Pistol Gripped Shotgun Question

[jy951]

My friend is considering purchasing a pistol gripped-no shoulder stock shotgun for home defense. I've talked to a gun dealer and he stated they were considered a handgun in the state I live in (IN). Does this seem correct? Also, if considered a handgun, I believe it would be illegal according to the feds to take an otherwise full stock shotgun and put the pistol grip-no shoulder stock on it since it's converting a longun to a handgun which is not allowed. Can anyone clarify this thing? My friend is thinking of just purchasing a cheap mossburg 500, hacking the barrel to 18.5 and putting a pistol grip on it and i'm not sure this is legal. Thanks.

[hogdogs]

I never heard of that since it has a second handle (forestock)... but I am no expert and many places take it upon themselves to tromp on our liberty with silly descriptions. Wasington DC calls many semi auto guns a machine gun
Fill us in when you have a definitive answer.
Brent

[scorpion_tyr]

From my understanding when I tried to purchase one out of state is that it's considered a long gun but sold as a handgun if that makes any sense. That's just what the kid behind the counter said. I'm glad he wouldn't do it though. Did a lot of research and the pistol grips w/o shoulder stock don't seem to be very accurate or easy to handle. Never fired one so I can't say for sure.

[New_Pollution1086]

tell your buddy to save time and trouble and buy the full stock shotgun.

Pistol grip only is just not fun to shoot, or particularly accurate with out a lot of practice.

T

[T. O'Heir]

A shotgun with no stock is absolutely the most useless thing on Earth.

[Cerick]

Be carefull. I know in my state of NJ you can only have a pistol grip on a non-semi-auto shotgun. Otherwise it is illegal and considered an "assault weapon." I bought a hogue tamer pistol grip and forend for my 870. I have yet to fire it with the pistol grip on but I can tell you it feels akward as hell! It is much more comfortable with the stock on. I would only use the pistol grip if size is a big issue.

[Shawn Dodson]

A shotgun fitted with a pistol grip only "butt stock" is still a shotgun, according to Federal law.

A short barrelled (less than 18") shotgun fitted with a pistol grip only "butt stock" by the manufacturer prior to retail sale is classified as an AOW (any other weapon) according to federal law. Because it is an AOW the pistol grip only "butt stock" cannot be replaced without violating Federal law.

A short barrelled (less than 18") shotgun fitted with more than a pistol grip only butt stock is considered a short barrelled shotgun according to Federal law. I don't know if it's illegal to replace the butt stock with a pistol grip only butt stock.

State law may vary.

Mossberg offers a pistol grip only shotgun.

A pistol grip only shotgun is mounted and fired exactly as one fires a handgun in retention position (firing hand pressed against side of rib cage, firing hand thumb nestled underneath pectoral muscle, firing arm pointing straight back (not chicken winged)). The support hand grips the fore end, operates the slide action and supports the majority of the gun's weight.

[freakintoguns]

I got a pistolgrip for my 870 and regretted it. got a bad blister on my trigger finger, and hurt my wrist pretty good thanks to some 3" buckshot loads. tell your buddy to stick to a regular shouldered stock

[jy951]

i'm pretty sure it does suck shooting one, but it does look cool and compact. i've never shot one, so i never thought about it. i'd tell him to get the 20 guage or even 410, but he's too macho for that.

[rem870hunter]

unless your state has a different law than the federal law. the overall length can't be less than 26". the barrel no shorter than 18"-18.5". unless you pay the $200.00 tax and go through the proper registrations, etc. under the awb you can't have a pistol grip stock on a semi auto shotgun. dad used to have a pistol grip full buttstock on his 1100. had to take it off. he put a monte carlo synthetic on it.

i had a pistol grip only on my wingmaster many years ago. fired it a few times, did not like it. i have on it now a choate pistol grip full buttstock. much better handling. looks similar to the knoxx without the recoil reducer. i also have a choate on my wingmaster magnum too. i would suggest against the pistol grip only. go with a straight or pistol grip full buttstock. i have a straight stock on my express magnum.

[oneounceload]

PGO's just plain HURT!

I had one, but put a shoulder stock on it

Keep it legal, and easy to handle

[Scattergun Bob]

One of the things to REMEMBER is that we CAN MISS with a scattergun when it is used in the personal defense role. The closer the target is to our muzzle the more we have to aim. PGO's make that very hard to do.

Good Luck & Be Safe

[inSight-NEO]

+1 for betting against shotguns such as this. Too hard to shoot accurately, and yes, accuracy does count with a shotgun in a HD situation. Also, a weapon such as this is not necessarily smiled upon from a legal standpoint. Im not saying its "illegal", but these "Rambo" style shottys seem to carry with them a negative stigma. JMHO.

Now, pistol grip w/stock is another matter entirely. I have one on my shotgun and I love it. It feels more secure to me vs a standard stock.

[Bill DeShivs]

Under federal law, it is NOT illegal to have a pistol grip on a semi auto (or any other) shotgun, as long as NFA minimum lengths are met. There is no federal AWB.

[Mike U.]

I have a PGO for my 870.
The only feasible way to make that thing work is to mount a laser for aiming and use ONLY reduced recoil loads in it.
Even with those caveats, my 870 will not wear a PGO ever again.
That PGO is brutal. If I wanna get beat up I'll go to a university bar and make fun of Obama.
Don't get me wrong, I like a long arm with a pistol grip, it's just I've grown very used to my Spec Ops stock that gives me an adjustable length stock and a PG. Talk about best of both worlds!

If ya want a PG on your shotgun, please take a serious look at the Spec Ops stock.


FWIW,
The next shotgun I buy will wear the other Knoxx Industries stock that looks like a regular synthetic stock. It looks like a more traditional shotgun stock and still has that recoil dampening ability the Spec Ops stock has.

[hogdogs]

I am about to mail off my PGO as I put it up in the pay it forward section. I can hip shoot my regular stocked gun just fine. And if you mount it with your right hand at your ribs you also have the ability to add security by clamping down on the shoulder section. I have shot a few clay birds with my PGO and have one shot one kills on many rabbits and tree rats but I have also missed often. Following an arm injury I was forced to give up the PGO but am so glad as I now have a truly versatile HD firearm. You have even more versatility with a standard stock than a AR style IMHO. The defendability of a stocked shotgun is far and away superior to a PGO and this should be a HUGE part of your HD planning. If the home invader gets the jump on you or makes an assault from any direction, the gun will do you no good if you lose.
Brent

[Hkmp5sd]

A shotgun fitted with a pistol grip only "butt stock" is still a shotgun, according to Federal law.

A PG shotgun is a "Title I Firearm" under federal law. It does not meet the legal definition of a shotgun because it lacks a shoulder stock. By definition a "Shotgun" is designed to be fired from the shoulder. As a result, it may not be sold to anyone under 21 years of age if purchased from a licensed FFL.

[hogdogs]

I was not even 20 years of age when I bought my PGO equipped Mossberg 500 brand new from a retailer.
Brent

[Hkmp5sd]

ATF made the ruling in August 1998.

http://www.atf.treas.gov/pub/fflnews_pub/ffl0898.pdf

[hogdogs]

Gotcha this was 1988 or so... I am an old fart I am quickly accepting...
Brent

[zippy13]

I've shot thousands of .410-bore shells in full stocked shotguns and the recoil is little more than a .22 rim-fire rifle. I've shot the same .410-bore shot shells in a handgun (T/C) and the recoil is significantly more than a .22 rim-fire -- I'd put it the neighborhood of a .44 special.
Shooting 12-ga shells in a full sized shotgun delivers a kick intolerable to some. Call me a sissy, no thank you, I'm going to pass on this one: I don't have to shoot a short barreled PGO to know the recoil is going to be monumental, irrespective of the fed's classification.

[rugerfreak]

I just bought a Mossberg 500 Mariner with a full stock---included in the box was a pistol grip with the mounting hardware and an Allen wrench----so what's up with that??

[alloy]

i like aiming.

[zippy13]

rugerfreak

The Mariner comes in two configurations:

• 18 1/2" barrel with pistol grip stock, and
• 20" barrel with a pistol grip stock and a pistol-grip-only kit.

You paid extra for the additional pistol-grip-only option.
Unfortunately there may be some confusion in nomenclature. A grip stock, or pistol grip stock, is a common butt stock with a grip area as opposed to a classic "English" straight stock. These days, what's often called a pistol grip stock, should really be called a detached pistol grip.

Here's a graphic of the three basic stock styles:

[Scattergun Bob]

Depending on the model the PGO comes with new Mossbergs as a spare item. Your gun came with a standard plastic buttstock attached, right?

the PGO is a gift from Mossberg that will look great on your next gun show table

Good Luck & Be Safe