I've gone back and forth to the legalities of these in Iowa. It seems they are legal under the code for the same reason they are federally legal.

What's the hives take on their legality in Iowa?

got a little happy with the submit button

"a short barrel rifle, short barrel shotgun(in Violation of federal law) OR OTHER OBJECT that fires a projectile greater than 6/10 of an inch is an offensive weapon". If it's not a shotgun, "other object" is a broad description and could feasibly be interpreted to cover anything that's not already described-and with ATF's stance that no stock=not a shotgun it makes me paranoid that some liberal in state government will use it to go after all PGO 12 gauge firearms, regardless of barrel length.


That said, I don't think it'll happen anytime soon, and I know of at least one shockwave for sale at an IA-located FFL.

I believe the shockwave is sold as an Other Firearm by mossberg.  so it is treated as such at least from a federal perspective and the form 4473.  Non NFA due to 26.5 OAL.

<edited after further research>

It's sold as "other" or "firearm". It doesn't fit handgun, rifle or shotgun designations. It will probably be the new allowance of short barrel rifles and shotguns that confirms the shockwave as legal over anything else. Possessing a short barrel in violation of federal law is a felony right? Even if IA considers the shockwave a SBS, it's not in violation of federal law.

IMHO this is non-nfa firearm so IA should have no problem with it.

No problems selling it in Iowa. We have two on the shelf right now.

I'm seeing more and more. What had me concerned was that nobody, from FFL's to Dept of Public Safety to ATF could tell me who to contact to find out if they'd be legal here-that was all before the gun bill passed and will allow legal short barrels. I'd been asking around long before they were available as a factory option, as I wanted to build one two years ago.

Sure, they're non-NFA, but there are states saying they're not legal. I didn't want to be the test case who was caught with one. Factory built, and sold here, it's easier to show. Now to decide if I'm willing to spend $400ish on a Mossberg pump.

I can't get a reply from my county attorney.

Found them at Fleet farm in Mason City today for $359. Really wanted to wait for the Remington version to be available but couldn't resist the price. maybe I'll buy the Remington once they come out too.

The Shockwave question has been ask in Iowa were two or three years. The short answer is no one knows.

Legal opinion in Ohio

I've been asking for than that-I think people started building them on their own 5 years ago(in other states) and I started asking then. They seem to be selling well(meaning lots already here), and with the new law allowing registered short barrels mentioning having them "in violation of federal law" , they'll have to come up with a hell of a reason to decide they're illegal. Even if they follow some other states' leads and call them a SBS-they're not in violation of federal law.

ETA-they all seemed to show up within a week of the big gun bill being signed-none that I know of before that.

Total grey area, but the issue depends on how much you want to roll the dice:

1) Iowa's Attorney General has an anti gun history and is unlikely to step up on an opinion, which is the next best thing to actual adjudication - we willnot have a clear ruling in Iowa without a court decision or state legislative action

2) DPS will interpret their administrative rules (which have the force of law) but would not likely offer advice on red letter Iowa Code language, which is the issue here

3) Charging someone comes down to the individual counties' political bent and the circumstances of the law enforcement interaction - I.e., you rob a bank in Johnson County with a Shockwave, the County Attorney might roll the dice on an appellate case after a trial court conviction. Discharge a Shockwave inside city limits in Sioux County, more likely to be told not to do that again. A lot also spends on the cop/department in question, how there day went, whether they can stand talking with the county attorney, etc.

4) if I lived in free parts of Iowa, I would be much less concerned. If I lived in a blue county,  places with "Aldermen" or other signs of rampant corruption, I would use use caution.

Anyone got a different assessment of how this might play out? I just see an extended period of not knowing until (1) legislative action or (2) somebody doing something stupid. Either way, no resolution until July 2018 at the earliest.

On July 1st it should clear up.

Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 724.1C Short-barreled rifle or
short-barreled shotgun —— penalty.

1. For purposes of this section, “short-barreled rifle” or
“short-barreled shotgun” means the same as defined in 18 U.S.C.
§921.

From 18 U.S.C. 921, definitions

(5) The term “shotgun” means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of an explosive to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.

(6) The term “short-barreled shotgun” means a shotgun having one or more barrels less than eighteen inches in length and any weapon made from a shotgun (whether by alteration, modification or otherwise) if such a weapon as modified has an overall length of less than twenty-six inches.

To be a "shotgun" it must be intended to be fired from the shoulder.

Shockwave was designed with a pistolgrip only and is not fired from the shoulder and is therefore not a shotgun. As the Iowa law will on July 1st mirror the federal definitions. Shockwave is merely a firearm.

atf classified it as a 'firearm' so on the 4473 here in iowa, it is simply listed as "other" and that's all there is to it.  done.

we've transferred some through here with no issue.