Barrel porting legal or illegal?

[wgr]

i do,nt think a ported barrel would ever pass being silencer

[Junior1942]

i do,nt think a ported barrel would ever pass being silencer

Neither do I. But not 1 in 100 game wardens are half as knowledgeable about firearms as the average member of this forum. You take a 20-something fellow or female fresh out of college and very dang few of them have ever held a gun. Chances are they think a muzzle brake is some sort of brake like disk brakes. Oh, but they've seen plenty of silencers on pistols held by bad guys on TV. And they know silencers are illegal. And they know they're on the end of pistol barrels. You could plead with such a person employed as a game warden 'til your lips turn blue, but guess what? Your next plead will be to a judge.

The purpose of my starting this topic was not to get opinions. An opinion will get you jail time. I hoped someone might know of an ATF ruling on brakes vs silencers. You would think there'd be such a ruling given the number of factories producing gun barrels with muzzle brakes, as several members here pointed out. If so, I can't find it. But if a teenager-lookin' game warden is looking at my pistol barrel like it's evil and at me like I'm an assassin, I'm covered. Are you?

[Willbird]

I read an article somewhere about a guy who was drilling holed on the bottom (6 o'clock) side of a shotgun barrel to make it quieter, he claimed he had it quiet enough you could hear the shot hit the birds when hunting. If that created a shotgun report under a given decibel amount with a mechanical alteration such as that I would assume the batf will find a way to ruin your day .

[arcticbreeze]

I don't think your going to find what your looking for. Just like there is no specific language stating that potatos are legal to grow in your yard. There is only language of what you can't grow.

The batf statutes reads:

18 U.S.C. 921(a)(3)(C).
The definition of “firearm silencer” and “firearm muffler” in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(24) provides as follows:
The terms “firearm silencer” and “firearm muffler” mean any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, and any part intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication.


Common sense will have to prevail. There is no question porting is not designed to reduce the report and in fact has the opposite affect. You can alway email the DNR in your state and ask the specific question than carry the answere with your hunting license.

Marc

[JIMinPHX]

not 1 in 100 game wardens are half as knowledgeable about firearms as the average member of this forum.

A guy that I used to work with, ran across a game warden while hunting in NJ many years ago. The warden asked to see his shotgun, so he unloaded it & handed it to him. The warden then stuck a wooden dowel up the magazine tube & started writing a ticket. The ticket was for having a shell capacity larger than 3. My friend then suggested that he take a look at the caliber designation on the barrel. It was 10 ga. The warden gave him a blank stare & said that didn't matter. Of course, people here probably know that 10 ga shells tend to be longer than 12 ga shells, so a check rod for a 12 ga. will not measure a 10 ga. properly. That warden did not seem to understand that, even after it was explained to him. The guy took the ticket to court & lost because the judge didn't seem to understand either. That's NJ for you. That's just one of many reasons why I don't live there. I can only hope that LA is better.

[markinalpine]

If you are able to, try discussing it with your counties Sheriff. Then if there IS a problem with a Game Warden or Judge, you will have him/her on your side. Unless your Sheriff is ignorant too!
Mark

[Ed K]

How is the report measured?

If I measure a certain sound pressure level downrange and then the firearm is ported directing the blast to the sides and even back to the shooter, do you think it not possible that at the target the SPL could be reduced by that 1dB?

[TXGunNut]

If you are able to, try discussing it with your counties Sheriff. Then if there IS a problem with a Game Warden or Judge, you will have him/her on your side. Unless your Sheriff is ignorant too!
Mark

In Texas game wardens work for the state and don't answer to the county sheriff. Most tickets issued by game wardens land in Justice of the Peace courts, the lowest court in the county court system. JPs are generally good folks, often retired peace officers. They should know that the Migratory Bird Act deals with the maximum number of shells in a shotgun's magazine, nothing about a wooden dowel. The warden made a quick check with a tool but didn't verify the results with actual ammo. He made a mistake and it should be addressed w/ his supervisor, too bad it wound up in the courts.

[Junior1942]

I've decided NOT to port my 357 barrel. I'm already 1/2 deaf, and thanks to some of you who pointed out the increased noise a port job would bring, I think I'll stay 1/2 deaf instead of all deaf. A big thanks to the gunsmiths here who know what the heck they're doing!

[Artful]

No reason for them to be illegal as they do not muffle the report of the firearm. There have been flash hiders ruled illegal because they quieted muzzle blast, as I understand it from visits with my local agent if a device reduces noise by 1 decibel it is considered a suppressor and subject to class III regulations. But there is no rule on the books against making a firearm louder, that I'm aware of.

Actually, there is a case where someone working for the dark side tried to make suppressed handguns, but the device actually raised the noise level of shots fired, and he was still convicted on intent to make it quieter. So sound level doesn't really mean anything - other wise you couldn't by the long barrels for your 870 could you.

[TXGunNut]

I've decided NOT to port my 357 barrel. I'm already 1/2 deaf, and thanks to some of you who pointed out the increased noise a port job would bring, I think I'll stay 1/2 deaf instead of all deaf. A big thanks to the gunsmiths here who know what the heck they're doing!

Good point, have to remind some folks who think it's OK to stand next to a ported weapon when firing.

[TXGunNut]

I've decided NOT to port my 357 barrel. I'm already 1/2 deaf, and thanks to some of you who pointed out the increased noise a port job would bring, I think I'll stay 1/2 deaf instead of all deaf. A big thanks to the gunsmiths here who know what the heck they're doing!

Good point, have to remind some folks who think it's OK to stand next to a ported weapon when firing.

[nanuk]

A guy that I used to work with, ran across a game warden while hunting in NJ many years ago. The warden asked to see his shotgun, so he unloaded it & handed it to him. The warden then stuck a wooden dowel up the magazine tube & started writing a ticket. The ticket was for having a shell capacity larger than 3. My friend then suggested that he take a look at the caliber designation on the barrel. It was 10 ga. The warden gave him a blank stare & said that didn't matter. Of course, people here probably know that 10 ga shells tend to be longer than 12 ga shells, so a check rod for a 12 ga. will not measure a 10 ga. properly. That warden did not seem to understand that, even after it was explained to him. The guy took the ticket to court & lost because the judge didn't seem to understand either. That's NJ for you. That's just one of many reasons why I don't live there. I can only hope that LA is better.

I'd take my gun in, with a variety of rounds and ask the prosecutor to try to stuff more thant the legal number.....

[Coonazz]

A guy that I used to work with, ran across a game warden while hunting in NJ many years ago. The warden asked to see his shotgun, so he unloaded it & handed it to him. The warden then stuck a wooden dowel up the magazine tube & started writing a ticket. The ticket was for having a shell capacity larger than 3. My friend then suggested that he take a look at the caliber designation on the barrel. It was 10 ga. The warden gave him a blank stare & said that didn't matter. Of course, people here probably know that 10 ga shells tend to be longer than 12 ga shells, so a check rod for a 12 ga. will not measure a 10 ga. properly. That warden did not seem to understand that, even after it was explained to him. The guy took the ticket to court & lost because the judge didn't seem to understand either. That's NJ for you. That's just one of many reasons why I don't live there. I can only hope that LA is better.

Unfortunately ignorant people are everywhere. While duck hunting, a warden came to the blind to check us and asked where the plug was located on my shotgun. It's a Browning Citori........

[Junior1942]

Unfortunately ignorant people are everywhere. While duck hunting, a warden came to the blind to check us and asked where the plug was located on my shotgun. It's a Browning Citori........

That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about!

[Mk42gunner]

Unfortunately ignorant people are everywhere. While duck hunting, a warden came to the blind to check us and asked where the plug was located on my shotgun. It's a Browning Citori........

Unbelievable... I think I would have told him I didn't have one for it and took the ticket, while having him write the make model and serial number of the gun on the ticket. Just to show up in court and make a laughing stock of him.

Of course, if you did that, you would spend more time digging your license out than fishing or hunting, from then on.

Robert

[John in WYO]

Junior1942,

I'd suggest writing a letter to the head of your game and fish department, with a copy to your State Attorney General explaining specifically what your question is. Include photos of your device. Ask for a written reply.

Keep a copy of the letter with you when afield if you're contacted by a warden.
That should satisfy the issue.

John

[John in WYO]

I've decided NOT to port my 357 barrel. I'm already 1/2 deaf, and thanks to some of you who pointed out the increased noise a port job would bring, I think I'll stay 1/2 deaf instead of all deaf. A big thanks to the gunsmiths here who know what the heck they're doing!

Oops, just found this post.
Oh ***** no! Porting a .357? I'm with you brother. Too brutal on the ears. One of the reasons I traded my .454 Casull.

[John in WYO]

Unfortunately ignorant people are everywhere. While duck hunting, a warden came to the blind to check us and asked where the plug was located on my shotgun. It's a Browning Citori........

Shakes head in disbelief....

[creatinewarrior]

my educated guess would be no. Weatherby sells rifles with ported barrels dont they? a "ported" barrel just has holes near the muzzle to help with recoil by allowing gasses out. but never take somebody's word for it. dont take chances. you can look up the law, i think Title 18 of the US Code deals with whats a crime.
Call your local ATF field office, ask for the Agent in Charge, and tell him your concerns and ask your question. They are usually actually helpful and want to answer your question. You can also call the local Assistant US Attorney and tell them you want to know if such and such is illegal but it may take days to get an answer from them.Calling ATF and your state police should get it solved. and its their job to do things like this for citizens and many times these people are very helpful.
http://www.atf.gov/files/publication...f-p-5300-4.pdf