Speaking of new shotshell dispensers, that Raging Judge 28-gauge revolver from Taurus has, according to rumor, been stepped on by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. I say \u201crumor\u201d because I haven\u2019t seen anything official on it yet from Taurus or BATFE. Can\u2019t be a \u201csawed off shotgun\u201d thing, since it has a rifled barrel; I suspect was the concern that a solid slug load for the 28 gauge would have a diameter larger than .50 caliber. Stay tuned for updates on that. There\u2019s also scuttlebutt that the popular Saiga, a semiautomatic shotgun styled like the AK47 and feeding quick-change box magazines, may be banned by the Government as well. We\u2019ll keep you posted on developments.<\/p>\n
Shotgun fanciers who want something different can console themselves with a new entry from Mossberg, says Backwoods Home\u2019s man on the ground there, Russ Lary. It\u2019s a double barrel over\/under with 18.5\u201d barrel, and takes up to 3\u201d Magnum 12 gauge. It has a Picatinny rail for a tactical light. Yeah, I know, a two-shot firearm sounds a little counterintuitive for \u201ctactical\u201d work, and I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll see SWAT teams adopting them anytime soon. However, its two shots are probably enough for \u00a0\u201cfarm gun\u201d chores. The attachable light will work great for the midnight raccoon, or the proverbial \u201cfox in the henhouse\u201d after dark; and because a double barrel has a shorter receiver (frame) than a pump or semiautomatic shotgun, it\u2019s shorter overall. Combine that inherent shortness with the \u201cbarely legal\u201d (but definitely legal, at least in the USA) 18.5\u201d barrels, and you\u2019ve got an easy-handling gun that will come out of a pickup truck or an ATV with smooth alacrity, and will be less likely to smack against the vehicle while you\u2019re doing so.\u00a0 I spent some time with an 18 \u00bd\u201d over\/under 12 gauge by another maker back in the \u201870s, and found it to be a remarkably nice, fast-handling quail and partridge gun.<\/p>\n
Many thanks to Russ Lary for being Backwoods Home\u2019s eyes and ears on the show floor and behind the scenes! Now that he\u2019s retired as a police chief, he\u2019ll have some time \u00a0to write, and I expect y\u2019all will be hearing more from him as time goes on.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/backwoodshome.com\/blogs\/MassadAyoob\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/Gunny_Russ.jpg\" "\\"OLYMPUS")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"