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Handguns that shoot shot shells
- Thread starter chexmix
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It has more to do with the capability of equipping the weapon with a stock.
Oddly enough, the minimum length for a shotgun barrel is 18", while a rifle is "16 long. This curious regulation is likely to do with the government having a million M1 Carbines left over after the war, so the wise old politicians simply adjusted the law.
And speaking of politicians, I'm sure that all of these wonderful gun control laws make perfect sense.
Oddly enough, the minimum length for a shotgun barrel is 18", while a rifle is "16 long. This curious regulation is likely to do with the government having a million M1 Carbines left over after the war, so the wise old politicians simply adjusted the law.
And speaking of politicians, I'm sure that all of these wonderful gun control laws make perfect sense.
The only common caliber that can do that is .410 caliber because it is under the .50 caliber limit and they do that by having a rifled bore and have the ability to fire the 45 Colt cartridge.
Sounds interesting enough, but how does this relate to several other pistols, like the Thompsons and the Judge? Does the same explanation apply? Are these all rifled barrel pistols? Is there indeed a maximum pistol caliber?
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knight0334
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Its all about rifling. Not the shell..
Think about it.. A 22rf in a rifled S&W K-22 Masterpiece is simply not a shotgun just because you are using CCI shotshells. Same with a Taurus 85 38spl snubby using shotshells, or a 44mag Ruger Blackhawk using them. Its not the shells, its whether the bore is rifled or smooth. ..Same holds true with(except in CA) with a Taurus Judge, BFR, Contender, Comanche, Bond Arms or American Derringer using a .410bore shell in an elongated .45Colt chamber.
A 12" barreled Contender pistol using a typical rifle cartridges of 30.06, 30-30, 45-70, etc doesn't make it a "rifle".
Think about it.. A 22rf in a rifled S&W K-22 Masterpiece is simply not a shotgun just because you are using CCI shotshells. Same with a Taurus 85 38spl snubby using shotshells, or a 44mag Ruger Blackhawk using them. Its not the shells, its whether the bore is rifled or smooth. ..Same holds true with(except in CA) with a Taurus Judge, BFR, Contender, Comanche, Bond Arms or American Derringer using a .410bore shell in an elongated .45Colt chamber.
A 12" barreled Contender pistol using a typical rifle cartridges of 30.06, 30-30, 45-70, etc doesn't make it a "rifle".
To classify as handgun it has to be under 50 caliber and have a rifled bore. 12 and 20 Gauge don't count even with a rifled bore because they are over 50 caliber and as such would be considered an AOW.Sounds interesting enough, but how does this relate to several other pistols, like the Thompsons and the Judge? Does the same explanation apply? Are these all rifled barrel pistols? Is there indeed a maximum pistol caliber?
/Love my 20 Gauge AOW (Video)
maestro pistolero
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Any Other Weapon. It's a class three firearms category.
The word "shotshells" covers a lot of ground. I'm not sure whether the OP means he wants to shoot shotgun shells from a shotgun cut down to pistol size or whether he wants to shoot pistol/revolver type shotshells from a handgun. I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence, but I will state the following for clarity's sake:
I shoot standard 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shotshells in my 12 gauge shotgun. I shoot 38/357 shotshells (which are revolver ammo-sized shotshells) in my 38 Special revolvers.
It is illegal in this state to shoot shotshells in a smoothbore gun that has a barrel length of less than 18 1/2 inches (I think.) If you are found in possession of a shotgun whose barrel length is less than the legal length, or whose overall length is less than some other legal standard (I think a shotgun must be at least 26 inches long, overall, in this state) you would be guilty of a felony.
However, you can legally shoot small pistol ammo-sized shotshells in a handgun (as long as the handgun has rifling in it's barrel). These shotshells are mostly used against snakes and small critters like rats and are sometimes called snakeshot ot ratshot. At very close range, they are quite effective for their intended purpose. They would even make a very nasty wound on a human sized target.
You can buy these handgun shotshells in 22 cal. and in 38/357 cal. I've heard that you can buy .45 cal. shotshells for use in 45 automatic pistols, but I've never seen any myself.
Note: I've seen several smoothbore deringer type guns advertised which are intended to shoot full size .410 shotgun shells. In this state I believe these guns would be seen as no different than a sawed-off shotgun with an illegally short barrel. Don't know about your state, but I wouldn't risk a felony charge over it.
I shoot standard 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shotshells in my 12 gauge shotgun. I shoot 38/357 shotshells (which are revolver ammo-sized shotshells) in my 38 Special revolvers.
It is illegal in this state to shoot shotshells in a smoothbore gun that has a barrel length of less than 18 1/2 inches (I think.) If you are found in possession of a shotgun whose barrel length is less than the legal length, or whose overall length is less than some other legal standard (I think a shotgun must be at least 26 inches long, overall, in this state) you would be guilty of a felony.
However, you can legally shoot small pistol ammo-sized shotshells in a handgun (as long as the handgun has rifling in it's barrel). These shotshells are mostly used against snakes and small critters like rats and are sometimes called snakeshot ot ratshot. At very close range, they are quite effective for their intended purpose. They would even make a very nasty wound on a human sized target.
You can buy these handgun shotshells in 22 cal. and in 38/357 cal. I've heard that you can buy .45 cal. shotshells for use in 45 automatic pistols, but I've never seen any myself.
Note: I've seen several smoothbore deringer type guns advertised which are intended to shoot full size .410 shotgun shells. In this state I believe these guns would be seen as no different than a sawed-off shotgun with an illegally short barrel. Don't know about your state, but I wouldn't risk a felony charge over it.
DG45 said:Note: I've seen several smoothbore deringer type guns advertised which are intended to shoot full size .410 shotgun shells.
If you will look again, I believe you will find that they were rifled and chambered for .45 Colt/.410.
Glenn E. Meyer
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Some states even ban the rifled barrel shotshell handguns - CA maybe. But don't trust my memory - check it out.
Correction of previous post by DG45
Thanks for the clarification Glenn. You make an important point, so allow me to add this correction to the previous post I made on this same thread. (I think it is too late to directly edit that post, although I'll try to do that too. ) Anyway, what I should have said in my last post above on this same thread is that it is legal IN MY STATE to shoot revolver/pistol shotshells in a pistol or revolver with a rifled barrel, but I don't know if it is legal to do so in any other state, especially not California.
Thanks again for straightening me out Glenn.
Thanks for the clarification Glenn. You make an important point, so allow me to add this correction to the previous post I made on this same thread. (I think it is too late to directly edit that post, although I'll try to do that too. ) Anyway, what I should have said in my last post above on this same thread is that it is legal IN MY STATE to shoot revolver/pistol shotshells in a pistol or revolver with a rifled barrel, but I don't know if it is legal to do so in any other state, especially not California.
Thanks again for straightening me out Glenn.
A handgun that is chambered for a fixed shotgun shell is considered a short barrel shotgun in California. That's conventional shotgun shells, not pistol shot cartridges.
Then do the Judge and others get by that by being, for purposes of the law, chambered in .45 Colt, or are they illegal in CA?
LukeA said:Then do the Judge and others get by that by being, for purposes of the law, chambered in .45 Colt, or are they illegal in CA?
No, it doesn't matter if the barrel is rifled. The Judge is considered a short barrel shotgun in California. The Judge is not chambered for .45 Colt. It's chambered for .45 Colt/.410. The chamber is longer than that of a .45 Colt. A .410 shotshell will not work in .45 Colt chamber. There is no room for the crimp to open.
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