Adding flash suppressor for legal length?

jtyson · July 14, 2012, 01:14 PM

Long story short, I was handed down an old beat up bolt action .410 that was cut too short. It has a nut welded to the barrel where it looks like someone may have attached a flash suppressor or something of the sort. It is about 2 inches short of legal length, and I hate to just chop it up and throw it away. It isn't worth trying to buy a new barrel for it. So I am curious if I could just thread the barrel and put on a muzzle break or flash suppressor of sorts and tack weld it so its legal length.

Ridge_Runner_5 · July 14, 2012, 02:01 PM

Welding a muzzle device on to bring it to the required length is legal on the rifle side, should be just as legal for shotguns.

TheKlawMan · July 14, 2012, 02:21 PM

It may make a difference:

1. The state you are in (you have to comply with Federal AND state law)
2. Whether the gun is semi-automatic (not sure about this being a factor)
3. If it was manufactured in the USA
4. If you use a flash suppressor or a muzzle brake

PetahW · July 14, 2012, 02:25 PM

All that's needed is to weld enough tubing onto the end/nut, with over .410" I.D. (in the OP's case) and long enough to bring the bbl to an OAL of 18" to meet the US Federal minimum bbl length requirement.

The extension needn't be an active part of the bbl, just a permanent extension of the guns length: 18" bbl with an OAL of 26".

If the buttstock's too short to make the 26" OAL minumim, make the bbl extension longer until the minimum's met.

(Why a shotgun with almost no buttstock can be legally NOT a sawed-off - as long as it's bbl is long enough that the assemby meets the 26" minimum, you're golden)

.

TheKlawMan · July 14, 2012, 02:33 PM

You may want to check your state laws. In at least one, I understand that a muzzle brake is legal but a flash suppressor is not legal. As for welding, depending on the state I believe you need not go that far, so long as the brake cannot be removed without the use of a tool (lie a screwdriver).

zippy13 · July 14, 2012, 03:50 PM

Typically, to be considered as part of the barrel's legal length, the extension must be permanent. And, there's another consideration, beyond barrel length: Threading the end of the barrel. Many law makers think a threaded barrel is an invitation to attach a silencer. Consequently, pinning threaded barrel devices is common -- it keeps the lawmakers happy and it's less drastic than welding.

jtyson · July 15, 2012, 12:44 PM

Thanks for all the responses! I think will just see about welding some tube onto what is there to make it legal.

July 14, 2012, 01:14 PM	#1
jtyson Member Join Date: June 4, 2011 Posts: 65	Adding flash suppressor for legal length? Long story short, I was handed down an old beat up bolt action .410 that was cut too short. It has a nut welded to the barrel where it looks like someone may have attached a flash suppressor or something of the sort. It is about 2 inches short of legal length, and I hate to just chop it up and throw it away. It isn't worth trying to buy a new barrel for it. So I am curious if I could just thread the barrel and put on a muzzle break or flash suppressor of sorts and tack weld it so its legal length.

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July 14, 2012, 02:01 PM	#2
Ridge_Runner_5 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,925	Welding a muzzle device on to bring it to the required length is legal on the rifle side, should be just as legal for shotguns.

July 14, 2012, 02:21 PM	#3
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	It may make a difference: 1. The state you are in (you have to comply with Federal AND state law) 2. Whether the gun is semi-automatic (not sure about this being a factor) 3. If it was manufactured in the USA 4. If you use a flash suppressor or a muzzle brake

July 14, 2012, 02:25 PM	#4
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	All that's needed is to weld enough tubing onto the end/nut, with over .410" I.D. (in the OP's case) and long enough to bring the bbl to an OAL of 18" to meet the US Federal minimum bbl length requirement. The extension needn't be an active part of the bbl, just a permanent extension of the guns length: 18" bbl with an OAL of 26". If the buttstock's too short to make the 26" OAL minumim, make the bbl extension longer until the minimum's met. (Why a shotgun with almost no buttstock can be legally NOT a sawed-off - as long as it's bbl is long enough that the assemby meets the 26" minimum, you're golden) .

July 14, 2012, 02:33 PM	#5
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	You may want to check your state laws. In at least one, I understand that a muzzle brake is legal but a flash suppressor is not legal. As for welding, depending on the state I believe you need not go that far, so long as the brake cannot be removed without the use of a tool (lie a screwdriver).

July 14, 2012, 03:50 PM	#6
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Typically, to be considered as part of the barrel's legal length, the extension must be permanent. And, there's another consideration, beyond barrel length: Threading the end of the barrel. Many law makers think a threaded barrel is an invitation to attach a silencer. Consequently, pinning threaded barrel devices is common -- it keeps the lawmakers happy and it's less drastic than welding.

July 15, 2012, 12:44 PM	#7
jtyson Member Join Date: June 4, 2011 Posts: 65	Thanks for all the responses! I think will just see about welding some tube onto what is there to make it legal.