Measuring shotgun BBL.

Dustinthewind · October 10, 2008, 06:22 PM

I want to cut a shotgun down to a legal 18 inches. The question I have is this 18 inches including the chamber or 18 inches plus chamber length?

hogdogs · October 10, 2008, 06:26 PM

The way I under stand it is you close the action and slide a dowel down the barrel to the bolt face. This is the 18 inches... I also understand it is wise to stop cutting at 18.5 just cuz some folks just can't measure well.
Brent

Dustinthewind · October 10, 2008, 06:29 PM

That's what I thought too, but I have also heard that it was measured plus chamber. The extra 1/2" is probably a good idea also.

hogdogs · October 10, 2008, 06:36 PM

I think in the ol'days of the late '70s I think Michigan measured with a round or subtracted the chamber... Bogus...
Brent

4thPointofContact · October 10, 2008, 06:42 PM

BATFE measures to the bolt face unless I've heard incorrectly.

zombie666 · October 10, 2008, 08:27 PM

I've got to warn you the tape measures the BATFE uses have been known to shrink up a little.

I advise erring on the side of caution.

ebutler462 · October 10, 2008, 08:45 PM

Bolt face/breech face. Measured with a round 36" ruler. That is the way we did it when I was in LEO. Best way for you to measure is to drop a wooden dowel down the barrel with the bolt/breech closed. Mark it at the muzzle. Measure with a tape measure.

I have had many barrels turned in to our office over the years that were too short to be legal. We hammered them during the next court ordered gun destruction. We never bothered a person that turned in a short barrel. Many times on searches, arrests, traffic stops,etc, we found short barrels and confiscated them. Unless there was extenuating circumstances, no one was charged with a weapon of mass destruction.

I've been retired many years, 15+, but I've never known a person to be prosecuted for a 17 1/2" barrel. That is a myth that keeps multiplying. I was with an BATF agent that observed a 8" barrel double in a jewelry store that was on a gun rack in full view. He confiscated the gun and explained the law to the owner. The owner was a solid citizen that was not running a criminal enterprise. The law is tempered with common sense most of the time. I've never known where a half inch short got a ordinary, decent citizen in trouble. He will lose the barrel, but unless things have changed greatly in the past 15 years, he won't be charged. But, then maybe things have changed and the feds are tougher than they were back then. Methinks, however, that they are looking for real criminals, not an honest mistake in measuring by an otherwise honest guy.

Happy shooting!!

NWPilgrim · October 10, 2008, 10:29 PM

Just so you don't end up like Randy Weaver, you may want to take a photo of the tape measure alongside the barrel where you cut it, along with a current newspaper front page to document it.

I am only half joking.

dchi · October 11, 2008, 06:23 AM

I too have seen when criminals had sawed off shotguns and did not get prossecuted by the BATF. They had more serious charges against them such as trafficking which was handled on the state level. But don't take any chances, I do know they are dead serious about illegal machineguns.

October 10, 2008, 06:22 PM	#1
Dustinthewind Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 15	Measuring shotgun BBL. I want to cut a shotgun down to a legal 18 inches. The question I have is this 18 inches including the chamber or 18 inches plus chamber length?

October 10, 2008, 06:26 PM	#2
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	The way I under stand it is you close the action and slide a dowel down the barrel to the bolt face. This is the 18 inches... I also understand it is wise to stop cutting at 18.5 just cuz some folks just can't measure well. Brent

October 10, 2008, 06:29 PM	#3
Dustinthewind Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 15	That's what I thought too, but I have also heard that it was measured plus chamber. The extra 1/2" is probably a good idea also.

October 10, 2008, 06:36 PM	#4
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	I think in the ol'days of the late '70s I think Michigan measured with a round or subtracted the chamber... Bogus... Brent

October 10, 2008, 06:42 PM	#5
4thPointofContact Junior member Join Date: September 22, 2007 Posts: 197	BATFE measures to the bolt face unless I've heard incorrectly.

October 10, 2008, 08:27 PM	#6
zombie666 Member Join Date: September 9, 2008 Location: Mississippi Posts: 24	I've got to warn you the tape measures the BATFE uses have been known to shrink up a little. I advise erring on the side of caution.

October 10, 2008, 08:45 PM	#7
ebutler462 Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 437	Bolt face/breech face. Measured with a round 36" ruler. That is the way we did it when I was in LEO. Best way for you to measure is to drop a wooden dowel down the barrel with the bolt/breech closed. Mark it at the muzzle. Measure with a tape measure. I have had many barrels turned in to our office over the years that were too short to be legal. We hammered them during the next court ordered gun destruction. We never bothered a person that turned in a short barrel. Many times on searches, arrests, traffic stops,etc, we found short barrels and confiscated them. Unless there was extenuating circumstances, no one was charged with a weapon of mass destruction. I've been retired many years, 15+, but I've never known a person to be prosecuted for a 17 1/2" barrel. That is a myth that keeps multiplying. I was with an BATF agent that observed a 8" barrel double in a jewelry store that was on a gun rack in full view. He confiscated the gun and explained the law to the owner. The owner was a solid citizen that was not running a criminal enterprise. The law is tempered with common sense most of the time. I've never known where a half inch short got a ordinary, decent citizen in trouble. He will lose the barrel, but unless things have changed greatly in the past 15 years, he won't be charged. But, then maybe things have changed and the feds are tougher than they were back then. Methinks, however, that they are looking for real criminals, not an honest mistake in measuring by an otherwise honest guy. Happy shooting!!

October 10, 2008, 10:29 PM	#8
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	Just so you don't end up like Randy Weaver, you may want to take a photo of the tape measure alongside the barrel where you cut it, along with a current newspaper front page to document it. I am only half joking.

October 11, 2008, 06:23 AM	#9
dchi Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2007 Posts: 170	I too have seen when criminals had sawed off shotguns and did not get prossecuted by the BATF. They had more serious charges against them such as trafficking which was handled on the state level. But don't take any chances, I do know they are dead serious about illegal machineguns.