Pistol Grip Only Supporters...Only

K

Kvon2

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I know there's a lot of dislike for these but I'm getting ready to put one together and I would like some opinions on barrel length.

I'm thinking about a maverick 88 or a Mossberg 500. I can go to dicks and get either an 18.5 inch or 24 in barrel for under $200. The only place I can find a 20 inch barrel is a LGS that sells it for $240. In my head I wanted the 20 inch for the additional weight to combat recoil and the extra capacity. I feel like 24 inches is too much.

For about $300 I could get a mossy 500 20 inch barrel.

What should I do? :confused:

My only thoughts have been to see if Dicks can order a 20 inch barrel model for me.
 
Actually another important question - can I legally take a shotgun with a stock and convert it to PGO assuming all minimum length requirements are met?

I'm in Maryland and can't find an answer.
 
Don't know about Maryland, can't help you there, but it is legal federally as long as minimum length of 26" is reached.
I like the 18" barrel and the birdshead type pistol grip. Low recoil buckshot and slug.
 
IF you insist on going there, then get the birdshead grip, NOT the vertical PGO one. Per Federal law, barrel minimum is 18, OAL is 26 - how you ge tthere or whether you meet MD minimum is your responsibility
 
I guess the real piece I'm looking for opinions on is the ideal barrel length between 18-24 inches..all federal requirements will be met and i will make sure I am MD compliant as well but I threw the second question out just in case someone knows.
 
I bought a Mossberg 500 last week. I went to their website and they had a lot of their barrels on sale for $150.
 
I'd check out J&G sales.......
check their SPECIAL ORDER GUNS selection, select Maverick Arms, select search......look at item #31046

20" barrel, 8 shot. then goto Midway USA or Amazon and get a pistol grip for it.

Maverick 88 and Mossberg 500 are compatible. :D
 
Actually another important question - can I legally take a shotgun with a stock and convert it to PGO assuming all minimum length requirements are met?

I'm in Maryland and can't find an answer.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what Maryland state law may be, but I do not believe that you may convert a shotgun designed to be fired from the shoulder to PGO, without getting a tax stamp for an NFA firearm. Should the firearm never been designed or manufactured stock that allows it to be fired from the shoulder, you may find that it is legal under Federal law, as is the case if the Mauser 500 Persuader.

Be careful that a dealer doesn't well you a shotgun with a shoulder stock and a pistol grip stock. Warning, do not rely on what I posted but check with a competent Maryland firearms attorney.
 
Most certainly do not rely on Dreaming's advice. :rolleyes:
He is completely wrong.
It's perfectly legal under federal law to put a pistol grip (only) on a shotgun-as long as the minimum lengths are met.
 
Most certainly do not rely on Dreaming's advice.
He is completely wrong.
It's perfectly legal under federal law to put a pistol grip (only) on a shotgun-as long as the minimum lengths are met.
Click to expand...

Bingo! ^^^^
 
It's so nice to see so many competent firearms lawyers abound here. :rolleyes:

Look into what the ATF has said about pistol grip only firearms made from shotguns and their treatment as an AOW. I am not a firearms attorney and don't pretend, as some do, to be one, which is why I warned the OP to consult with one.
 
Maverick88 Cruiser 31091

If you decide to order one, you want to look at the Mossberg Maverick88 #31091 PSG, 20"bbl 8+1 shot with heat shield. I'm in Comunillinois and have one left in stock at the same price as your LGS. I like them, and have thought about complementing my own collection with it as it seems no one else wants it. I would put a tactical stock on it though for shoulder use. Just my $0.02.
 
A pistol grip only firearm made from a shotgun, if under the 18"/26" measurements would be a short barreled shotgun, not an AOW. :rolleyes:
An AOW shotgun pistol must be made from a virgin receiver-having never had a stock attached.
 
dreaming said:
I do not believe that you may convert a shotgun designed to be fired from the shoulder to PGO, without getting a tax stamp for an NFA firearm.
Click to expand...
Like Bill DeShivs said, this is incorrect. As long as you follow the minimum length requirements for a shotgun per federal law, you can switch the stock to a pistol grip. The minimum lengths for a shotgun are 18" for the barrel and 26" for the overall length. Anything shorter would have to be registered as a short barrel shotgun per the NFA.

dreaming said:
Should the firearm never been designed or manufactured stock that allows it to be fired from the shoulder, you may find that it is legal under Federal law, as is the case if the Mauser 500 Persuader.
Click to expand...
In this case it wouldn't be a shotgun, it would simply be a "firearm" and would be classified as an "other". These types of firearms don't have a barrel length limit, but they have an overall length limit of 26". So if you buy a new pistol-grip shotgun you can make the barrel as short as you want without registering it under the NFA so long as your overall length is 26" or more.

Check out Shockwave Technologies, they make a birds-head grip that makes a Mossberg 500/590 with a 14" barrel into a non-NFA firearm by bringing the overall length to over 26" (keep in mind that this only applies if your Mossberg has never had a stock installed on it):

http://shockwavetechnologies.com/site/?page_id=88

dreaming said:
Look into what the ATF has said about pistol grip only firearms made from shotguns and their treatment as an AOW.
Click to expand...
You can't make an AOW from something that is legally a shotgun.

Bill DeShivs said:
A pistol grip only firearm made from a shotgun, if under the 18"/26" measurements would be a short barreled shotgun, not an AOW.
An AOW shotgun pistol must be made from a virgin receiver-having never had a stock attached.
Click to expand...
This.
 
The PGO guns that come from the factory are AOWs. IIRC, putting on a shorter that normal barrel requires a $5 tax stamp. Once it has had a regular stock, however, things change.
 
FITASC said:
The PGO guns that come from the factory are AOWs.
Click to expand...
No, they don't need to be AOWs necessarily. Plenty of PGO guns come from the factory that aren't AOWs.

FITASC said:
IIRC, putting on a shorter that normal barrel requires a $5 tax stamp.
Click to expand...
You don't need a tax stamp to shorten the barrel if the overall length stays over 26" and the gun never had a stock on it. And if you want to make an AOW, the tax stamp is $200. The $5 tax is for a transfer of an existing AOW on a Form 4.
 
Check your STATE laws, as well. At least one state I know has legal barrel length minimums GREATER than Federal law, but that applies to shortening a barrel, not barrel length from the factory, and hunting regulations.

The difference in weight (and balance) between 18.5" and 20" is tiny. Might be noticeable (with full length magazine tubes), but I think you'd have to use the guns side by side in order to tell.

Check with your gunsmith and see what it would cost to have the 24" shortened to 20" Might not be less expensive than buying a 20", but you won't know until you check.

Personally I find a folding stock (top folder) to be about the same for storage & handling (when folded) and much more versatile when opened up, when you have the opportunity.

Stay above the Fed minimum lengths, and the Feds don't care. Your STATE LEOs, on the other hand, might, so get reliable LOCAL advice (which does not mean "ask the cops" ;) they can be wrong, and not even know it). Once you do get clear direction on how your state views the gun, keep a written copy of that with the gun. Might just save you some hassle. Might not, but it can't hurt, if you are polite about it.

Friend of mine has an antique motorcycle. We have a helmet law. That law specifically exempts antique (registered) motorcycles. Friend carries a copy of the law with him when he rides it without a helmet. He says having a copy of the law to show the cops when he gets stopped gets him out of about HALF of the tickets. The other half of the time, the cops write him a ticket anyway, and say, "well, IF you're right, the judge will throw it out". And, they do...

The point here is, that if your state has laws about length, and you are legal, having something to show a cop who only knows "sawed off shotguns are illegal" might save you some trouble. Very few police are as well versed in the details of firearms laws. Of course, if you're rude about it, they may take your gun (and maybe you) until a judge rules on the arrest...

Good Luck!
 
Just an update - confirmed through multiple FFL's that it is perfectly legal to switch back and forth between the pgo and stock as long as you're at least 21 and staying within all of the federal barrel length and OAL requirements.

We're good to go there, just need to figure out which configuration to buy.
 
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