Is This Illegal?

[FTK87]

OK, couple of questions. Not sure if it matters, but I'm in Oklahoma, is it legal to have a shot gun barrel cut down as long as it is over 18"? Just checking because I cannot seem to find an 18 inch barrel for my winchester 1200, and I can't afford to get a different scatter gun.

Thanks for the info, Kyle

[Kieran McCaig]

Ask glocknut he live there as well he might know,up here18 is the min

[dge479]

I thought it was 18.5, Isnt that what the Ruby Ridge thing got started from The FBI claiming he sold an 18 inch, bhen it as supposed to be 18.5 or am I just rambling?

[Alpo]

Federal requirement is 18 inches. Not 18 1/4 or 18 1/2 or 18 1/8 or all the other stuff told over the net. 18 inches.

But it is possible that Oklahoma has some stupid law saying barrel can't be shorter than 20 inches, or something like that. I'm not in Oklahoma, so have never bothered to learn their laws.

You could go to the NRA-ILA website, and check Oklahoma's gun laws. If there is a barrel-length requirement, it will be listed.

[FTK87]

So, whatever the minimum barrel length is would it be legal to cut it down?

[Alpo]

Oh, I misunderstood your question.

You weren't asking if cutting it to 18 inches would be breaking a law about barrel length. You were asking if cutting it, period, would be illegal? If there is a law out there somewhere that says you can't take a hacksaw to your own personal property?

There is no such law anywhere that I am aware of. Cutting it down is completely legal, as long as you don't go below the minimums -18" barrel and 26" overall length.

[johnlives4christ]

if you do cut your barrel down you need to cut it at 18 1/4 to 18 1/2 so you have some room on the end to square it up, polish the end and such. as far as the legality of oklahoma i dont know. but in kentucky it's perfectly fine and i have cut several down. before you cut it down, if you plan to have a bead on the cut down barrel i would recommend marking for the hole first so you can use the existing bead as a reference. so it isn't cockeyed.

[TOOHSOTKIL]

As above, don`t just whack it off. If the muzzle isn`t squared off correctly and rolled, it won`t be worth much......unless club is the wanted result.
It will be inaccurate even for shotgun and it could split the muzzle too.

Know this before you start.

Measure with the action closed and a rod down the barrel, neve take the measurement from the outside of the barrel when doing this on a rifle or shotgun

16"Rifle.....18" Shotgun(Federal law) always leave extra, 1/2" for insurance.

[308 at my gate]

You also should check your measurement by closing the bolt of the shotgun and then inserting a rod of some type down the barrel. Then measure the length of the rod from the bolt face when closed to the end of the barrel.

[FTK87]

Thanks guys, I don't plan on cutting it myself if I get it done I will have a smith do all the work.

[Hammerslagger]

I do not have every "i" doted or "t" crossed; but the following should be informative. State and Federal Laws and their interpretation are often changing. State statute information is best obtained from your state authorities or representatives. The BATF maintains a web site which sometimes answers FAQ's.

In the USA you usually have at least two bodies (Federal and State) of firearms laws that you need to abide by. Sometimes, these bodies of law conflict. You can be legal under one, and prosecuted under the other.

For example, about 33 years ago, when IMI wanted to export a semi-auto variant of the Uzi sub-machine gun to the USA, the BATF approved it even though it folded up to less than the 26" minimum OAL, and could still be be fired. Michigan's short barrel rifle law is a near carbon copy of the Federal NFA. Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelly ruled that it was a short barrel rifle and could not be possessed by private individuals in Michigan, unless the stock was welded in the open position, which made it about 28" OAL. However, it still had to be registered (safety inspected) as a pistol because MI Law defines any firearm less than 30' OAL as a pistol!

In order not to be considered a NFA weapon, Federal law requires that a "modern rifle" (usually made 1898 or later) have a barrel at least 16" long and be 26" in overall length. Barrel length is measured on the inside from the face of the closed breach (often the bolt) to the end of the barrel or permanently attached extension (often compensator or flash hider). Bolts often protrude significantly into the apparent rear end of the barrel. {This is how Mr. Randy Weaver (of the Ruby Ridge Tragedy) ended up shortening two pump action shotgun barrels about one tenth of an inch too short.} The OAL is measured by the shortest distance between the inside of two parallel rods that are perpendicular to the axis of the bore.

Smooth-bore "modern firearms" must have a barrel at least 18" long and be at least 26" in overall length as described above




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[jacksonco]

I like useful information. Seems like everyone is doing his or her part to make it happen. Its one of the things I like about it here.

[Snakedriver]

The reason the FBI & ATF murdered Randy Weaver's wife, son & dog at Ruby Ridge is because the shotgun he modified for the undercover agent was 1/4" too short.

18.5 " has become the standard so that there is a little slack in the 18" minimum requirement. Being a little short will get you killed.

[FTK87]

Ok, I asked a guy at work, and to my suprise he had the local gunsmith cut his ithica down a few years ago. He also said he did a hell of a job of making it look like it was made that way. Thanks for all your help, I might try and get some before and after pics in a different forum, but I'm not doing anything until after dove season!