Are they good for anything? i tried to shoot some out of a S&W revolver and didn't hit anything let alone kill. (trying to shoot chipmunks, we're overly infested with them and they were getting into the roof of our cabln)

They're definitely a very short range load, particularly out of a rifled barrel. I used a lot for sparrows in the barn back when we had cattle. 20 feet was far enough. Squirrels are bigger, so I'd see what range gives you a 6" pattern and consider that the maximum range. Remington (and maybe others) made smooth bore .22s for indoor clays and varmints. They did have more range.

Bye
Jack

Memories. If the sparrows were high in the rafters the .22 birdshot only killed half of them instantly. The others came fluttering down, but it didn't take the barn cats long to figure it out and the sparrows never hit the floor.

do you know if anyone made a smooth bore pistol for .22 shot shells?

The govenment would take a dim view of that... don't care what caliber it is, if it's a cartridge firing smooth bore, should meet the same requirements as a 12ga.

Curiously, smooth bore handguns are one thing the Canadian government hasn't got around to outlawing. (Hope Wendy doesn't see this.) You see Marble Game-getters at gun shows every now and again.

Bye
Jack

That is interesting Jack. One of those would get a man some serious time this side of the line.

44...I actually keep some handy for our pesky pine squirrels. If they are on the house, I get REAL close and use my S&W Kit gun. Out in the yard I use my sons 9422 for them. I have had very good luck with the CBLongs on yard pests under one pound. They make a very satisfying "PLllloooP" when they hit.

Scotty

The govenment would take a dim view of that... don't care what caliber it is, if it's a cartridge firing smooth bore, should meet the same requirements as a 12ga.

Can you explain why? maybe im an idiot but i understand why you would need a smoothbore .22 to be as long as a 12ga.

No one else can either..but it's still the law in the U.S. Any smooth bore cartridge firing weapon will have a barrel over 18" in length (and an OAL of something like 42"...not up on the OAL exactly). Doesn't matter to them if it's a .22 or any other caliber/gauge, to them it would fall under the same heading as sawing a double 20ga. to 10" of barrel and a pistol grip.

There use to be smooth bore pistols made...the law changed...the last legal "amnesty period" for registration is long gone. Lots of things like the MArble's Game Getter and the Ithaca "Auto & Burglar" didn't get registered...so when they turn up now, are confiscated and eventually destroyed.

18" barrel & 26" overall for shotguns (smoothbores). Otherwise, it's got to have a tax stamp and be registered with the ATF and who all knows what other gov't agencies.

Guess muzzle loaders are still the only exceptions...are still a good number of smooth bore flintlock/percussion pistols being produced as reproductions....but expect "govment" get arround to ruining that fun sooner or later.

In assuming this is a bunch of bull that the Dems thought up? i really think we need someone in office to give us some more rights back, as in removing some of the gun control laws. would it be illegal to put a smooth bore barrel onto an exsisting .22 revolver?

You can keep trying, but it's not going to fly...if it isn't rifled, it's a shotgun by definition, and must follow the rules of a shotgun.

IF its a "firearm", the smooth bore barrel is less than 18" long, and the OAL is less than 26", then it's not legal. Considering the length of the revolver frame/grip, would probably need 21 to 21 1/2" of barrel to make it to the legal OAL.

I'm no expert on American Firearms laws, but doesn't this one date back to the Prohibition days? Canadian law says 18" OR 26" overall length unless it's a semi-automatic, for the non-restricted class. There's a whole bunch of nit-picking regulations for restricted and prohibited firearms, written by the ballistically ignorant.

Bye
Jack

Didn't research it...think the law on smooth bore pistols came in at the same time as full-auto...call it the middle to late 1930's.

In assuming this is a bunch of bull that the Dems thought up? i really think we need someone in office to give us some more rights back, as in removing some of the gun control laws. would it be illegal to put a smooth bore barrel onto an exsisting .22 revolver?

National Firearms Act, 1934. Hence the term 'NFA' weapon which would not meet the restrictions, and normally would require a tax stamp (often $200) and sign-off from the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of your area, usually the sheriff. Silencers fall under this, too. This stuff isn't impossible to own, just highly regulated.

The whole 'tax stamp' idea was to pretend to not really ban stuff, but just make it economically unfeasible to own. They forgot to index it to inflation, though.

And yes the Dems were in power, at least FDR was in the White House, and a lot of the restrictions grew out of wild exploits of gangsters in the Prohibition era.

$200 in 1934? How many month's wages? A S&W Registered Magnum was $60 in 1935 and a 1911A1 was $41.50 a bit later. Now $200 buys the box the Registered Magnum came in or a Deputy Minister's lunch.

Bye
Jack

so its not illegal but you have to get a "Stamp" on it, well thats a little better, though $200 is one **** of a price for just a little stamp...

A very interesting article on the subject.
http://www.webleyweb.com/tle/le970315-03.html

Bye
Jack

You can keep trying, but it's not going to fly...if it isn't rifled, it's a shotgun by definition, and must follow the rules of a shotgun.

IF its a "firearm", the smooth bore barrel is less than 18" long, and the OAL is less than 26", then it's not legal. Considering the length of the revolver frame/grip, would probably need 21 to 21 1/2" of barrel to make it to the legal OAL.

How does the Thompson Contender, that is smooth bore and chambers .410 shot shells and I think it is .45 handgun ammo, get past this rule. Are sure there is a blanket law that goes by bore type? It seems more like something much more arbitruary like whether or not the receiver is originally registered as a handgun receiver, shotgun receiver, or a rifle receiver. I do not know myself.

Ribbonstone and Jack Monteith are correct- smoothbore pistols were outlawed in the US in the 1930's (1934?), along with full auto firearms.

Ribbonstone and Jack Monteith are correct- smoothbore pistols were outlawed in the US in the 1930's (1934?), along with full auto firearms.



Smoothbore handguns are big no-no.... but the contender shotshell barrels aren't smoothbore, they are rifled.

Didn't research it...think the law on smooth bore pistols came in at the same time as full-auto...call it the middle to late 1930's.


I believe the ban on smoothbore revolvers only dates to the mid 1950's as they were legally made up until then. The trouble with the law is that there are the statutes and then there are the administrative rulings. For years after the NFA was passes the BATF exempted revolvers and then one day... no more.