Wouldn't that in effect mean that your shotgun is licensed as a restricted firearm in any event? As AFAIK slugs are restricted, and rifling offers no other benefit other than Slug use for a shotgun?

Fair point, I hadn't considered the interchangeable barrel aspect.

Interesting quandary.

Not sure how you could get a bullpup shotgun without a pistol grip, thus making it restricted, unless you get a thumb hole stock.

RE rifled shotgun - same restrictions as a rifle and hence restricted on bore size.

One exemption would be 9mm flobert, being a rimfire cartridge.

Another thing I think would be worth discussing is the difference between a shotgun and a smoothbore firearm. Shotguns having certain restrictions, mentioned above, but "air-operated rifled or smoothbore firearms", don't have any mentioned other than "assault rifle or bullpup rifle".

Very “Tactikool”.

on that note what is the most “Tactikool” legal option current for 12G?

yup. That’s the unrestricted list. SAutos not being listed it not a help

Agreed.

This is one of the flaws of the 2008 act, it mentions rifles, shotguns, rifled and smoothbore firearms. I'd be of the opinion that a shotgun with a rifled barrel is a restricted firearm because rifles aren't mentioned in what is restricted, rather "rifled centre-fire firearms" are what they discuss. That being said, certain types of shotguns are restricted as we all know, but all smoothbore firearms are non restricted. So that begs the question, what is the difference between smoothbore firearms and shotguns? Potential work around for slugs becoming non restricted and a higher capacity.

It's not necessarily a case of a shotgun becoming a rifle, rather it's a case of a shotgun becoming a restricted firearm or not. If you have a rifled shotgun, or swap the smooth bore barrel for a rifled one, that's now a "rifled centre-fire firearm" and that's a restricted firearm because of bore size. It doesn't change from a shotgun to a rifle, it changes from non restricted to restricted. And of course if you increase magazine capacity or swap the barrel for one less than 24 inches, you now have a restricted firearm. It's the exact same principle. So whether or not the firearm is a shotgun or rifle isn't relevant, it's whether you have a non restricted configuration or a restricted configuration that matters.

Yesterday I agreed with you as I was think more about all SA rifles. But I went back are doubled checked the exact wording and I’ve changed my mind.

I understand where you are coming from. But I think you are looking at it the wrong way. The restricted SI doesn’t list any restricted firearms. Not a single one, it only lists unrestricted firearms. In order to be unrestricted a firearm only needs to meet one of the definitions in 2(a)-(e).

And you are correct that a rifled shotgun is a rifled CF firearm that fails to meet 2(c)i that you quoted. However it does meet 2b:

If a rifle shotgun holds 3 or less rounds (and no pistol grip, folding stock obv.) it meets the criteria of 2b and is therefore unrestricted. There is no requirement to meet more that one subsection. If the intention was to exclude rifled shotguns, then they would have been listed under 2b as exceptions along with pistol grip and the like.

I see where you're coming from and this issue ultimately boils down to what is the difference between a rifle and a shotgun in the legislation? An easy enough difference to tell us, but naturally guidance is non existent. Ultimately it's a little redundant to get a rifled shotgun because slugs are restricted, but that's besides the point.

I very much doubt that anyone in the government could tell the difference between a rifled shotgun and a rifle, let alone know that rifled shotguns exist.

Again, it boils down to what is a shotgun, and what separates it from other firearms?

Why look for loopholes/is it/isn't it restricted etc. when it's actually quite easy to get a restricted shotgun licence.

Kel-tec KSG is essentially a shotgun version of RDB. Downward ejecting, ambidextrous, twin tubes seems useful.