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usa12gadge legal or not
cjkusnierz
Member Posts: 223 ✭✭✭
i have read that this shot gun was considerd a D/D. and therfor not registerable any more. then i saw one at a local shop for way too much money i may add but none the less for sale[:p]
Comments
Mark T. Christian
As I understand it these "types" of shotguns because it is a large capacity (i.e. more than 3?? (3 I think) rounds in a tube or clip), semi automatic with a bore over .5 inches are destructive devices and must be registered as such. If you go back to the place you saw the weapon and ask the person about this (if he/she is a legal FFL holder) I'm sure they'll probably say the same thing.
Mark T. Christian
After the Bush41 1989 import ban, International Ordnance Corporation began manufacture here in the United States. After the ban, they were manufactured by Ramo for law enforcement, mostly out of InterOrd parts. They are now out of production and Ramo sold all its parts as kits.
They were expensive when new, so not many were sold. I assume only a handful of selective fire versions were ever made and sold. The semi-automatics probably sold in the low thousands, but I have no idea for sure just how many total were sold. The current price likely reflects the rarity of the shotguns, and the value of a registered one. Remember, another $200 will be tacked on above the purchase price. In my opinoin, they are worth it.
After they were reclassified as a Destructive Device, a long no-fee, well-publicized registration period was put in place. I was contacted to furnish a list of all the buyers to whom I had sold these shotguns, which I did, with myself being one of the buyers. All the buyers then received registration instructions. The registration process was just like for transfer of a NFA firearm, but without the $200 tax for the initial registration.
In due time, I received the registration. I keep a copy rolled up and placed in the barrel when the shotgun is in storage. I keep the original registration in the safe and never transport the shotgun without a copy (or two) of the registration with the shotgun.
Most likely any USAS-12 on a dealer's rack is registered. Ask to see the registration papers before buying or handling. If the shotgun is not registered, it cannot now be registered, and it is contraband as MC states.
I have the 20-round drum with mine, along with the 10-round stick magazines and the original special Gilbert case and magazine pouches. They are a hoot to shoot because they weigh close to 13 pounds unloaded, and recoil is not a factor. Cutting loose with 21 rounds of, say 4 buck, will really put a lot of holes in a target! Makes a great quail gun! (There usually is no magazine capacity limit for upland game!)
It was really a shame to see these fun shotguns reclassified. I think it was the evil looks of the Street Sweeper (and the name) that goaded the antis into seeking the reclassification. Then someone realized the USAS-12 is an evil SEMI-AUTOMATIC with a 20-round drum to boot, and it just had to be reclassified too.