Short-Barreled Shotguns

Editor’s Note: The information in this article is based on Federal law but should not be taken as legal advice. State and local laws may also vary.

I’ve always been a fan of shorty shotguns. Not sure why, but when other people at the gun shows were looking at the Gold Cup 45s, I was looking at Remington 870s, the shorter the better. Years ago I had the chance to meet and talk to Jim Wilson, the builder of the famous Wilson Witness Protection Remington 870, the first “production” really short shotgun. I’ve been a fan ever since.

While Wilson Arms (not the later Wilson Combat) really set the bar for “shorties,” the popularity was restrained by the perceived illegality of the weapons and the difficulty and cost in getting ATF approval and stamps to legally possess the firearm.

Things Have Changed

Simply speaking, the following weapons are regulated by the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, more commonly known as “ATF” under the National Firearms Act (NFA):

• A shotgun having a barrel or barrels of less than 18″ in length;

• A weapon made from a shotgun if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26″ or a barrel or barrels of less than 18″.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite so clear-cut.

To clarify some terms, short shotguns now legally fall into three categories — “Short-Barreled Shotgun” (SBS), “Any Other Weapon” (AoW), and now most recently the “Shockwave.” Both the SBS and AoW require an ATF tax stamp to buy and transfer ownership, but an SBS is a $200 stamp and an AoW is a $5 stamp. The Shockwave does not require a stamp at all. So what’s the difference?

The rules are complicated and often don’t seem to make sense.

An AoW is a smoothbore designed to fire shotshells, has a barrel less than 18″ and a pistol grip — not a stock. By ATF definition, it is not a shotgun as a shotgun is shoulder-fired. Therefore, a 12-gauge with a pistol grip cannot be a shotgun.

Of course there’s a catch. You can’t just take the stock off and shorten the barrel. The weapon is a shotgun if it ever had a stock, even for a minute. Putting a stock on an AoW makes it an SBS (and is a crime to do so).

The Fun Begins

Now to really confuse things — the Shockwave Raptor is a “birdshead” or “hogleg” grip manufactured by Florida-based Shockwave Technologies. When installed on a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 500/590 along with a 14″ barrel, it becomes a “firearm” — not an SBS or AoW. It is not subject to National Firearms Act (NFA) rules and does not require a stamp.

History

In 2011, Len Savage of Historic Firearms Inc. floated the idea you could take a Mossberg “Cruiser” firearm, which isn’t technically a shotgun according to the ATF due to the pistol grip and alter the barrel and grip lengths without creating an NFA firearm as long as you maintained an overall length above 26″. Shockwave spoke with Len a couple of times about the idea then designed the Raptor Grip, which is just long enough to allow you to use a 14″ barrel and remain over the magic 26″ overall length.

After almost a year of waiting, Shockwave received formal acknowledgement from ATF the “firearm” was not subject to NFA rules in mid-2012.

Why? Remember the 26″ rule? The rules/law state by definition an SBS has to be concealable and have a total length of less than 26″. The Shockwave grip extends the overall length to 26½”.

So the Shockwave grip and 14″ barrel is not an SBS because it does not have a stock and therefore cannot be a shotgun and is more than 26″ in length and is not an AoW because at an overall length of 26½” is not legally concealable. It is simply a “firearm” and not subject to NFA rules or a stamp.

One important note: If you conceal a Shockwave-based firearm, it becomes an AoW and you legally must apply for and obtain a Tax stamp.

Both Remington (870 TAC-14) and Mossberg (580 Shockwave) offer factory pump firearms with a 14″ barrel and the Shockwave Raptor grip. Remington also offers the V3 TAC-13, 13″ barrel (but with a 26½” overall length) semi-auto firearm.

Do It Yourself

Can you build your own? Of course! But you must be very careful to follow the rules. First, the receiver must come from a pistol-grip shotgun that never had a stock. Even though the end result is a non-NFA weapon, ATF advises if the firearm ever had a stock it is a modified shotgun, requiring a $200 stamp.

Second, the barrel must be at least 14″ to obtain the overall length necessary. Factory Remington 14″ barrels are readily available from Remington and aftermarket retailers, often for less than $140. Mossberg offers factory 14″ barrel kits as well. It’s important to note a Remington 14″ barrel on an 870 is a direct swap requiring no additional parts, but a Mossberg 500/590 conversion requires the replacement of the forearm and slide assembly to accommodate the shortened barrel.

As always, check state and local laws to make sure these firearms are not prohibited in your location!

ShockwaveTechnologies.com
Remington.com
Mossberg.com

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