Pistol Grip Only Supporters...Only

Kvon2 said:
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.
That's not entirely correct. You don't need to be 21 to switch your shotgun to PGO configuration, you just need to be 21 to purchase it that way.
 
Kvon2 said:
just need to figure out which configuration to buy.
If you buy it with a stock then your minimum barrel length is 18" unless you register it as an NFA short-barrel shotgun. But if you buy it new as a PGO shotgun then you can shorten the barrel below 18" even without NFA registration, you just need to keep the overall length greater than 26" and you can't install a stock. With a Mossberg 500/590 or a Remington 870, this usually means you can shorten the barrel down to 14" as long as you have a longer birds-head pistol grip installed; this setup usually keeps your overall length above 26".

However, keep in mind what 44 AMP pointed out: Many cops won't realize that a sub-18" barrel pistol-grip shotgun "firearm" is legal without a tax stamp. Also, state laws might still restrict these firearms even if they're legal under federal law.
 
I appreciate everyone's input, I'm more concerned with the model at this point. I think we have figured out that my plan is going to be 100% legal as I do not plan on shortening any barrels.
 
Kvon2 said:
I think we have figured out that my plan is going to be 100% legal as I do not plan on shortening any barrels.
Nobody has suggested that you do anything illegal. It's not illegal to shorten your barrel below 18" provided you follow the rules I set forth in my previous post (also make sure it's legal per your state law).
 
Kvon2 said:
I'm more concerned with the model at this point.
If you're planning on running it with a normal pistol grip (not a birds-head), I recommend against a Mossberg. With the 500/590, it's hard to reach the action release and safety with a pistol grip installed (on the Maverick it's only hard to reach the action release since it has a cross-bolt safety).

If you're planning to use a pistol grip, I suggest a Remington 870 because the controls are easier to use. If you're planning to use a normal stock or a birds-head grip, both will work fine but I prefer the Mossberg 500/590 controls in that case.
 
I'm going to be using the hogue tamer grip. Heard great things about it and got it on sale. I bought it to fit the Mossberg/maverick so those are my options at this point. It will be probably be a maverick 88 based on cost.

Took on an unexpected car payment last weekend :(
 
I tried Walmartz website and all it says is out of stock..Couldn't check in store availability

The Walmart website was inaccurate when I was looking for a Maverick 88. The website indicated they had one in stock in 12 gauge but when I got there, it was a 20. I paid a little more and got a much nicer Mossberg 500. They are pretty much the same except the Mossberg had 3 choke tubes and the Maverick had one and the Mossberg has a 10 year warranty vs a 1 year. I also like the wood stock better. The maverick was $188 and the standard Mossberg 500 was $254.
 
Some may wish to read up on the ATF's treatment of Pistol Grip Only shotguns of greater than 26 inches in overall length as an AOW if there is evidence that the actual firearm was concealed on a person. See the ATF letter.
 
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dreaming said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreaming
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.
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):
Your whole post is simply a cut-and-paste of part of a previous post of mine, post #15. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here.
 
Sorry, Theohazard. I didn't even realize that was posted. I was trying to figure out how to post what was said so as to make it easier to understand things in context, and then I only saw what I had done when I realized I was editing what was accidentally posted. I probably shouldn't have posted given the kind of day it has been.

The point I was trying to make was that under the ATF's interpretation that a virgin PGO can be treated as an AOW even if it has an OAL of 26 inches plus. That said, are you so certain of your statement that you need not register under the NFA as long as your OAL is 26"?
 
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dreaming said:
That said, are you so certain of your statement that you need not register under the NFA as long as your OAL is 26"?
As long as your PGO never had a stock on it and was purchased without a stock. This is consistent with both federal law and also the ATF's interpretation of federal law. Check out the links on this page, which I already posted in post #15:

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

dreaming said:
Some may wish to read up on the ATF's treatment of Pistol Grip Only shotguns of greater than 26 inches in overall length as an AOW if there is evidence that the actual firearm was concealed on a person. See the ATF letter.
I've seen that letter before, and that's a different issue entirely. Let's not try to complicate things even further. Yes, the ATF says if you shoulder a pistol with an arm brace, you're making a short barrel rifle. And yes, if you attach a shoestring to a semi-auto rifle in the right way the ATF says you've made a machine gun. And yes, if you conceal an over-26" PGO shotgun on your person the ATF could consider that an AOW.

But in and of itself, a PGO with a greater than 26" overall length is not an AOW.
 
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Excellent news. Went to Dicks today and they have the maverick 88 going for $220. I asked the guy at the counter when he thought they may go on sale again and his short answer was he has no idea. I told him I would just take the hit and let's get some paperwork done.

Once we finished up we took me up to the register and leaned over to me and said "remember- you were out of town on black Friday" ...They rang me up for $178 and off I went. There are still some good people out there!
 
Theohazard, Reading between the lines, I am thinking you know your stuff. Good job. As for over complicating things, I here you and the many variables that can get someone in trouble are ridiculous. Such as what if you never even mount a shoulder stock to your virgin pgo, but own one that will bolt right up. What if it is on another shotgun but both are disassembled at the same time for a deep cleaning? Does it sound like a TC case? I won't get into it and further confuse fold, but would be especiall leary if a dealer sold a pgo and sold a shoulder stock at the same time, although they were separate skews.
 
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