# legal long gun length?



## bone (Sep 17, 2010)

i bought 3 old rusty 12 guages at a garage sale for $50. 2 dbl barrels ones a demascus twist and a single to hang on the wall in my man cave. 

they cleaned up decent but i wouldnt think of trying to fire any of them.
problem is there 5 foot tall. i wanna cut 2 of them down. purely for decoration. one i would even like to make into a "handgun"

is my understanding correct that 18" on the barrel and 24" overall length and they will still be legal as a long gun?

even if there in a non firing condition i would still be braking the law going below the minimum length without removing the firing pins?


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## malainse (Sep 2, 2002)

Under Michigan Law it is 18" barrel and 26" overall for a shotgun. 

But, Michigan further states that any gun under 30" is a pistol. 

So, some guys have a shotgun say that is 29" and register as a pistol to be OK under the law. 

I know is a section that states does not apply to antique/collector firearms. But, I do not know if is OK for you to make shorter or if it had to be manufactured that way ??? 

So, to 100% safe 18" barrel and 30" overall.... Someone else that is more versed in this might chime in ? Or give a call to the BATF/MSP Firearms division. 


More info here: 
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(nb...ctname=mcl-750-222&query=on&highlight=shotgun


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## bone (Sep 17, 2010)

18" barrel 30" overall is good with me, like i said just for wallhangers
the old double hammer would look cool shortend i think...


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

Since you are not worried about value of the firearm. To take it completely out of service you can weld the barrell shut. Or do what they call plugging the barrell.


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## bone (Sep 17, 2010)

i dont think they really have any value, like i said i paid $50 for the pile.
the demascus one is pretty cool but its rough, the inside of the barrel has alot of rust scale init and the hinge where it breaks is worn out and wobly. the single i opened with a hammer because it was so rusted. and the side hammer dbl barrel the hammers dont stay cocked and one of the pins is frozen, even after soaking and cleaning to get the majority of the rust off.

i cant bring myself to weld them shut it just feels wrong, maybe ill just tack the firing pins in place


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

bone said:


> i dont think they really have any value, like i said i paid $50 for the pile.
> the demascus one is pretty cool but its rough, the inside of the barrel has alot of rust scale init and the hinge where it breaks is worn out and wobly. the single i opened with a hammer because it was so rusted. and the side hammer dbl barrel the hammers dont stay cocked and one of the pins is frozen, even after soaking and cleaning to get the majority of the rust off.
> 
> i cant bring myself to weld them shut it just feels wrong, maybe ill just tack the firing pins in place


Tacking the fire pins is not good enough. Because you wanting to shorten the barrel. There for you need to render the barrel useless. Metal rod in the chamber of the barrel and weld it in there. Or fill the end of the barrel at the chamber with weld.


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## bone (Sep 17, 2010)

bigcountrysg said:


> Tacking the fire pins is not good enough. Because you wanting to shorten the barrel. There for you need to render the barrel useless. Metal rod in the chamber of the barrel and weld it in there. Or fill the end of the barrel at the chamber with weld.


thats my reasoning in wanting to know the legal length that i need to maintain in barrel and overall so i wont have to do that


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