Is Magnum's BFR in 45LC/410 California Legal

[Cali-V]

I was looking at whats out there in multi caliber hand guns and came across Magnum's SA BFR in 45LC/410, I'm thinking it's well made, multi caliber, and a good compliment to my M6. Then I get to the bottom and see "Not legal for sale in California"...

I know the 45 Colt is not the issue. So 410 must be the "problem", would this be classified as a shotgun, and then the "Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder" rule kicks in, or is it simply a short barrel shotgun, or is Magnum Research just being cautious.

Just kind of a curious, I see a few on the auction boards...

[ke6guj]

yup, not legal in CA. It would be an SBS and probably an AW as well.

Same rules apply to the Taurus Judge.

[N_S]

That's a big mofo right there.

[merritt]

There are a lot of pistols out there chambered for .410 and 45LC (and sometimes .454 casull and 460s&w mag since they will fit in there...) and all of them are illegal here because they are SBSs

[CALI-gula]

Interestingly, in this case, there are actually two aspects - a handgun that shoots .410 is not considered a short barrel shotgun in most other states - only in backwards CA. Elsewhere in the world, that would be a long-gun that shoots shot shells and has a shortened barrel. Note in CA, the laws says a "firearm" designed to shoot a shotgun shell, so includes handguns.

The other reason is because it has a revolving cylinder and shotguns in CA can not have revolving cylinders - it does not specify short or long barrel, or handguns. They are considered Dangersou Weapons as shotguns due to barrel length, and Assault Weapons if they have a rveloving cylinder and shoot shotgun shells - so two laws apply :

firearm which is designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell and having a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length. (B) A firearm which has an overall length of less than 26 inches and which is designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell.


And the Assault Weapon part:

12276.1. (a) Notwithstanding Section 12276, "assault weapon" shall also mean any of the following: (8) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder.

.

[Cali-V]

I can not imagine, that banning multi caliber handguns, was the intent of the two laws... but maybe I'm just a bit naive...

Damn... If it was legal, I would buy it... for the right price...

As a side note: We something comment to new or future CA residents, as to which handguns are legal here... We should remember to exclude this class of handguns...

[ke6guj]

Actually, as I think about it some more, I don't think that the BFR 45LC/410 or a Taurus Judge would be an AW. The reason is that the AW rules prohibit "(8) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder."

But those revolvers are not shotguns. A Shotgun is defined as:

(21) As used in this section, a "shotgun" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of projectiles (ball shot) or a single projectile for each pull of the trigger.

Since they never had a shoulder stock, they can't be shotguns. They can be considered short-barrelled shotguns, since that definition references any firearm that can shoot a fixed shotgun shell, not just firearms that have/had shoulder stocks.

Since it would still be an SBS, if you really wanted a BFR410 or Judge, you could maybe have a smoothbore barrell installed and transfered to you as an AOW. As an approved AOW, it would be exempt from the SBS prohibition. Sounds like a lot of work.