The gun was in the courtroom during his trial. Could have been measured then and there.
“Could have been measured then and there.”
Unfortunately there is nothing other than a description of the gun as to barrel length and the law interpretation.
According to a New York Times article, prosecutors argued it was clear that Mr. Rittenhouse’s possession of the gun was illegal and that the jury should be asked to decide on the charge. The defense lawyers argued that the statute barring “possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18” did not apply in this case.
The statute says it applies to minors carrying a rifle or shotgun only if they are not in compliance with at least one additional statute. Those include the regulation of “hunting and use of firearms by persons under 16 years of age,” and the prohibition of rifles with barrels less than 16 inches long. Mr. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shootings. The judge threw out the charge after nobody in court disputed the length of the gun’s barrel.
So if it wasn’t measured because there was no dispute as to the length by either faction, then Rittenhouse never had a legal or illegal gun to use by law. And without someone disputing the length, it was illegal to measure the gun as it could not be provided as evidence in the case. That would have ended up double jeopardy as that dispute was tossed without further evidence and the rights of the defendant violated after the fact of the trial presentation on that part were finalized.
wy69