Posted: 6/4/2008 9:14:31 PM EDT
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Is a rifled shotgun barrel a rifle or a shotgun? Than if you have a Thompson Center Arms Contender pistol can you put a rifled shotgun barrel without getting a aow tax stamp? |
| i would think you would be ok without the tax stamp. in my mind its the receiver that is having paperwork done on it and being registered. or else you would have to do yellow forms everytime you bought a different barrel for it. so i don't think you can change the status from rifle to shotgun even with a different barrel. but that is just my opinion. |
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This might be a place to start www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode26/usc_sec_26_00005845----000-.html 26 USC sec. 5845(e) (e) Any other weapon The term “any other weapon” means any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, a pistol or revolver having a barrel with a smooth bore designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell, weapons with combination shotgun and rifle barrels 12 inches or more, less than 18 inches in length, from which only a single discharge can be made from either barrel without manual reloading, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. Such term shall not include a pistol or a revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition. |
Who needs .410 when you can have the 20 Gauge Fox Labs Defender revolver   EDIT- Link Fox Labs Defender |
Holy crap, Opus. Nice find. That'd be a heck of a nightstand piece. For some reason, the old photos of Battleships with their main guns blazing comes to mind. 
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I believe that's only okay because it's technically chambered for a handgun cartridge, it's only coincidentally able to fire the shotgun shell. It doesn't matter whether the bore is rifled if it's chambered for something that isn't a handgun or rifle cartridge. A rifled 12 gauge barrel is still a shotgun barrel, which is why the "12 gauge RFH" doesn't need BATFE approval to be a >.50 sporting rifle cartridge, it's already considered a shotgun regardless of the rifled/nonrifled status of the barrel. |
Two seperate issues, ANY smoothbore pistol is an AOW regardless of what cartridge it is chambered for. |
No such thing as a smoothbore pistol unless the rifling in the barrel is worn out. If the weapon is smoothbore, less than 26 inches in overall length, has a barrel less than 18 inches, and does not have a shoulder stock; it is a AOW. |
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National Firearms Act (NFA), 27 C.F.R. § 479.11, “pistol” is defined as a weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having (a) a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently aligned with, the bore(s); and (b) a short stock designed to be gripped by one hand and at an angle to and extending below the line of the bore(s). The NFA further defines the term “any other weapon” (AOW) as any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, a pistol or revolver having a barrel with a smooth bore designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell, weapons with combination shotgun and rifle barrels 12 inches or more, less than 18 inches in length, from which only a single discharge can be made from either barrel without manual reloading, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. Such term shall not include a pistol or revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition. 26 U.S.C. § 5845(e). |
I believe it has a rifled barrel. Here's what I found on their website. Model: 4510TKR-3SS Caliber: .45/.410 (2.5" chamber). Capacity: 5 Barrel Length: 3" Action: DA/SA Finish: Matte Stainless Steel Grips: Ribber Weight: 29 oz Construction: Steel Frame: Compact Front Sight: Red Fiber Optic Fixed Rear Sight: Fixed Trigger Type: Smooth Length: 7-1/2" Width: 1.531" Height: 5.394" Rate of Twist: 1:12" Grooves: 6 Safety: Firing Pin Block,Transfer Bar UPC: 7-25327-60212-5 Order #: 2-441039T MSRP: $569.00 Status: Available "We have finely tuned the rifling to spread the shot pattern at close quarters or to guide the .45 cal. bullet to the target." |
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The barrel is rifled, albeit the rifling is extremely shallow. Technically though it is rifled so it is a standard revolver and the fact that a .410 shell fits in and will fire is immaterial. I have the Thunder 5 which was the first "Judge" and it's rifling is completely straight...no twist at all. But it IS rifling. .45LC is about useless through it but .410 works great. Have not shot a "Judge" yet but I am curious how the twisted rifling affects the shot. My 12ga. 13" barreled Ithaca Mod 87 Stakeout is technically not a shotgun but a "smoothbore pistol" by definition so it is indeed an AOW. |
Reviews of the Taurus Judge that I have read indicate that it does NOT hold a pattern at all. One guy did a "carjacking simulation" where he shot the Judge at a target placed just outside his car door, less than five feet from the driver's seat, and obtained a pattern of around 4 inches with 00 buckshot. Of course, this being a gun magazine, the author purported that this was a great thing indeed! After all, you can point-shoot with it and have an increased chance of hitting the target with a few pellets even if you would have "missed" with a conventional pistol. Wow, the Judge is the point-shooting champion! I've also heard that when loaded with pistol rounds the gun isn't that accurate either, because the forcing cone isn't like that of a regular revolver, and neither is the rifling. Which leaves the Judge a jack of all trades and a master of none, IMHO. I won't be buying one. In response to the OP's question, I think he's talking about an AOW. But its certainly a valid question and would be worth a phone call to NFA Branch in DC. EDIT: Skip all the talking and go to the 5:45 minute mark of this video to see how the Judge "patterns" at nearly point blank range. Seriously, I think the range is about 1 yard from the gun to the target. Unbelieveable. www.downrange.tv/player.htm?bcpid=452320104&bclid=459256134&bctid=1119219330 |
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The answer to the OP's original question is YES, as long as it is a rifled barrel. Here is a 14" one in .45LC/.410 for sale. No NFA rules apply. www.thegunsource.com/store/item/9544_Barrels__Choke_Tubes_Thompson_Center_TC_CONTENDER_BBL_45LC_410.aspx |
According to this Gunblast article, this is #7 1/2 birdshot at 12 feet (3 yards): www.gunblast.com/Taurus-Judge.htm 
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Wow, completely unacceptable. |
Getting blasted in the face at 3 feet with #4 shot would sting like a bitch... At the very least you are going to blind your attacker. And he for damned sure ain't gonna get a date after that... Notice how the charge of pellets from the 410 is pretty dense for #4 in such a small load, and it pretty much totally covers the face of the target. Not sure what you are trying to say duke but the thing PATTERNS in that the shot load is concentric and not oblong or off to one side. What kind of "Pattern" do you expect from a 3" barrel? Plus the thing doesn't have a choke. These types of guns are for up close and personal work anyway, you aren't seriously going to use a 3" barreled shotgun at 10,25,45 feet are you? Hell you would be better served just throwing the damned gun at whatever you are trying to hit! Needless to say I won't be buying one either, it is a "Fishing" gun, for when you may need to shoot snakes while fishing rather than a personal defense gun. What do you gain by using the shot shell for defense? Just get a 45LC or 454 Casul or one of those no trick pony 460 or 500 S&Ws... and load your own damned shotshells! I knew an old guy who carried a 1911 his whole life and he loaded his own shotshells for that out of 308 brass cut back and formed and they would even cycle the action so you had a semi auto handheld shotgun! |
Whaddaya mean! Look at that "spread", you can't miss! You don't even have to aim! Its the perfect point-shooting defensive revolver! LOL AFSOC, all I'm trying to say is that I'd rather have an accurate .45LC that will deliver a devastating bullet where I aim, over an incredibly inaccurate .410 shotgun that will deliver a few pellets with minimal penetration in the general area where I point. That's all. |
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It could be cool as a dedicated snake gun. I personally think that if you've got time to pull a gun and shoot the snake, you've got time to step away from it and be fine. I agree with just loading your whatever with shotshells, that is if you load your own. For someone who doesn't load their own, it might be viable if for some reason you absolutely needed to shoot snakes. Or giant bees, with number 12 shot. |