A sawn-off break-action shotgun of the type commonly known as a lupara A short-barrelled shotgun (SBS), also called a scattergun, shorty, or boom stick, is a type of shotgun with a shorter gun barrel —typically under 18 inches (46 cm)—and often a pistol grip instead of a longer shoulder stock. When shortened by cutting with a saw, these are colloquially termed sawn-off shotguns or sawed.. Because sawed-off shotguns and short-barreled rifles are so easy to hide and highly dangerous, gangsters often use these weapons for crimes, which is another reason why they are illegal. What are the Penalties for this Gun Crime? Possession of a sawed-off shotgun or short-barreled rifle is a type of wobbler offense in California.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's important to first know the legal definition of a sawed-off shotgun. The ATF refers to a sawed-off shotgun as a "12-gauge Crude Manufacture," and it is defined as "any shotgun with a barrel less than 18-inches and/or an overall length of less than 26-inches, with the stock altered and.. A sawed-off shotgun is a shotgun with a modified barrel that is cut down to less than 18 inches in length. The smaller size of the barrel makes it easier to conceal, which has led to the outlawing of the weapon in many states. In the United States, the regulation of sawed-off shotguns is enforced differently at the federal and state levels.