A Legal Question

[klcarroll]

We all know that revolvers like the Taurus "Judge" are legal only because they have rifled barrels: .......My question is; Does the rifling in such a barrel actually have to have a measurable twist in order to achieve "Legal Status"??


Kent

[John Traveler]

I asked my lawyer son this question.

He stated that if BATF regulations state that "rifling" is required on handguns to legally be chambered to fire shotshells, then yes. It comes down to the definition of "rifling" in a barrel. It is usually defined as spiral grooves inside a gun barrel that impart spin to the projectile for gyroscopic stability. With that definition, rifling will have to have a measurable twist to qualify. Straight grooves with no twist won't qualify.

[Phat Man Mike]

and California still say's no Judge pistol's too.

[warf73]

and California still say's no Judge pistol's too.

Interesting since someone on this board posted a news link about a shooting around Ocean Side california. The person who shot the perp was using a Judge with buckshot.

[warf73]

We all know that revolvers like the Taurus "Judge" are legal only because they have rifled barrels: .......My question is; Does the rifling in such a barrel actually have to have a measurable twist in order to achieve "Legal Status"??


Kent

Here is what I found maybe this will help.




Update on the Taurus 28 Gauge Revolver

Taurus President and CEO Bob Morrison invited officials from the ATF's Technology Branch to discuss some of the firm's new product introductions. "I asked them to come and give some advice," Morrison said. By all accounts the meeting was cordial, professional, and not a "raid" or "gotcha" as erroneously reported elsewhere. No determination on the gun's status was made at the show.

Remember, to even be in the United States at all, the prototype had to be cleared by ATF for importation. On the 28 gauge Raging Judge revolver, Taurus sought ATF's advice on some modifications to the gun and is the process of implementing the results of those suggestions. This is a very common practice; gun manufacturers and importers regularly work with ATF as the firearm industry's regulatory agency. Also, despite rumors to the contrary, the .45 Colt/.410 Bore lever-action Ranch Hand with the rifled barrel is good to go for importation, as is the 28 gauge Circuit Judge. You'll see them later on this year, as well as the 28 gauge Raging Judge with minor modifications.


Here is the link to the above quote http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/02/08/update-on-the-taurus-28-gauge-revolver/

[subsonic]

So could a person legally chop off a rifled slug barrel for an Encore to less than 18.5" and declare it a pistol, if installed on a frame that was manufactured as a pistol? If so, does anyone have a 12ga or 20ga rifled slug barrel they want to sell??:bigsmyl2:

Guessing not since my memory recalls that there is also a caliber restriction on handguns - must be less than .500" or something like that or it's considered NFA.

What caliber is 28ga? I think .55ish....?

[klcarroll]

So could a person legally chop off a rifled slug barrel for an Encore to less than 18.5" and declare it a pistol, if installed on a frame that was manufactured as a pistol? If so, does anyone have a 12ga or 20ga rifled slug barrel they want to sell??:bigsmyl2:

Guessing not since my memory recalls that there is also a caliber restriction on handguns - must be less than .500" or something like that or it's considered NFA.

What caliber is 28ga? I think .55ish....?


Well, ......It kinda depends: The Federal law defines anything larger than .50 caliber as a "Destructive Device", unless the weapon addresses specific sporting uses.

They had to word it that way, or else they would have outlawed ALL shotguns except the .410. As long as it can be demonstrated that there is some possible sporting use for the weapon, bores larger than .50 Cal are OK. (It was this “Sporting Use” thing that allowed the BATF to reclassify the old 12 gauge “Street Sweeper” as a “Destructive Device”.)

Since they are allowing the 28 gauge "Judge" revolver, I have to think that you might get away with your Encore pistol idea.

The reason I asked the question in the original post is because I seem to remember reading somewhere years ago that some muzzleloading weapons had STRAIGHT rifling. (The idea being that the straight rifling would prevent random spins on a round ball.)

If this Straight Rifling pattern is still considered to be "rifling" in the legal sense, then one could produce a revolver like the "Judge" that would actually throw a respectable pattern with shot.


Kent

[rond]

I have a Contender barrel in .44 magnum that has a straight rifled choke tube to be used with shotshells. It's removed to shoot bullets. It patterns quite well out to about 40 yards.

[Combat Diver]

I've got a similiar Contender but in .357 with the Hotshot choke. Patterns well also with the choke.

CD