Everything is in the wording of the law gives one the warning that a shotgun barrel be "not less than 18 inches" which means in fact that you had better make sure that the Breech-face to muzzle tip had better be longer than 18.00 inches, for a length very close will be subject to the interpretation of the examining officer alone, not yours. Only a fool would possess such a firearm, which could conceivably mean merely having it in your hands, even if passed to you by a Federal officer or other LEO who him/herself may legally possess it. You do not have to own the weapon to be considered breaking the law. Merely handling it will do, especially if you leave your fingerprints on it.
The same principle would have applied to the subject of this article. Keeping it in a locked safe means nothing to the law. But it does certainly mean that the vet possessed it.
“Only a fool would possess such a firearm, which could conceivably mean merely having it in your hands, even if passed to you by a Federal officer or other LEO who him/herself may legally possess it.”
I know breaking the law is wrong. And I don’t advocate it.
Have you ever in your life driven 66 mph in a 65 mph zone?