Smooth Bore Revolver

[nkbj]

Anyone shooting a smooth bore revolver?
Hoping to hear about accuracy compared to a rifled barrel at typical tomato can distances.

 

[Walkabout]

I asked about this a while back, I was told it was illegal. I dunno.

 

[sheriff john]

Not illegal if it's a cap&ball. Results depend on size of the can and how far away you shoot.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Curious.....why would it be illegal if the barrel of a revolver was smooth??

 

[Colonial Boy]

As I remember it’s something to do with short shotguns, sort of unintended consequences as there was nothing about firing shot through rifled barrels of pistols.

 

[Coolhand]

I imagine a smooth bore .44 would make for quite the trick shooter at close range. Say throw up a clay bird and shoot it. Might could win a few bets if no one knew it wasn’t shooting round ball.

 

[Packrat]

The LeMat has a 20 ga barrel under the cylinder, RB or shot, no problem

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Illegal if it is an unmentionable revolver. Percussion guns are OK under federal law. Your mileage may vary as far as challenging an unconstitutional local ordinance. I always thought something like that would be great for shooting at wasps with charges of table salt.

 

[user 48679]

Curious.....why would it be illegal if the barrel of a revolver was smooth??

Under US Federal Law (GCA-68) non-muzzleloading handguns are prohibited from having a smooth bore.

I have no idea why the anti's who wrote the law did that - most likely because non-muzzleloading smoothbores/shotguns had to have a minimum barrel length of 18", and the dumb bunnies included smoothbore handguns because they (usually) had barrels shorter than 18".

 

[sheriff john]

B/c the chamber size severely reduces the charges in c/b revolvers, once wads are included, there's not much room for shot. Other than #9 or "dust" shot, you could probably count out pellets. Modern pistol cartridge shotshells are sold for "snake" loads mostly. Rat, mice, sparrow ammo - not rabbits & squirrels. A few used a couple of buckshot. "Garden Guns" were popular years ago - mostly rimfire 9mm, etc.

Trick shootists back in the day used pistols loaded with shot for flying targets and also there were shotshells intended for riot control sold that would cycle in Thompsons. Smokeless powder give more room for shot than black.

 

[mushka]

Bug Assault has a revolver that uses CO2 cylinders and a cylinder that contains salt. It kills the heck out of wasps and disintegrates flies.

 

[Stantheman86]

The Pietta Pepperbox is a smoothbore IIRC

 

[smoothshooter]

Curious.....why would it be illegal if the barrel of a revolver was smooth??

With cartridge guns, a smooth pistol barrel is considered a sawed off shotgun.
With muzzleloaders, it does not matter.

Illegal if it is an unmentionable revolver. Percussion guns are OK under federal law. Your mileage may vary as far as challenging an unconstitutional local ordinance. I always thought something like that would be great for shooting at wasps with charges of table salt.

Would be a decent snake gun with very small shot.
You might be surprised how well it still shoots balls out to 15-20 yards.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Thanks for the answers gentlemen. Sounds like bureaucracy at its finest. Makes me want to build an unmentionable smoothbore wheel gun.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Thanks for the answers gentlemen. Sounds like bureaucracy at its finest. Makes me want to build an unmentionable smoothbore wheel gun.

Can actually be done legally, but you gotta register it.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Can actually be done legally, but you gotta register it.

I believe you totally missed my point.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I believe you totally missed my point.

What point? You said "Makes me want to build an unmentionable smoothbore wheel gun." My response was to indicate that it can be done legally. What point did I miss? Forgive me if I am too stupid to understand, but God did not give everyone an incredible intellect.

 

[Bad Karma]

What point? You said "Makes me want to build an unmentionable smoothbore wheel gun." My response was to indicate that it can be done legally. What point did I miss? Forgive me if I am too stupid to understand, but God did not give everyone an incredible intellect.

He’s lifting a finger to the man?? Not what I would advise but hey…

 

[Whitworth]

Wonder if the groves didn't spiral but were just grooves parallel with the bore would it still meet the ATF rifling requirement? You could always make it very very slow twist, like one turn in a light year

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Smoothbore revolver or pistol = sawed off shotgun in federal terms. that's why.

ADK Bigfoot