[Who is John Galt?]

By the way, why is minimum barrel length 18” for shotguns, and 16” for rifles? Because Congress didn’t wish to turn millions of owners of M-1 carbines into criminals.

I always wondered why they did that (thanks ;>). It struck me years ago that the firearms laws in this country are getting just as complicated as the tax laws, and it may get to the point where gun owners have to hire consultants, just to stay legal (the way folks hire accountants/tax attorneys to stay legal with the IRS). Even professionals can't always keep things straight: saw an FFL a while back, insisting that the Mossberg 'Shockwave' was a handgun...

[elcid1970]

Those pistol grip pump or autoloaders with the 14” barrel have no legal or generic name. A loophole in NFA makes them legal if they are newly manufactured.

But if you or I cut a barrel to 14” and replace the buttstock with a pistol grip, it becomes highly illegal.

BTW, I’ve fired one of those and it’s a `wristbreaker’. Much easier to control is an 18” barrel gun with a buttstock clamped under the arm.