Short Barrel non NFA the new norm

[commando552]

The thing that I am unsure of with a 12 gauge using this system is the fact that it is over .50 cal. There is generally an exemption for shotguns that use this round, but the problem in this case is that the whole point of the grooves is to make this weapon legally not a shotgun so I don't see how it falls under that exemption. It fires the same round, but the wording of the exemption uses the term "shotgun", so not one of these things. It probably isn't a problem as Fostech got away with that "firearm" version of the Origin 12 (not a shotgun by definition as it used an arm brace so not designed for firing from the shoulder), but it seems to me that these 12 gauge "firearms" are on kind of thin ice.

Something that just occurred to me, I believe this straight lands and grooves thing was tried a while ago with .45/.410 pistols but it was nixed by the ATF (trying to solve a different problem to this use), but the point is if it has already been done by somebody can Franklin file a patent on it? Their argument is that unlike the historic use of black powder firearms their system is patented as it uses metallic cartridges, but this is not new as it has already been done with shotgun (and by extension .45 LC) rounds. I think there have also been shotguns in the past that used straight rifling on the theory that it stops the wad from spinning producing a more consistent pattern. Incidentally, the inability to use straight rifling lead to these derringers having an incredibly slow twist to the rifling that only covers about 1 inch of the barrel but that is enough apparently (there is no minimum rifling standard by the ATF, it just needs to have some degree of twist).