Why are sawed off shotguns illegal?

Answer 1

their illegality, despite all the lousy, knee-jerk responses above about concealability, is strictly concerned with barrel length.

any weapon (rifles included) with a barrel length less than 18" is considered, for registration purposes, as a "handgun", and therefore under the same puchase, registration, and ownership guidelines as handguns. you will notice that all shotguns you ever see with barrel lengths LESS THAN 18" are strictly for LE use.

alter a legally purchased shotgun by shortening the barrel length (sawing off) will put you at risk of a weapons charge. don't do it.

Answer 2

All you guys have it wrong, at least federally. The Federal Firearms Act of 1934 was enacted at the behest of FDR to wipe out machine gun ownership under the guise of taxation. Congress imposed a excise tax of $200 (the equivalent of $3500 in present day dollars) on each machine gun produced. Originally pistols and revolvers were also to be taxed at $200 each. Fearing that people would buy shotguns and rifles and saw the barrel to evade the tax, the draft legislation also contained a law against owning a sawed-off shotgun or rifle (unless the $200 excise tax was paid). The NRA lobbied against the bill, but dropped its opposition in a compromise that took pistols and revolvers out of the legislation. Whether by oversight, or otherwise, the provisions with respect to sawed off rifles and shotguns remained. Theoretically, you can own a rifle or shotgun with a short barrel or an overall length less than what is required if it is manufactured that way and sold as a handgun. But...if you were to saw off the barrel of an existing shotgun or rifle, it would be illegal unless the $200 tax were paid, with the appropriate paperwork, and the firearm reclassified as a pistol. Finally, many states followed suit, and outlawed the sawed off shotgun. But, if the firearm were federally reclassified by paying the tax and filing the necessary paperwork, and redelivered through an FFL dealer as a pistol, and you had the appropriate permission in your state to possess it (pistol permit), you can have a "sawed off shotgun." My suggestion is to just buy a pistol grip shotgun with a 18-1/4" barrel. and a 26"+ overall length.

Answer 3

They are deadly close range weapons, and sawing them off makes them more concealable. The choke (constriction) at the end of the barrel may be cut off, and this makes the shot spread quicker. Of course, some men use slugs in them. I've seen several books about "Dumbest Criminals". One told about a robber who shoved a sawed-off shotgun into his belt at the buckle. He entered a store and did a quick draw on the clerk. The hammer was ******, and he hit the trigger. He shot himself in a very soft spot.

Answer 4

1) They're easier to conceal than an unaltered shotgun
2) The shortened barrel reduces the amount of "choke" on the shot, allowing the pattern to spread much more rapidly. This makes for good coverage when firing at a group of people, making a preferred weapon under some conditions, but makes it more likely that innocent bystanders will be hit.

Answer 5

Because it increases the velocity of the bullet or pellets and therefore creating a much larger spread and damage to your target. It also makes it much easier to conceal it when you shorten the barrel length. The required barrel length is 12 inches past the stock.

Answer 6

Making them shorter changes 2 characteristics -

They become concealable if you cut them short enough.

Shortening the barrel widens the shot pattern to a point that covers an entire room without aiming.

At this point the gun has no legitimate purpose - its only use is to kill or hurt other people

Answer 7

They are a very powerful weapon that can be easily concealed. They are nearly useless for hunting due to their inaccuracy (when you saw the barrel off you lose a lot in hunting accuracy). There really is no legitimate use for them, so the people who want to carry them generally mean others harm.

Answer 8

By law, barrels need to be of a certain length.

A sawed-off packs a lot of firepower in a smaller package

Answer 9

They are not illegal...federally...they are only more closely regulated as are other title 2 firearms like machine guns and suppressors. Many states however,do restrict or prohibit their possession .

Answer 10

Barrels under 18 inchs are considered a concealed weapons.
Also the spread pattern is to wide for controlled shooting.