Easy, stupid questions

Kordyte · December 14, 2004, 07:06 PM

How many rounds can you have in your 12ga if you are, say, trapshooting? I live in Illinois. I have heard conflicting beliefs on this, some say that you can never have more than 3 without a liscense of some sort, some say you can have as many as you want if you're not bird hunting.

What is the minimum legal barrel length for a shotgun?

444 · December 14, 2004, 07:24 PM

Generally, if you are trapshooting, you load only one round into the gun, or however many you are going to shoot right now during your turn. You don't have the shotgun loaded when shooting trap unless it is your turn to shoot.
I am not sure if the law is state or federal, but everywhere I have ever hunted, the law was that when you were hunting with a shotgun, it had to be plugged so that it could hold no more than three rounds of ammo. This was when hunting any game animal with a shotgun: for example I recently hunted whitetail deer in the state of Ohio with a shotgun and the rule said that the gun can only hold three rounds.
Other than hunting, or the rules for a particular shooting game, there is no federal law on how many rounds you have have in a shotgun. I have a shotgun with an aftermarket magazine extension that holds 10 rounds. I shot a local plate match with my defenisve shotgun that holds only four rounds. There were 7 plates, so I was at a severe disadvantage since I had to do a reload. So, when I got home, I ordered a 10 shot extension to be used with a my 28" hunting barrel. I put it all together and looked at it for a week or two and then went back to my original configuration without me ever having tried to fire it with the long magazine extension.

FirstFreedom · December 16, 2004, 02:46 PM

I don't know in your state, but if it's like my state, there are NO legal restrictions on capacity until you commence the act of "hunting", at which time its either 3 or 3+1, I forget (I think it's 3 = 2+1). The rules of your game may or may not be restrictive.... But check your local listings (laws), of course - I would not be too surprised if there were stupid capacity rules applying at ALL times in the criminal protection zone known as Daleyland.

Denny Hansen · December 16, 2004, 02:50 PM

Minimum barrel length is 18 inches. This is a federal law and accepted as the standard by most states. To be on the safe side, check local laws.

For hunting, the limit is a total of three. IIRC this is federal law and has to do with the migratory bird act.

Denny

HunterTRW · December 22, 2004, 12:43 PM

444 is correct. My copy of The Offical Rules of A.T.A. (Amateur Trapshooting Association) Tournaments, Section H (Safety), point 13, states that, "A contestant shall place a live shell in his gun only when at a firing point facing the traps. In singles shooting he may place only one live shell in his gun at a time and must remove it or the empty shell(s) before moving from one position to another. In doubles shooting he may place two live shells in his gun at at time and must remove both live shells or the empty shells before moving from one position to another. In changing from one position to another, the shooter shall not walk in front of the other competitors."

Hope this helps.

Good luck, and good shooting!

"The best shooting instructor is a case of shells" - Gene Hill

December 14, 2004, 07:06 PM	#1
Kordyte Member Join Date: November 26, 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 17	Easy, stupid questions How many rounds can you have in your 12ga if you are, say, trapshooting? I live in Illinois. I have heard conflicting beliefs on this, some say that you can never have more than 3 without a liscense of some sort, some say you can have as many as you want if you're not bird hunting. What is the minimum legal barrel length for a shotgun? __________________ "Accuracy is the product of uniformity." - Ian Campbell

December 14, 2004, 07:24 PM	#2
444 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,968	Generally, if you are trapshooting, you load only one round into the gun, or however many you are going to shoot right now during your turn. You don't have the shotgun loaded when shooting trap unless it is your turn to shoot. I am not sure if the law is state or federal, but everywhere I have ever hunted, the law was that when you were hunting with a shotgun, it had to be plugged so that it could hold no more than three rounds of ammo. This was when hunting any game animal with a shotgun: for example I recently hunted whitetail deer in the state of Ohio with a shotgun and the rule said that the gun can only hold three rounds. Other than hunting, or the rules for a particular shooting game, there is no federal law on how many rounds you have have in a shotgun. I have a shotgun with an aftermarket magazine extension that holds 10 rounds. I shot a local plate match with my defenisve shotgun that holds only four rounds. There were 7 plates, so I was at a severe disadvantage since I had to do a reload. So, when I got home, I ordered a 10 shot extension to be used with a my 28" hunting barrel. I put it all together and looked at it for a week or two and then went back to my original configuration without me ever having tried to fire it with the long magazine extension. __________________ You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.

December 16, 2004, 02:50 PM	#4
Denny Hansen Staff Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2001 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 2,422	Minimum barrel length is 18 inches. This is a federal law and accepted as the standard by most states. To be on the safe side, check local laws. For hunting, the limit is a total of three. IIRC this is federal law and has to do with the migratory bird act. Denny __________________ S.W.A.T. Magazine Weapons, Training and Tactics for the Real World Join us at TFL or at AR15.com or on Facebook

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December 16, 2004, 02:46 PM	#3
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	I don't know in your state, but if it's like my state, there are NO legal restrictions on capacity until you commence the act of "hunting", at which time its either 3 or 3+1, I forget (I think it's 3 = 2+1). The rules of your game may or may not be restrictive.... But check your local listings (laws), of course - I would not be too surprised if there were stupid capacity rules applying at ALL times in the criminal protection zone known as Daleyland.

December 22, 2004, 12:43 PM	#5
HunterTRW Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2004 Location: The Lower Forty of Hill Country Posts: 177	444 is correct. My copy of The Offical Rules of A.T.A. (Amateur Trapshooting Association) Tournaments, Section H (Safety), point 13, states that, "A contestant shall place a live shell in his gun only when at a firing point facing the traps. In singles shooting he may place only one live shell in his gun at a time and must remove it or the empty shell(s) before moving from one position to another. In doubles shooting he may place two live shells in his gun at at time and must remove both live shells or the empty shells before moving from one position to another. In changing from one position to another, the shooter shall not walk in front of the other competitors." Hope this helps. Good luck, and good shooting! "The best shooting instructor is a case of shells" - Gene Hill