Shotshells in handguns used to be verboten?

[CountryGent]

I am reading an older book on varmint hunting. It is entitled Monarch Illustrated Guide to Varmint Hunting, by Chuck Riekert (Monarch Press, 1977).* Anyway, in a section related to handgun hunting, I found this curious:

In days gone by, a most popular weapon was a handgun loaded with comparatively fine shot so that sharp aim and accuracy weren't necessary to score a kill. Also, in tight spots where a fast and deadly shot was called for, such loadings were most efficient.

However, the U.S. Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Taxation, which has jurisdiction over the legality of firearms, ruled these shot-loaded handguns illegal, classifying them as sawed-off shotguns. Therefore, effective as they may be, don't use them. If you want to shoot snakes with a handgun, you must use standard bullets.

Just out of curiosity, was that actually the case, or was the author mistaken? This book is over 40 years old, so thinks may have changed, but I never heard of shot cartridges being used in standard, rifled handguns being a problem. So, I am just curious.

*

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[cigars]

They sell shot shells for many handgun calibers so that may be old news.

 

[bbbass]

Gives my memory a slight tickle.

However, I have used .22lr and .38 snakeshot shells most of my life, and I'm 65.

I do own two Taurus Judge firearms, both with interchangeable chokes, one smoothbore and the other rifled for .45LC. I think the Feds had to make a ruling there before the Judge and the Governor were deemed to be legal.

 

[Alexx1401]

TC at one time decades back offered a barrel that used a shot shell and some kind of choke. They thought they had it covered by Law and the BATF did one of those after it was OK, said no. It's been so long ago now I can't remember how it all shook out. There was a Co that made a 5 shot wheel gun that used both the .45 Colt and .410 at least a decade before Taurus decided to market one so they had either gotten the BATF to change the rule or drop it. Maybe the original TC was not a rifled barrel? I remember reading about it at the time but can't remember now how it all went.

 

[Capn Jack]

I believe it had to do with whether the barrel was rifled, or not.
I had an old Colt chambered for .45 ACP that worked just dandy
with 30-06 cases cut just short of chamber length and loaded with
#6 shot on top of 2400 with .410 nitro cards.

PS. That's just before your book was written. '60 - '61

 

[Argonaut]

I had and used a T/C contender in 45/410 in about 1980. There wasn't a problem with it then with the exception of California that decided it was illegal......(I was in Utah) I think it had to have a rifled barrel. It was an effective fun gun and a real monster with 3 inch magnums. I commonly use shot shells in my 44 Magnum and one of my derringers is a 45 LC/410. I tried 357 mag shot shells in my first Contender in about 1970 but they were not as effective. Things change with the ATF all the time.......look at my TAC-14 Remington 12 gauge.