What's the difference?

[eastwood44mag]

I've looked into getting one of these .45LC/.410 derringers, and I see there's one made with 11 inch barrels, and the forend underneath. As far as I can see, the only way this avoids being AOW is by having rifled barrels. Is that the case? Are there any legal complications with something such as this?

Thanks.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Do you mean a Thompson Contender? A pistol can have as long a barrel as you want, just don't put a stock or vertical foregrip on it.

 

[danny]

It has to have rifling or it's a short barrel shotgun. Shotgun pistols (snake guns) are illegal.

 

[SDC]

The 45 LC/410 pistols get around this issue by having "rifling" in them (a very small amount of rifling, but rifling nonetheless), so things like the American Derringer O/Us are simply considered "handguns". If you really WANT a true handgun-sized shotgun, you can go either the SBS/short-barrelled shotgun approach (which involves cutting an existing shotgun down, after the appropriate licences and payment of taxes), or the AOW/any other weapon route (which takes a receiver that has never been designated as a rifle or shotgun, and builds it into a new class of firearm from the start).

 

[wdlsguy]

Shotgun pistols (snake guns) are illegal.

They are perfectly legal under federal law if you have an approved Form 1 or Form 4 as appropriate.

State law can be another matter, but even Illinois appears to allow the ownership of smoothbore pistols. See "State NFA Restrictions" in the NFA FAQ.