[Jimmie T.]

I am just curious about the guns the IRS is buying. They are requesting a 14" barrel for one thing. I never see any discussion regarding any shotty with a barrel that short. For that matter I have never seen one for sale. Is a 14" barrel legal? If it is the government doing the shooting maybe that doesn't matter (I'm joking!) I am not sure which modified choke they are using, and how that comes into play with the short barrel. And then there is the ghost ring sights......Best for longer range targets when you shoot slugs, right? But on a shotgun with 14" barrel? You would think a lot of thought went into how they want this gun to function and not just someone's tact-i-cool dream of a shotty.

Here is the actual RFP.


The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to purchase sixty Remington Model 870 Police RAMAC #24587 12 gauge pump-action shotguns for the Criminal Investigation Division. The Remington parkerized shotguns, with fourteen inch barrel, modified choke, Wilson Combat Ghost Ring rear sight and XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil Adjustable Stock, and Speedfeed ribbed black forend, are designated as the only shotguns authorized for IRS duty based on compatibility with IRS existing shotgun inventory, certified armorer and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.

[Gunnerpalace]

They could have been better served with 590A1's,

Those Wilson jobs tend to be super overpriced.

[Fred Fuller]

Those Wilson jobs tend to be super overpriced

Not to people spending OPM. (other peoples' money)

Is a 14" barrel legal? Yes, IF your state allows NFA items and you jump through the designated hoops. Including paying $200 for the tax stamp required for s SBS, aka short barreled shotgun.

These guns will be spending lots'o'time in cars. In and out of cars makes short barrels reasonable, and the dotgov doesn't have to mess with NFA paperwork. The GR sight system extends the sight radius in spite of the short barrel by including the length of the receiver- a longer sight radius is good thing overall.

I'd rather have a short conventional stock, I don't like the Knoxx because the stock tube is so fat it makes it hard to get on the sights. Apparently adjustable stock length is the Hot New Thing for agencies with di-verse employees, and so is recoil reduction. I'm gonna quit now before someone accuses me of forgetting all my federal di-versity training and being un- pee cee.

I say issue a person a specific shotgun, fit it to them properly, and teach them to use the thing properly, issue them a 20 gauge if they can't handle a 12, issue them a carbine if they can't handle a shotgun, keep em off the street with their butts firmly planted in a desk chair if they can't shoot anything at all, and don't saddle everyone with the same package just for the sake of uniformity.

But that's me and my attitude, and my days an an federal uncivil servant are over for good thank God.

lpl

[GigaBuist]

Random trivia:

In Canada the minimum length of a shotgun's barrel is 14". I always think it's funny when Canada's gun laws are looser than those in the States. Happens from time to time.

[Virginian]

Why would you think a bureaucratic political apointee is a good yardstick for anything beyond a waste of money?

[Gunnerpalace]

Actually I get the vibe that somebody at the IRS did a Google image search of "cool shotguns" or something like that.

[CleverNickname]

r.e. short shotguns in Canada: IIRC they're classified as "restricted" which means they can't be shot anywhere other than an authorized gun range.