Why are sawed off shotguns illegal?

mel

they can be concealed more efficiently, like street sweepers.

gsschulte

easily concealable with a lot of power. and i think, not sure, but its a kinda to much collateral damage can result, its not a "clean enough" weapon.

Dude

Easily concealed.

Sean

Because they can be concealed and they are only good for killing people.

My Evil Twin

1) They're easier to conceal than an unaltered shotgun
2) The shortened barrel reduces the amount of "choke" on the shot, allowing the pattern to spread much more rapidly. This makes for good coverage when firing at a group of people, making a preferred weapon under some conditions, but makes it more likely that innocent bystanders will be hit.

cooltoque

because they are easy to hide and do alot of damage.

rita_alabama

They are a very powerful weapon that can be easily concealed. They are nearly useless for hunting due to their inaccuracy (when you saw the barrel off you lose a lot in hunting accuracy). There really is no legitimate use for them, so the people who want to carry them generally mean others harm.

dukalink6000

By law, barrels need to be of a certain length.

A sawed-off packs a lot of firepower in a smaller package

michinoku2001

Because they are more concealable than conventional shotguns and have no legitimate sporting use.

DaFinger

Barrels under 18 inchs are considered a concealed weapons.
Also the spread pattern is to wide for controlled shooting.

nixinvestigations

Because it increases the velocity of the bullet or pellets and therefore creating a much larger spread and damage to your target. It also makes it much easier to conceal it when you shorten the barrel length. The required barrel length is 12 inches past the stock.

pghmarty

Because they were too good at the job they were intended for.

andy3191

There not if you have a Class 3 Tax stamp for them.

baalberith11704

They are not illegal...federally...they are only more closely regulated as are other title 2 firearms like machine guns and suppressors. Many states however,do restrict or prohibit their possession .

Making them shorter changes 2 characteristics -

They become concealable if you cut them short enough.

Shortening the barrel widens the shot pattern to a point that covers an entire room without aiming.

At this point the gun has no legitimate purpose - its only use is to kill or hurt other people

go UCLA bruins!

Because it's altering something to be used for something up to no good. They saw off their rifles so that it's easier to conceal.

dpjejj

see above - 2 pts.

Just Me

You can stick under a coat..and the spread of the shot in wider

Me-as-a-Tree

Sawing if short makes it an (human) assault weapon.

It also takes all of the skill out of killing. ;-|

nicekrngirl

easy to hide

miyuki & kyojin

They are deadly close range weapons, and sawing them off makes them more concealable. The choke (constriction) at the end of the barrel may be cut off, and this makes the shot spread quicker. Of course, some men use slugs in them. I've seen several books about "Dumbest Criminals". One told about a robber who shoved a sawed-off shotgun into his belt at the buckle. He entered a store and did a quick draw on the clerk. The hammer was ******, and he hit the trigger. He shot himself in a very soft spot.

tranquil

When the shotguns were registered, they were described in their original state (long barrel, etc). Any tampering with the guns are suspicious (could be used for crime, gotten through illegal means).

coffeegirl

they make too much of a mess?

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