Buttstock on pistol...

[zimmerstutzen]

This is a short barreled smooth bore with a 2.5 inch bore




I have seen pictures of German pistols with big barrels like that.

 

[Wes/Tex]

That's actually the 18th century version of the M.79! It was used to launch grenades during the "Lace Wars", term now used for the 18th century wars. Somewhere I've got a cute color illustration of a of one being fired by a Russian private by bracing it on the inside of a halberd's blade. The funny part is right next to him is an officer jumping in fright and the grenade going between his laced hat and the top of his head. Artist sure had a sense of humor!

 

[nwtradegun]

I disagree. muzzleloaders are totally exempt from the feds regs except moderl single shot convertible rofles. ie t/c , traditions, cva single shot center fire rifles. all else is fair game unless a state law surpercedes it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

State laws may vary but federal law only deals with modern guns. A butt stock on a black powder pistol may be a short barreled rifle but it is not against federal law. The same setup on a centerfire Ruger Blackhawk IS a short-barred rifle and a violation if you don't have a Class II dealers license or paid the appropriate taxes after being photographed and fingerprinted.

Bingo. Sez it all. Fed. is Fed. no concern with ml. But there are a lot of fuzzy state and local laws. Check first.
However, I have found that when dealing with local LEOs the automatic response to any firearms question is "No, you can't do that.". They don't know but cover themselves by saying no. Check for yer self.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Maybe I was not clear. It would have read better if I said this,
Sawing off a percussion shotgun's barrels to 12 inches and leaving the butt stock is the same as sawing off a new shotgun's barrel and leaving the butt stock intact.

Howda pistols are pistols, they do not have butt stocks. Put Howda barrels in a full buttstock stock then you very well could have an illegal gun.

All I'm saying is read the laws on short barreled guns and rifles.

Laws are funny here's is an example of a traffic law from Alabama.

Functioning windshield wipers are required for a vehicle. The law says nothing about the actual windshield. So technically you can drive a car without an actual windshield and be legal as long as you have functioning wipers.
So a person drives around in a car without a windshield and gets ticketed. He has working wipers so he takes it to court. The judge interprets the law this way.

Do you see what I mean. The pre 1898 exemption and then other laws that vary from state to state can add a lot of confusion. How a person reads and understands a law may not be the same as how it was intended and how it will be interpreted by a judge.

Maybe under YOUR state law, not under federal law or the law of Pennsylvania. I have had short barreled rifles and shotguns with long gun butt stocks. as long as it is a muzzle loader, it is ok under federal law and PA state law.I have a Springfield carbine with is a 58 caliber pistol with a detachable rifle butt stock. Every state has it's own peculiar laws

 

[Nuthatch]

Here in CA, black powder firearms are not legally firearms. So you can do whatever you want with them, at least as far as the DOJ is concerned.

But hunting regs are different. Under the CA Fish & Game code, a muzzleloader is a firearm. So barrel length matters, as does being able to designate it as a rifle vs pistol, shotgun vs rifle, etc. So even though you can legally do whatever you want to it, you may or may not be able to legally hunt with it or you may be limited in what species or hunts you can participate in.

 

[andy52]

Here in Missouri, it wouldn't matter with a CB revolver they aren't considered firearms, however, you can't do that with a modern revolver because you have then made a short-barrel rifle.

 

[Commodore Swab]

This is a short barreled smooth bore with a 2.5 inch bore




I have seen pictures of German pistols with big barrels like that.

A weapon created before the 2a was written. AFT will not allow you to own ammunition. . .That is in my mind CLEARLY illegal under the 2a as it "shall not be infringed"