Legal barrel lemght

long range shooter

What is the legal barrel lenght of shotguns in Ireland.
Is it 26 or 24" non restricted

Thanks

Sparks

Section 12A says you cannot reduce the barrel length of a shotgun below 61cm. That one hasn't any grey area at all; it's a straight-up no-no.

It also says it's illegal to possess a shotgun with a barrel length under 61cm, but there's a bit of grey area here because it says "to possess without lawful authority or reasonable excuse" and quite a few of us think that if you buy a shotgun from the manufacturer and it comes with a barrel shorter than 61cm and you get it licenced with that short barrel, then that should qualify as "lawful authority". But so far as anyone can tell, this hasn't been ruled on in a court yet, so nobody's quite sure.

Personally, I'd err on the side of not having to spend a few months in court and get a 62cm barrel, but I love a quiet life and I prefer to spend my money on things that aren't solicitors and barristers...


ps. By the way, restricted/nonrestricted hasn't anything to do with section 12A, but if you have a shotgun with a barrel less than 60.9cm long, it'll need a restricted licence - which offers a bit of support to the argument that a licence constitutes lawful authority, because why would you be able to get a licence for something a licence didn't cover you to possess?

long range shooter

Sparks wrote: »

Section 12A says you cannot reduce the barrel length of a shotgun below 61cm. That one hasn't any grey area at all; it's a straight-up no-no.

It also says it's illegal to possess a shotgun with a barrel length under 61cm, but there's a bit of grey area here because it says "to possess without lawful authority or reasonable excuse" and quite a few of us think that if you buy a shotgun from the manufacturer and it comes with a barrel shorter than 61cm and you get it licenced with that short barrel, then that should qualify as "lawful authority". But so far as anyone can tell, this hasn't been ruled on in a court yet, so nobody's quite sure.

Personally, I'd err on the side of not having to spend a few months in court and get a 62cm barrel, but I love a quiet life and I prefer to spend my money on things that aren't solicitors and barristers...


ps. By the way, restricted/nonrestricted hasn't anything to do with section 12A, but if you have a shotgun with a barrel less than 60.9cm long, it'll need a restricted licence - which offers a bit of support to the argument that a licence constitutes lawful authority, because why would you be able to get a licence for something a licence didn't cover you to possess?

Thanks Sparks

The reason why i ask,is because most rifled slug barrels comes in 24",and i was taking it abroad for hunting.
So can you be in a possesion of a 24 rifled slug barrel only,when you are only ment to use it for hunting abroad?Or do you have to have it on your firarmslicence as well?
I mean you can swop the barrels before going abroad?

Sparks

The problem is that it's a gray area long range - I could tell you that I think no Garda is ever going to drag you to court to argue over a 0.4mm difference in length, but honestly, that'd just be my opinion and it'd have no legal weight at all - a sufficiently annoyed Garda could turn you into the test case, even if such an event was quite unlikely to be high on their list of priorities.

long range shooter

Sparks wrote: »

The problem is that it's a gray area long range - I could tell you that I think no Garda is ever going to drag you to court to argue over a 0.4mm difference in length, but honestly, that'd just be my opinion and it'd have no legal weight at all - a sufficiently annoyed Garda could turn you into the test case, even if such an event was quite unlikely to be high on their list of priorities.

Thanks Sparks

I get the picture.
Ill get in touch with the super and see what he says.;)

Grizzly 45

long range shooter wrote: »

Thanks Sparks

The reason why i ask,is because most rifled slug barrels comes in 24",and i was taking it abroad for hunting.
So can you be in a possesion of a 24 rifled slug barrel only,when you are only ment to use it for hunting abroad?Or do you have to have it on your firarmslicence as well?
I mean you can swop the barrels before going abroad?

WHOA up there a sec!!When you say "rifled slug barrel" Is there actually rifling in it??As there you will be into a total other bucket of Cod!!

This is as explained to me by a gun dealer who had the experiance of importing a rifled shotgun barrel for a customer.

If it is a rifled shotgun barrel[ a total contradiction in terms I know].
They will possibly classify it as a rifle here,and then you are into another situation of possibly needing a rifle liscense for the rifled slug barrel.Then is it restricted or not due to the calibre size??Another grey area depending on who is reading the law.:eek:

However if it is a smoothbore slug barrel,of 24 ins or 61cms you can own it and import it as a spare shotgun barrel ,although some Garda divisions might want a serial number of your gun on the spare barrel.[Not a biggie to do.]Might want to do this anyway if you are going out foreign.
So it will come down to wether it has rifling or not in the tube.
IMO an easy life get a smoothbore slug barrel,which you can use here no problem[Great craic for skeet!:)]and without officaldom bothersomness.

Half-cocked

I wonder what the situation would be if you screwed one of those rifled chokes into a smoothbore barrel? Have you illegally converted your shotgun into a restricted 18.6mm rifle;)

Grizzly 45

Ever since Col Gerorge Vincent Fosbery VC invented the Paradox gun and sold the rights to Holland & Holland back in 1885.Shooting folks have been asking the same question!Do you have a rifle or shotgun?:eek:;)

long range shooter

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

WHOA up there a sec!!When you say "rifled slug barrel" Is there actually rifling in it??As there you will be into a total other bucket of Cod!!

This is as explained to me by a gun dealer who had the experiance of importing a rifled shotgun barrel for a customer.

If it is a rifled shotgun barrel[ a total contradiction in terms I know].
They will possibly classify it as a rifle here,and then you are into another situation of possibly needing a rifle liscense for the rifled slug barrel.Then is it restricted or not due to the calibre size??Another grey area depending on who is reading the law.:eek:

However if it is a smoothbore slug barrel,of 24 ins or 61cms you can own it and import it as a spare shotgun barrel ,although some Garda divisions might want a serial number of your gun on the spare barrel.[Not a biggie to do.]Might want to do this anyway if you are going out foreign.
So it will come down to wether it has rifling or not in the tube.
IMO an easy life get a smoothbore slug barrel,which you can use here no problem[Great craic for skeet!:)]and without officaldom bothersomness.

Well Grizzly,to make things less complicated as it allready is,i will go for a smoothbore barrel.
And yes i am not sure about any replacement barrels,cause i know the serial number is on the action,and not the barrel,so i am not sure what the super will say about that.
If not i could just "borrow" a rifled slugbarrel of a friend of mine,whos foreign,and from a country with less complicated gun laws;) and happens to have the same shotgun as me:D

Grizzly 45

long range shooter wrote: »

Well Grizzly,to make things less complicated as it allready is,i will go for a smoothbore barrel.
And yes i am not sure about any replacement barrels,cause i know the serial number is on the action,and not the barrel,so i am not sure what the super will say about that.

Nothing much TBH,as you are already a FAC holder and this is a component part.He might want the serial nr stamped on the barrel[as did mine].Should be all of 10 mins work at a local engineering works/gunsmith with a set of number& letter dies in the right size .Or just as long with a Dremel tool and a micro cutter head to engrave the number UNDER the barrel where it wont be seen.

If not i could just "borrow" a rifled slugbarrel of a friend of mine,whos foreign,and from a country with less complicated gun laws;) and happens to have the same shotgun as me:D

And proably the simplest solution to it all.:D