# Why are sawed off shotguns illegal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sawed-off-shotguns-illegal/288082>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 3, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sawed-off-shotguns-illegal/288082 "2005-02-03T00:31:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sawed-off-shotguns-illegal/288082/21 "2005-02-03T22:19:23Z")

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> [@Eats\_Crayons](#):
>
> Thought that was too cartoony to be real. Thought it was one of those “only in the movies” things.

That’s probably what the first person to get shot by one thought too.

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sawed-off-shotguns-illegal/288082/22 "2005-02-03T23:16:46Z")

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Cane guns fall into a category literally called “any other weapon” or AOW. One definition is a gun that looks like something else such as a pen or cane gun. The ATF ruled that certain types of holsters for mini revolvers constitute an AOW because they look like a wallet and allow the gun to be fired without removing it.

That super shorty shotgun by Serbu that **Crafter\_Man** linked to is technically not a short barrel shotgun but an AOW. It can get by with a $5 transfer tax as it was built from a “virgin” reciever which had never been assembled as a shotgun and does not have a shoulder stock.

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**Author:** ![cedric45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@cedric45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cedric45)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sawed-off-shotguns-illegal/288082/23 "2005-02-03T23:31:31Z")

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A shorter barrel (not necessarily “sawed-off”) works better for home defense because you can move through the house more easily with the shorter weapon. My 870 Remington’s barrel is so long that quickly getting it out of the closet and out of the case and then into a usable firing position without knocking a hole in the wall or breaking something is difficult at best.

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**Author:** ![eno801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@eno801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eno801)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sawed-off-shotguns-illegal/288082/24 "2005-02-03T23:32:10Z")

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yeah the super shorty looks nice. i was wondering our business is a corporation and i saw on the website that a corporation can own one without the sign off by the sheriff. wonder if i can get one that way.

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sawed-off-shotguns-illegal/288082/25 "2005-02-04T05:33:55Z")

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I posted a reply to your other thread, you are correct that you don’t need county sheriff signoff but you need all the BATFE red tape.

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