Shotgun Barrel length?

J

Jeff Neely

New member
Hope someone can help me out, I was given a shotgun by a family member, J.C.Higgins 12 ga.
the barrel length is in question to me, can someone tell me what the minimum legal length is for a pump shotgun, and the proper way to measure, do i measure from the base of the shotgun shell in the chamber to the bbl end or from the end of the shell to the bbl end?
the barrell seems to be attached to action, not like an 870.
If i find the bbl too short, what can/should i do with it.

thanks in advance.

jeff
 
18" for a pump.
I think that you measure from the face of the breech bolt to the end of the muzzle.
Insert a long wooden dowel (or cleaning rod) down the barrel with the action closed (and SG unloaded!). Mark it at the end of the muzzle. Remove and measure from tip to mark.
Mike
 
Thanks Mike!

So, if i measure the barrel and find its too short, then what should i do?
It seems llike perfect "house" shotgun, what would be legal issues be if in fact it was an illegal gun? If it was used for defense, would I go to jail and BG to morgue?

thanks
jeff
 
You can get in trouble without using it. Look what happened to Randy Weaver's Wife and Son.......RIP.....complements of the feds.

Measure.

Sam
 
I've seen some shotguns with ported chokes on them. I think it was called a "C choke" designed to dramatically tighten up your groups.
Anyway, these chokes protrude from the end of the barrel.

Would there be a way to permenately pin that sucker on there to add length to the barrel?

I know this is done with Bushmaster AR15 barrels to give customers legal "post-ban" barrel lengths.

ie; 14.5" barrel + muzzle brake (pinned) = BATF approval for use with Post-Ban lower receivers.

Anyone heard of this for a shotgun?

M Gruber
 
The only thing that comes to mind is a Cutts Compensator. Have not seen one in some time though. Seems to me that you could silver solder one on your barrel.

If your barrel is too short, the best thing to do is to deep six the barrel and either get a new barrel or gun.

Do not screw around with this issue, it's a serious violation and gets you a felony bust. No guns afterwards.............

Giz
 
I've a Cutt's on an 870 inherited from my Dad. Doesn't appear to really add much to the barrel length for the pinned on portion, however the chokes do. Chokes screw on/off & wouldn't likely satisfy the feds. Depending on how youyr 'smith did the job, you could add a tad extra to the barrel.

Maybe one of those vari-chokes would better fit the bill. Too, a Cutt's required extra chokes where the vari-type just requires dialing in the choke you'd want.

Ditto all above. Mere possession of a shorty w/o proper paperwork is bad juju.
 
I had a friend who inherited an older Remington with a barrel too short. He just silver soldered a length of steel tube onto the end to bring it to legal length.
Didn't look too great, but it still worked fine. Later on, he drilled some holes in it so it looked like a flash hider. Didn't look so bad then.
 
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