pistol shifter??

ratrodney · November 24, 2012, 03:42 PM

Hello.
i have a rat rod im building and im puttin together a wild...long shifter. Id like to usr a pistol as the shifter instead of just the old pistol grip.
if i use a non working pistol as my handle is it legal? Any car guys ever saw or tried this?
Ive thought of using a fake gun but if it looks rear or is real but non working there aint much difference i wouldnt think. RR

Skadoosh · November 24, 2012, 04:12 PM

As long as it is rendered completely and permanently inert, I don't see why it would be illegal.

Brian Pfleuger · November 24, 2012, 04:15 PM

Real and not working would be a legal classification. Fake and looks real is just fake. If its real, it would have be be rendered inoperable to a standard in whatever locale you might find yourself. If its fake, it's just fake. Fake guns aren't illegal, almost anywhere.

ratrodney · November 24, 2012, 06:57 PM

Ok guys. Its a replica im looking at. Thanks..RR

Prof Young · November 24, 2012, 11:13 PM

Hey, if you do an internet search for replica guns you will find just about anything you want in a fake gun that is legal everywhere. And while they aren't always cheap, they are cheaper then real guns.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

**Aguila Blanca** · November 25, 2012, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skadoosh

As long as it is rendered completely and permanently inert, I don't see why it would be illegal.

Still a firearm.

A couple or three years ago, Sarco was selling off some old Hi-Powers that had been modified to make them non-functional classroom props. The firing pins were removed, the firing pin hole in the slide was welded up, a steel rod was run through the chamber and welded in place, and there was something about the barrel link-down cam that was changed. And they were painted bright red.

All sales still had to go through an FFL. They had originally been manufactured as firearms, they had serial numbers as firearms, and they weren't old enough to qualify as antiques.

Avenger · November 25, 2012, 07:39 PM

I've seen a few rods with practice grenades as shifter handles, never seen a pistol though. I'm not sure how you'd go about that, shifter through the barrel would put the grip at the wrong angle. Putting the shifter rod through the bottom of the grips would work...but it'd just feel awkward as a working shifter.

Skans · November 26, 2012, 11:02 AM

I'd use a semi-auto; weld a solid mock up of a magazine onto the shifter, and then just insert gun onto magazine. In some states you might not even need a concealed weapon permit to drive around with the functioning gun mounted to the inoperable magazine. Ehhh, better to have a permit.

RickB · November 26, 2012, 02:35 PM

Yeah, in some states, the gun MUST be visible if it's in the car with you. Other states require that the gun must be stored securely, sometimes disassembled or other BS, under the same circumstances.

aarondhgraham · November 26, 2012, 04:28 PM

Howzabout one of the aluminum castings,,,
They are made for holster makers and are rough aluminum.

But they do polish up nicely.

I've polished and painted a few to be displayed in a gunbelt/holster.

Google "Duncan Customs" for contact info,,,
And a list of dummy guns currently in their stock.

501 Salzburg Avenue, Bay City, MI 48706

Phone: 989.894.6691

Aarond

.

**Tom Servo** · November 26, 2012, 05:44 PM

Perception could be a very big factor if you're pulled over and law enforcement sees it.

Legal? Sure, but in the dynamics of a traffic stop, it could cause some problems.

Yung.gunr · November 26, 2012, 11:20 PM

I think it would be really cool looking. If the rest of the car is real eye catching adding that as your shifter probably won't be as big a deal as if you had some Honda CRX hatchback with mismatching wheels and a body kit attached with Dollar Tree double sided tape.

What if you did it at an angle, like the barrel was pointing down toward your console. That way the grip would be at a better angle for the actual shifting.

Yung.gunr · November 26, 2012, 11:21 PM

Course another thought would be to use some kind of shell... That could look pretty cool.

Skans · November 27, 2012, 08:25 AM

Quote:

I've polished and painted a few to be displayed in a gunbelt/holster.

Pictures, pictures!

One thing a Taurus Judge would be good for is to take the cylinder, mount it on a shifter.....and insert ammo for effect.

ratrodney · November 27, 2012, 08:28 PM

[IMG]www.ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13128[/IMG]

Thanks for the info guys.
Its gonna be eye catching. Its a 54 international harvester rat rod. Custom everything....blown sbc...dual semi tires...air ride....bullhorn stacks...chopped top..ect
ill try n post a link if yer interested.
id like more info on that alluminum casting.
Im thinkin ed roth rat fink design with a 1849 dragoon.
Tack weld the shifter arm and the trigger guard together and just hold onto it like yer holdin a gun. Lol RR

aarondhgraham · November 28, 2012, 09:48 AM

Quote:

id like more info on that alluminum casting.

Quote:

Pictures, pictures!

I'll take a picture of one that I haven't polished and post it tomorrow,,,
Sorry but I don't have any pictures of the one I polished and painted.

Duncan Customs has what is probably the worst website ever built,,,
But if you call or E-mail them they will send a spreadsheet with the pistol castings they have in stock.

I haven't ordered one in over a year,,,
At the last order they were only $45.00 each.

It should be no problem to drill and thread a hole in the aluminum,,,
Or drill and insert some steel threaded collar if you think the aluminum would be too soft.

Anyways,,,
Pics tomorrow.

Aarond

.

ratrodney · November 28, 2012, 09:54 PM

Pics...pics....pics...lol

ratrodney · November 30, 2012, 11:18 AM

Pics yet?

aarondhgraham · November 30, 2012, 11:50 AM

I forgot again.

Monday, I promise.

Aarond

.

ratrodney · November 30, 2012, 09:38 PM

Lol.

Thats ok. Im not buyin till after the holidays.

RR

aarondhgraham · December 3, 2012, 09:22 AM

One is a casting from a Ruger Blackhawk,,,
The other is from a Colt Cobra,,,
They are cast with aluminum.

This is a closeup of the metal,,,
It can be sanded and polished to look much better.

I wish I had a pic of the one I painted,,,
After some sanding and using dark blue automotive paint,,,
It looked good enough to display in a custom gunslinger rig I once made.

Anyways, the contact info for these dummy pistols is in post #10,,,
The last time I ordered one they were $45.00 each.
I hope this helps you.

Aarond

.

hogdogs · December 4, 2012, 10:31 PM

I would guess that the serial number cannot go back to an FFL delivered weapon... Or it is, in fact, a firearm...

In Florida, a firearm carried in the vehicle MUST NOT be visible to avoid freaking out the general public...

Back in the late 70's or VERY early 80's my dad had an 18 wheeler in a movie and at a post production party or 3 he met several C&W singer stars... I think it was Waylon Jennings who had a Cadillac Seville custom... Stretched hood/front section so the thing was a 2 seater (driver/pass. seats were where back seat once was... he had a revolver as a shifter and claimed it had a threaded barrel and was not only operational but kept loaded...

This was before all these star5s cleaned up their lives disavowing drugs etc. so it may have no truth but that is what was said and it was a Yexas registered car...

Brent

ratrodney · December 4, 2012, 11:03 PM

Thats pretty sweet.
Thanks for the pics. Got me really thinking. RR

November 24, 2012, 04:12 PM	#2
Skadoosh Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2010 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,016	As long as it is rendered completely and permanently inert, I don't see why it would be illegal. __________________ NRA Life Member USN Retired

November 24, 2012, 11:13 PM	#5
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,403	Stage guns Hey, if you do an internet search for replica guns you will find just about anything you want in a fake gun that is legal everywhere. And while they aren't always cheap, they are cheaper then real guns. Live well, be safe Prof Young

November 26, 2012, 05:44 PM	#11
Tom Servo Staff Join Date: September 27, 2008 Location: Foothills of the Appalachians Posts: 13,059	Perception could be a very big factor if you're pulled over and law enforcement sees it. Legal? Sure, but in the dynamics of a traffic stop, it could cause some problems. __________________ Sometimes it’s nice not to destroy the world for a change. --Randall Munroe

November 30, 2012, 11:50 AM	#19
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	Sorry ratrodney,,, I forgot again. Monday, I promise. Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

November 24, 2012, 03:42 PM	#1
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	pistol shifter?? Hello. i have a rat rod im building and im puttin together a wild...long shifter. Id like to usr a pistol as the shifter instead of just the old pistol grip. if i use a non working pistol as my handle is it legal? Any car guys ever saw or tried this? Ive thought of using a fake gun but if it looks rear or is real but non working there aint much difference i wouldnt think. RR

November 24, 2012, 04:15 PM	#3
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	Real and not working would be a legal classification. Fake and looks real is just fake. If its real, it would have be be rendered inoperable to a standard in whatever locale you might find yourself. If its fake, it's just fake. Fake guns aren't illegal, almost anywhere.

November 24, 2012, 06:57 PM	#4
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	Ok guys. Its a replica im looking at. Thanks..RR

November 25, 2012, 07:39 PM	#7
Avenger Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Posts: 274	I've seen a few rods with practice grenades as shifter handles, never seen a pistol though. I'm not sure how you'd go about that, shifter through the barrel would put the grip at the wrong angle. Putting the shifter rod through the bottom of the grips would work...but it'd just feel awkward as a working shifter.

November 26, 2012, 11:02 AM	#8
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	I'd use a semi-auto; weld a solid mock up of a magazine onto the shifter, and then just insert gun onto magazine. In some states you might not even need a concealed weapon permit to drive around with the functioning gun mounted to the inoperable magazine. Ehhh, better to have a permit.

November 26, 2012, 02:35 PM	#9
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Yeah, in some states, the gun MUST be visible if it's in the car with you. Other states require that the gun must be stored securely, sometimes disassembled or other BS, under the same circumstances.

November 26, 2012, 04:28 PM	#10
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	Howzabout,,, Howzabout one of the aluminum castings,,, They are made for holster makers and are rough aluminum. But they do polish up nicely. I've polished and painted a few to be displayed in a gunbelt/holster. Google "Duncan Customs" for contact info,,, And a list of dummy guns currently in their stock. 501 Salzburg Avenue, Bay City, MI 48706 Phone: 989.894.6691 Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

November 26, 2012, 11:20 PM	#12
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,442	I think it would be really cool looking. If the rest of the car is real eye catching adding that as your shifter probably won't be as big a deal as if you had some Honda CRX hatchback with mismatching wheels and a body kit attached with Dollar Tree double sided tape. What if you did it at an angle, like the barrel was pointing down toward your console. That way the grip would be at a better angle for the actual shifting.

November 26, 2012, 11:21 PM	#13
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,442	Course another thought would be to use some kind of shell... That could look pretty cool.

November 27, 2012, 08:28 PM	#15
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	[IMG]www.ratrodsrule.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13128[/IMG] Thanks for the info guys. Its gonna be eye catching. Its a 54 international harvester rat rod. Custom everything....blown sbc...dual semi tires...air ride....bullhorn stacks...chopped top..ect ill try n post a link if yer interested. id like more info on that alluminum casting. Im thinkin ed roth rat fink design with a 1849 dragoon. Tack weld the shifter arm and the trigger guard together and just hold onto it like yer holdin a gun. Lol RR

November 28, 2012, 09:54 PM	#17
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	Pics...pics....pics...lol

November 30, 2012, 11:18 AM	#18
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	Pics yet?

November 30, 2012, 09:38 PM	#20
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	Lol. Thats ok. Im not buyin till after the holidays. RR

December 4, 2012, 10:31 PM	#22
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	I would guess that the serial number cannot go back to an FFL delivered weapon... Or it is, in fact, a firearm... In Florida, a firearm carried in the vehicle MUST NOT be visible to avoid freaking out the general public... Back in the late 70's or VERY early 80's my dad had an 18 wheeler in a movie and at a post production party or 3 he met several C&W singer stars... I think it was Waylon Jennings who had a Cadillac Seville custom... Stretched hood/front section so the thing was a 2 seater (driver/pass. seats were where back seat once was... he had a revolver as a shifter and claimed it had a threaded barrel and was not only operational but kept loaded... This was before all these star5s cleaned up their lives disavowing drugs etc. so it may have no truth but that is what was said and it was a Yexas registered car... Brent

December 4, 2012, 11:03 PM	#23
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	Thats pretty sweet. Thanks for the pics. Got me really thinking. RR