Washington Mossberg shockwave rules on barrel

[boxof22]

Thought about this the other day and couldn't find a direct answer when searching.

Question-
what is the legality of shortening the mossberg 590 shockwave barrel?
also-
doing modifications such as adding a longer barrel, adding a pistol grip, and or a stock?

The shockwave is classified as a "firearm" and not a long gun or shotgun so the minimumlength can be less than 18". There are SBS(short barrel shotguns) that require a tax stamp to own. But the shockwave doesn't require a tax stamp for being a "firearm"

Do not have a shockwave, but i admire the design and maybe someday i will get one. I reside in Washington if that matters.

Thanks for your time

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[bcp]

You change its ATF category if it goes below 26 inches length due to a shorter barrel or pistol grip. But I don't know what that involves. If you put a stock on it, that is a much larger change of category, to a short barrel shotgun.

I think a longer barrel would not change its category.

Article here:

The Shockwave - A Completely Legal Sawn-Off

The Shockwave is one of the most disruptive guns of the decade. Mossberg is mostly known as that shotgun company but this ain't a shotgun.

sofrep.com

Bruce

 

[spookshack]

@The Heretic

 

[arakboss]

Thought about this the other day and couldn't find a direct answer when searching.

Question-
what is the legality of shortening the mossberg 590 shockwave barrel?
also-
doing modifications such as adding a longer barrel, adding a pistol grip, and or a stock?

The shockwave is classified as a "firearm" and not a long gun or shotgun so the minimumlength can be less than 18". There are SBS(short barrel shotguns) that require a tax stamp to own. But the shockwave doesn't require a tax stamp for being a "firearm"

Do not have a shockwave, but i admire the design and maybe someday i will get one. I reside in Washington if that matters.

Thanks for your time

I would say longer barrel is OK. I would think adding a stock after adding an 18+ inch barrel would be OK too. It wouldn't be much different than adding a 16+ inch barrel and stock to a pistol.

 

[boxof22]

You change its ATF category if it goes below 26 inches length due to a shorter barrel or pistol grip. But I don't know what that involves. If you put a stock on it, that is a much larger change of category, to a short barrel shotgun.

I think a longer barrel would not change its category.

Article here:

The Shockwave - A Completely Legal Sawn-Off

The Shockwave is one of the most disruptive guns of the decade. Mossberg is mostly known as that shotgun company but this ain't a shotgun.

sofrep.com

Bruce

Good article.

Pretty much you CAN shorten the barrel as long as its OVERALL length is 26". However there isn't much to shorten on the barrel due to the design. Also if you put a stock on it, i think it would change it to sbs. So there isn't much to change then. That's what im getting from the article.

Now my question is. If i bought the shockwave, and was getting a secondary stock and barrel to turn it into a normal shotgun. Would it be legal? I technically wouldn't break any laws right? it would be registered as a firearm and not shotgun. At that point it would just be a 500 and not a 590. Is that part illegal? Could i by a mossberg 500 and then by a shockwave grip and barrel and throw it on the 500 reciver, and do it the other way around

 

[arakboss]

Good article.

Pretty much you CAN shorten the barrel as long as its OVERALL length is 26". However there isn't much to shorten on the barrel due to the design. Also if you put a stock on it, i think it would change it to sbs. So there isn't much to change then. That's what im getting from the article.

Now my question is. If i bought the shockwave, and was getting a secondary stock and barrel to turn it into a normal shotgun. Would it be legal? I technically wouldn't break any laws right? it would be registered as a firearm and not shotgun. At that point it would just be a 500 and not a 590. Is that part illegal? Could i by a mossberg 500 and then by a shockwave grip and barrel and throw it on the 500 reciver, and do it the other way around

It should be legal, as long as the barrel is 18+ inches, to put a stock on it. You would now have a shotgun instead of a firearm. Same would apply to putting a 16+ inch rifled barrel and a stock on a Glock pistol.

 

[Flopsweat]

If you keep the shorter barrel, you might want to keep the birdhead grip too. Constructive possession and all that. This has come up in some discussions about pistol braces. I'm assuming it applies to shotguns too, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Bushman]

Just buy a regular shotgun to be safe.

 

[arakboss]

My belief is that a Shockwave receiver starts out life just like an AR15 receiver. It could be built into a pistol, rifle, shotgun or firearm. The general consensus seems to be that, if it is first manufactured as a rifle it can't be legally changed into a pistol or firearm. If it is first built into a pistol or firearm, then it can be legally converted to a rifle. I am guessing that the rifle rule also applies to shotguns but I am not sure about that.

All of my fresh non-rifle receivers begin life as a receiver only and then the next stop is a pistol configuration then what ever other legal configuration I desire.

 

[The Heretic]

Thought about this the other day and couldn't find a direct answer when searching.

Question-
what is the legality of shortening the mossberg 590 shockwave barrel?

also-
doing modifications such as adding a longer barrel, adding a pistol grip, and or a stock?

Shorten, lengthen, these firearms can have any length of barrel, as long as the OAL is 26" or more. There are questions as to whether this includes a brace, with the latest brace fiasco - but I think it is safe, currently, to include the length of a brace.

Mossberg does sell a version of the Shockwave with an 18" barrel for those states that have state SBS laws that would make the Shockwave with a 14" barrel an SBS there. You could put a muzzle brake/etc. on a shortened barrel to keep it long enough to meet the OAL, but it has to be permanently affixed (pinned/silver soldered - just like on a rifle to make the rifle barrel meet the 16" barrel length for rifles).

As for other mods, most are legal as long as you do not shorten the OAL below 26", changing the grip is fine, but most pistol grips will shorten the length. There is a version of the Knoxx Breacher grip that keeps the length legal. There is nothing about the raptor grip that is special legally, except its length. A folding brace would mean that the OAL would be measured when the brace is folded.

A buttstock would make the Shockwave/et. al. with a 14" barrel, a SBS (or a non-NFA shotgun if it has an 18"+ barrel). So in the case of these "firearms", once you make it into a shotgun, it stays a shotgun - it cannot go back to being a "firearm". These are not pistols, so they cannot go back and forth with regards to legal status. The legal status is such that they were never a shotgun, so it you make it into a SBS by adding a stock, it becomes a shotgun and cannot go back - legally.

National - Thoughts on Shockwave/Tac-14/et. al. legality, etc.

Owned a Shockwave for all of a week+ now, haven't shot it yet, but this is about thoughts on legality issues. I originally did not understand how these could be legal, but over the years I came to understand the basic premise of where these fall in the law. At first I didn't see much of a use...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[boxof22]

Just buy a regular shotgun to be safe.

Gotta take advantage of these things before the government wants more of my money to do the same thing i could do now. Just take a look at history. We used to have full auto, but now its "bad"

My belief is that a Shockwave receiver starts out life just like an AR15 receiver. It could be built into a pistol, rifle, shotgun or firearm. The general consensus seems to be that, if it is first manufactured as a rifle it can't be legally changed into a pistol or firearm. If it is first built into a pistol or firearm, then it can be legally converted to a rifle. I am guessing that the rifle rule also applies to shotguns but I am not sure about that.

All of my fresh non-rifle receivers begin life as a receiver only and then the next stop is a pistol configuration then what ever other legal configuration I desire.

Okay. After viewing the response looks like it wouldn't be worth to put a stock/brace on or even shorten the barrel. I don't really even like the legal pistol grip that makes it 26 OAL much. But it might be worth to buy the 590 and be able to convert back and forth to 'shotgun' from 'firearm'.

To clarify, it's legal to buy a shockwave 590. While also getting a mossberg 500 barrel and stock. And have the ability to equip the 590 receiver with the 500 parts to make it a 'shotgun' because it's registered under a 590 'firearm" and there isn't a tax stamp for a shotgun or firearm. (Washington law). As long as you make sure not to make a sbs in the process.

But the other way around isn't legal or is? Because if we look at the pistol and rifle rule for ARs. We can't convert to pistol from rifle because of the tax stamp.

 

[Flopsweat]

Gotta take advantage of these things before the government wants more of my money to do the same thing i could do now. Just take a look at history. We used to have full auto, but now its "bad"

Okay. After viewing the response looks like it wouldn't be worth to put a stock/brace on or even shorten the barrel. I don't really even like the legal pistol grip that makes it 26 OAL much. But it might be worth to buy the 590 and be able to convert back and forth to 'shotgun' from 'firearm'.

To clarify, it's legal to buy a shockwave 590. While also getting a mossberg 500 barrel and stock. And have the ability to equip the 590 receiver with the 500 parts to make it a 'shotgun' because it's registered under a 590 'firearm" and there isn't a tax stamp for a shotgun or firearm. (Washington law). As long as you make sure not to make a sbs in the process.

But the other way around isn't legal or is? Because if we look at the pistol and rifle rule for ARs. We can't convert to pistol from rifle because of the tax stamp.

You should check with an attorney about that, but I think you could do it. For just a couple hundred more, you could just have a Shockwave and a regular 590. Also, the pump on the Shockwave is not the same as the one on the 590. I know this because it takes a different grip. I don't know how that might effect a barrel swap.

 

[boxof22]

You should check with an attorney about that, but I think you could do it. For just a couple hundred more, you could just have a Shockwave and a regular 590. Also, the pump on the Shockwave is not the same as the one on the 590. I know this because it takes a different grip. I don't know how that might effect a barrel swap.

I didn't realize the shockwave and the 590 were different. I thought the shockwave, 590, and 500 all had the same reciver/pump/barrel size

 

[The Heretic]

Okay. After viewing the response looks like it wouldn't be worth to put a stock/brace on or even shorten the barrel. I don't really even like the legal pistol grip that makes it 26 OAL much. But it might be worth to buy the 590 and be able to convert back and forth to 'shotgun' from 'firearm'.

No - as I said, you cannot go back and forth - this is NOT like the pistol->rifle->pistol case; these "firearms" are not pistols.

They are "firearms" because they were never a shotgun. It you make them into a shotgun they can not be made back into a "firearm". Once a shotgun, always a shotgun.

To clarify, it's legal to buy a shockwave 590. While also getting a mossberg 500 barrel and stock. And have the ability to equip the 590 receiver with the 500 parts to make it a 'shotgun' because it's registered under a 590 'firearm" and there isn't a tax stamp for a shotgun or firearm. (Washington law). As long as you make sure not to make a sbs in the process.

NO - see above.

 

[The Heretic]

You should check with an attorney about that, but I think you could do it. For just a couple hundred more, you could just have a Shockwave and a regular 590. Also, the pump on the Shockwave is not the same as the one on the 590. I know this because it takes a different grip. I don't know how that might effect a barrel swap.

No - cannot go back and forth.

Also, the foregrips on the various 590s are different based on barrel & mag tube lengths, but it is mostly the mag tube IIRC.

 

[Flopsweat]

I didn't realize the shockwave and the 590 were different. I thought the shockwave, 590, and 500 all had the same reciver/pump/barrel size

From working on both a Shockwave and a 590 and replacing several parts, I would guess that the only difference is the magazine and the forend (the pump handgrip).

EDIT: Heretic got his post in before I hit Submit. Sounds like he knows what what's up.

 

[The Heretic]

From working on both a Shockwave and a 590 and replacing several parts, I would guess that the only difference is the magazine and the forend (the pump handgrip).

EDIT: Heretic got his post in before I hit Submit. Sounds like he knows what what's up.

If you go to the various sites online to order foregips/mag tubes/etc. - there are clues on what fits what.

 

[User 1234]

OP, I recommend that you just leave whichever gun you buy in its factory configuration. Candidly, your posts show a lack of familiarity with NFA laws. If you understand the risks and are willing to break the law then that's your choice.

If you want a super short firearm that chambers 12 gauge then get an NFA AOW. Mossberg Compact Cruiser, Serbu Super Shorty, etc. Yes the NFA process is required, but if the standard Shockwave is too long for you then the AOW path is less risky legally.

 

[spookshack]

SBS's are a no go in WA.

 

[Kolat]

AOWs are good to go in WA