legal bbl length
 

Does anyone know offhand what the legal minimum rifle barrel length is ?
I think it is 16".The reason I want to know for sure is, I have a T/C contender and one of the bbl's I have is a 16" .223 rem. I do have a rifle stock and forend for it and do have a varmint scope on it.If I measure the bbl length from the muzzle to the breech when it is on the frame,it actually measures 16 1/4 ".I believe that this is both a legal rifle and handgun bbl,so it can be used either way.I would like to use it for coyotes' but want to be legal too.
Thank you for any help

RE: legal bbl length
 

you are correct, it is 16". handguns are legal with any barrel length, you could put a 20 foot long barrel on a handgun and it would still be legal.

edit: just wanted to add, dont use your rifle stock with a pistol barrel that would be illegal

RE: legal bbl length
 

HighDesertWolf is correct. 16" minimum barrel length on a rifle. And usually, the shortest you can get is 16.25". That way their isn't a chance of it being 15.99", which would be illegal.

RE: legal bbl length
 

buy a class 3 stamp for it and anything is legal....but you and everyone else is correct....16inches for rifles and shotguns........

RE: legal bbl length
 

Thanks Guys for the fast reply.I thought it was 16'',but it certainly doesn't hurt to be sure.I do know that putting a rifle stock on a shorter bbl is illegal,but just making sure that the 16 wasn't.
One of the reasons I asked this was I just saw an ad in an NRA meeting flyer that I got in the mail because the meeting was in Milwaukee Wi which is near me,and Ruger has a new rifle out called a Handi-rifle.This rifle comes with a 16 1/2 bbl in several caliber and uses a long eye relieve scope( at least thats what the picture shows).The calibers are .223,243.300 win mag( I think) and maybe one more.Sounded interesting.
Thanks again for you help

RE: legal bbl length
 

oops
-sorry Guys.I just found the Ruger ad again and I was wrong.It's called a Frontier Rifle and it's chambered for.243,7mm-08,.300 wsm,.308 win,and.325wsm
Open mouth--insert foot,but start brain before opening mouth

RE: legal bbl length
 

nope, 16" for rifles 18" for shotguns........

RE: legal bbl length
 

a handi-rifle is a break barrel gun from NEF.

RE: legal bbl length
 

Don't forget that regardless of barrel length there is also an "overall" legal length. It is possible for a shotgun to have a sufficiently long barrel, but be illegal because the stock hase been altered so that overall length is shorter than allowed.
I probably have the info around here something from my FFL days, but off the top of my head I forget the overall length dimensions for rifles and shotguns.

RE: legal bbl length
 

Wikipedia is saying that shotguns must be overall at least 28 inches and on another source I found that it said rifles must be overall length of at least 26 inches. Not sure how accurate this is....anybody still got their FFL rule books laying around?