ mainly in whether they were made from an existing shotgun or built from a bare receiver. These aren't "illegal", but they do need to be registered and have a tax paid on them when you buy them.
 
I load them in 44mag with anythng from 00 buck, capsules holds three slightly flattened, down to birdshot.For snakes I use BB shot quite effective out to 15 ft.
 
Shot shells are legal. I use .22 mag shotshells to kill birds in my shop. The shot won't penetrate the walls or ceiling if I miss and are very affective on the birds.
 
Take .38 spcl shot shells to a local lake on a summer evening and skeet-shoot dragonflies. Lots of fun and harder than you think.
 
When you get bored at the range load up the .357/.38 revolver with some .38 shot shells and "trap shoot" bottle caps. :D
 
Don't know about local/state laws, but last time I asked looked into it the only handgun ammo that was illegal in the US was armor piercing ammo.
 
I tried patterning some of the CCI shotshells in 38Spl from a snubbie. For every five feet downrange they were spreading about 3ft.

Let's put it this way: if you shoot at a snake near your feet, I hope to hell you ain't wearing sandals and shorts!

:D
 
Jim, I`ve found the same results out of all snubbie`s I`ve fired with shotshells. Was at a info. meeting with a bunch of DNR and Park Ranger and subject came up. Instructor stated "out of a snubby, you`d have to be close enough to a big timber rattler, most likely it would be to late:eek:". Don`t want to get in position to find out. Shotshells legal in Ohio(and most likely in your state,but), check your state laws.
 
To really complete this thread: there's something out there called a "Paradox barrel". It's partially smoothbore, partially rifled and usually seen in revolvers. It's got enough rifling to qualify as legal, but tends to shoot both shot and regular bullets tolerably well. I'm no expert on these, do your own research if you really want a shotshell-compatible wheelgun.
 
The shot must spread out really quick or something. I couldn't hit a clay thrown at 20' to save my life with a shotshell.
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Don't assume that a short barrel shoots a more open pattern than a long barrel. I tried to use .22 shotshells in a revolver to kill rats in the barn but I found I had to aim really carefully to hit them, went back to using them in a rifle. Rats don't sit still for very long.
 
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