Shotgun

[JMS]

Please confirm that the shortest I can have my SG barrel cut down to, w/o dealing with the government and w/o having to have a pistol grip is 18 inches, correct??

[r2kba]

Please confirm that the shortest I can have my SG barrel cut down to, w/o dealing with the government and w/o having to have a pistol grip is 18 inches, correct??

In the US of A, yes 18 inches.


The pistol grip is not a federal restriction anymore. That would be a state law if one exists in whatever state you live in.

[Quiet]

Shortest you can have a shotgun before treading into NFA territory = 18" barrel length, 26" overall length.

[JMS]

In the US of A, yes 18 inches.


The pistol grip is not a federal restriction anymore. That would be a state law if one exists in whatever state you live in.

The reason I mention the pistol grip is because if I left it on (and never put a stock on it) I could cut it as short as I want once I register it as an AOW (any other weapon) for $5.

If I cut it below 18" and decide I want to put a stock on it I then would have to register it as a SBS (short barrel shotgun) for $200.

I want to be able to switch between the two (pistol grip and stock) w/o having to worry about ATF busting through my doors/windows/plumbing/etc.

I just wanted to get clarification. Also any idea how much a place would charge to cut down a SG??

[MakeMineaP99]

$50 is common to cut down a shotgun barrel.

That said, if you do file a Form 1 to make a AOW, the making tax is still $200, the transfer tax for AOWs is $5.

[r2kba]

The reason I mention the pistol grip is because if I left it on (and never put a stock on it) I could cut it as short as I want once I register it as an AOW (any other weapon) for $5.

If I cut it below 18" and decide I want to put a stock on it I then would have to register it as a SBS (short barrel shotgun) for $200.

I want to be able to switch between the two (pistol grip and stock) w/o having to worry about ATF busting through my doors/windows/plumbing/etc.

I just wanted to get clarification. Also any idea how much a place would charge to cut down a SG??


Unfortunately you cant AOW a shotgun which had a stock attached from the factory. Unless your referring to a virgin receiver of course. The AOW registration would still be $200.00 also. The $5 is only for subsequent transfers to another person.

The other issue is you have to decide what you want to do BEFORE you cut the barrel down. If you go AOW route, it still costs you $200. However after the AOW you can not put a stock on it. You would have to remove it from the registry, then re-register it as an SBS with another $200.00 stamp.

Considering you don't know exactly how you want to do it, I would go the SBS route since, if you are doing it yourself, it will still cost you $200.00 either way to form-1 it.

As was said, a cut, crown/finish and bead gunsmith job should be about 50-70$.