What makes a shotgun a shotgun in the legal sense?

[Tim Ault]

I was browsing through a few thread about Short barrellled shotguns and the shockwave ect. And one think that was brought up was why can a rifle be 16" and a shotgun has to be 18" and also a pistol can be from 1"--15" aka TC contender. A common as we know it terminology shotgun has a smooth bore , But what if it has a rifled bore (slug barrel) ? Is it a rifle at that point ? Is it the shells it fires(shot) ? What if it's loaded with a single projectile (slug)? Just like a rifle or pistol? It's legal to fire shot shells in rifles and handguns along with regular ammo . So what charteristic defines a shotgun legally ? In my mind a shotgun should legally be considered a rifle or pistol if it has a rifled barrel .

[knight0334]

"Shotgun" is defined primarily by the bore type - smoothbore.

Legally to the feds: smoothbore, designed to shoot shot shells, with a shoulder stock.

Generic: smoothbore, designed to shoot shot shells.

PA doesn't define "shotgun" in the UFA, but you could be sure to bet they would follow either the generic common definition, or go to the federally defined version.


A handgun can have ANY length of barrel including 2 miles long, but for it to be a PA defined firearm it must have a barrel 15" or less, or have an overall length less than 26".


A TC Contender, Taurus Judge, etc, etc has a rifled bore. It is technically a .45 caliber handgun that just so happens to have a chamber or cylinder that is lengthened to handle .410 shells. The .45Colt and .410 shell have very similar diameters at the rim and case/shell wall - so the main variable being the length of the respective cartridges.

Putting CCI shotshells into a Ruger 10/22, or into a S&W Model 29, or into a Colt Python does not make them into shotguns. The shell really doesn't matter much, except to reinforce the definition.

The NFA defined smoothbores in 3 different ways.

1. An Short Barreled Shotgun(smoothbore) being a firearm made from a shotgun(once having had a shoulder stock) with a barrel under 18" or an AOL under 26".
2. A handgun with a smoothbore. (AOW) Lately the ATF has decided that for it to be an AOW it has to be under 26", but there is NO clause that requires an AOW to be under 26"
3. A Destructive Device, being a firearm with a bore over 1/2", except shotguns which some person of power has determined to have sporting uses. (this clause has been manipulated in different ways over the years)


A "rifled" bore shotgun, like a slug gun, is still considered a smooth bore. In true rifling the rifling is cut into the bore. In a "slug gun" the rifling is raised from the bore.

See below:

[Tim Ault]

So according to the fed your saying it's a smoothbore designed to shoot "shot shells" . what I'm saying if it's a dedicated rifled bore aka something like an Ithica deer slayer from the factory designed to shoot single projectile ammo (slug) it should be classed a rifle. Bore size is irrelevant . Yes I get your point about it and nooooo I'm not gonna attempt to find out in court . Also rifling is done the same on a slug barrel as a true rifle barrel either cut , broached or forged in , it's still a rifled barrel .the 2 groove enfield rifling looks like your illustration of the slug barrel well except it has two extra lands in the pic .

[knight0334]

So according to the fed your saying it's a smoothbore designed to shoot "shot shells" . what I'm saying if it's a dedicated rifled bore aka something like an Ithica deer slayer from the factory designed to shoot single projectile ammo (slug) it should be classed a rifle. Bore size is irrelevant . Yes I get your point about it and nooooo I'm not gonna attempt to find out in court . Also rifling is done the same on a slug barrel as a true rifle barrel either cut , broached or forged in , it's still a rifled barrel .the 2 groove enfield rifling looks like your illustration of the slug barrel well except it has two extra lands in the pic .

A "rifled shotgun" is still considered a shotgun(smoothbore). I pointed out the differences in the design. A "rifled" smoothbore has RAISED rifling. A rifle/handgun has cut rifling.

The locations of the bore diameter are opposite between the two designs. With a rifle/handgun, the bore is the smaller diameter. With a "rifled" shotgun, the bore is the larger diameter. Most, if not all shotgun chambering guns have been designated as "sporting purpose" to clear the NFA. A rifled shotgun is still considered a shotgun because the bore is smooth, except for the raised rifling. It is easier legally to pass a "rifled" shotgun off as sporting than it is a rifle over 1/2". Anything based upon the .28ga, 24ga, 20ga, 16ga, 14ga, 12ga, 10ga, 8ga, and 4ga automatically passes ATF. However, any rifles not chambered for those shotgun shells, or not based on those cartridges already declared sporting use, have to be determined to have a sporting purpose.

Example: You create a .885 Tim_Ault cartridge, then want to create a gun for it - you would have to apply for a Sporting Purpose exemption from the US Attorney General(or whomever is in authority over it today) so that it doesn't get designated as a Destructive Device. See Hubel458's work log for the 12gaFH(12 gauge From Hell).

Most of your truly rifled guns have CUT rifling whether by button or other means, rifled shotguns are made differently. The LAST thing you want is the ATF to rule "rifled shotguns" to be anything other than smoothbore of already cleared sporting purpose shotguns - because that makes them into destructive devices.

[USMC3531]

12ga is such an iffy category, relying solely on the "sporting exemption" on a whim if the atf decides that the gun no longer has a sporting purpose they can declare it a destructive devise (ie, AA12, street sweeper, etc) there are many on the market that wouldnt have passed muster years ago, and i fear some may dissapear in the blink of an eye once somebody pushes a new design too far.

[Tim Ault]

Thanks for explaining that all . Still ass backwards in my way of thinking but this is the govment making the rules after all .

[Gunsnwater]

What would happen to a shotgun barrel if you made it like a rifle barrel? Boom! The rifling is made that way because it's a retrofit. It still needs to handle regular shells and not blow up.

[MT1]

"Shotgun" is defined primarily by the bore type - smoothbore.


A "rifled" bore shotgun, like a slug gun, is still considered a smooth bore. In true rifling the rifling is cut into the bore. In a "slug gun" the rifling is raised from the bore.

See below:

I learned something new. Thanks.