20 ga. Pistol?

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Double J

New member
Does anyone offer a barrel for a pistol in 20 gauge? Something that would fire slugs or shot. Maybe on the order of the Thompson Center or similar single shot type. I'd think it would make a good small game/ defense tool.
 
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pesta2

New member
No because it would have to shoot a bullet (be rifled) to be legal. Like the Taurus .45 LC / .410.

A shotgun is a shoulder weapon having a barrel that is 18 inches or more in length. Rifles and shotguns have an overall length of 26 inches or greater and cannot be concealed on a person.

Title II weapons are defined as all sound suppressors or silencers, all machine guns, all rifles with a barrel length less than 16 inches and shotguns with a barrel length less than 18 inches
Click to expand...
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
Firing a bullet has nothing to do with it. If a pistol bore is over .50 cal, then it is regulated by the NFA.
20 ga. pistols are available-usuall on the Mossberg 500 action, and are regulated as Any Other Weapons (AOW)
Not sure how good they would be for small game.
Several pistols are available in .410 without NFA regulation-as they have rifled barrels and are under .50 cal.
 
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Evil Dog

New member
I've seen several (even owned one for a while) but they are all flintlock muzzleloading pistols.... probably not what you have in mind.
 
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steveno

New member
as long as you don't live in Kalifornia (and maybe a couple of other states) a TC 45 Colt/410 barrel will do just fine. I have a 10 vent rib barrel that shoots really good with 3 inch 410 shells. it doesn't shoot 45 Colts very well which doesn't matter to me as I got it to shoot 410's anyway
 
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Double J

New member
What kind of pattern does the .410 pistol barrel throw? Let's say at around 25 feet or so. Also, what about the .410 slug from the pistol barrel?
 
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steveno

New member
the 410 barrel has a good enough pattern for 25 to 30 yards. I haven't slugs in it to know how they shoot. a 3 inch 410 with # 4's or # 6's covers anything that I need out of it. I figure the reason that the 45 Colt never shot very good was because of the amount of freebore a 3 inch 410 chamber creates. a 45 Colt bullet could probably do a 360 turn by the time it got to the rifling
 
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44 AMP

Staff
.410 Contender

I have one of the .45Colt/.410 barrels (10"), and it does ok. I have never patterned it, (one of these days I will), but it seems to do better with the 2.5inch shells than the 3 inch. Might just be my limited experience though.

I have fired a few .410 slugs (remember to remove the "straightener" before shooting) and was impressed by the energy, not the accuracy, but again, never shot them on paper. I'm going to have to make a range trip to really check this out.

.45 Colt never shot well from the barrel, not nearly as good as my Ruger Blackhawk. I got a .45 Colt (only) barrel and accuracy was much better.

If you want a 20ga. "pistol", open up your wallet and get permission from the Feds, then search for the old Ithaca "Auto & Burglar" gun. This was a short barreled double barrel with a pistol grip, made in 20ga., and I think 12ga. as well. I'm sure somebody out there has one for sale, to a Fed licensed individual, for the right price. Or you could make one (Fed approval FIRST) from a cheap single shot or double shotgun.
 
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shurshot

New member
Back in the 20's, Ithaca made a SXS 20, short barrel shotgun pistol, the Auto Burglar. AOW under NFA of 1933. $200.00 Registration fee with Feds, but still legal to own, although these are collectors weapons. H+R made the .410 Handy gun, and J. Stevens made a single shot .410 pistol ("Auto-shot", I think)as well. Marble made the Game Getter. Designed for pot shooting game out the window of your car during Sunday drives, and or for general purpose house gun. 44AMP is right, just be legal and consider getting a newer one.
 
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MosinM38

New member
ok.. A little off-topic.

But in GUNS magazine (I think). I saw a article on a 12 Gauge SXS pistol? I wish I could find something on it but don't see anything online about it.

He said you had to go through paperwork but you could still make one.. is that true??? I know that SBR's are allowed but this was actually a 12 gauge SXS pistol.... Anyone help with that?
 
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VUPDblue

New member
Sure, you could make one, but it would have to be registered with ATF in accordance with NFA regulations as an AOW.
 
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SDC

New member
If you made it from a receiver that wasn't originally completed as a rifle or shotgun, it could be an AOW like the Serbu Super Shorty (built on an 870 or 500 receiver that wasn't assembled with a factory buttstock); if you took an existing side by side and cut it down to pistol dimensions, you'd be manufacturing a SBS. Or you could just get a Serbu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZptrF9e7Bw
 
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buzz_knox

New member
If you plan on doing a lot of shooting with it, go ahead and find a good orthopedic surgeon and stock up on lots of muscle rub. I've played with one pistol gripped Serbu and that experience was quite enough.
 
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