S&W 44 Hand Ejector with screw on barrel adapter to shoot shot shells. I bought this gun in a pawn shop in South Texas and the story I got was a rancher had the gun sent back to S&W to modify so he could shot shot shells to kill rattlesnakes on the King Ranch. The gun does have a star on the butt so it did get returned to factory and was re-nickled also. Looking to see if anyone might have any info on the modifications. Thanks

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You've got to give use some photos or there is no way anyone will be able to answer your questions.

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SWHF #595

Welcome to the forum.

Wow, what a find!

Those factory modified like yours that I've seen have a smooth bore, no rifling. Have you checked the bore?

As I recall, the 'adapter' is a form of a choke.

You should get an Authentication letter and then F/U with a request for documentation from the SWHF for the work done when returned to the factory.

Also do a search on this forum for threads about these special TLs.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Wow! I would like to see that one! Being a descendent of a ranch family whose family ranch was in San Diego, TX, near the King Ranch, I could ge real excited. Please, please post photos!

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Randy
Provenance nerd

I can’t remember what I had for lunch, but remember this thread—

Congressman Cecil King's .44 Military Smoothbore - more pics + 1

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Possum—The other white meat!

That's one I was recalling and here's another:

Smooth bore .44 special

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Welcome to the Forum.

Please post pictures ASAP.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

There was an old gunsmith in Joplin that used to specialize in shot shell conversions

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

Isn't there still some kind of law against smooth bore handguns? GCA68?

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I think they would be treated the same as sawed off shotguns. The 45/410 monsters that Taurus and S&W offer today have some rifling in their barrels, although I've read that it's pretty shallow or very slow twist (or maybe both) so as not to mess up a shot column too much.

As far as I know smooth bore handguns are a no go with the feds. The old Marble Gamegetters with smooth 44-40 bores are not legal. You may be able to get it on the curio and relic list by sending it them for examination.

An item can qualify as C&R base simply on being 50+ years old, but that doesn't avoid the NFA rules. I'd guess the Gamegetters are all that old, and so are C&R, but I don't know what if anything an owner can do to make 'em legal to own and transfer.

Any smooth bore handgun is NOT legal and if it is not already registered with the BATF it can not be made legal. It is a short barreled shotgun. No, I do not agree, but that is the ruling. George Nonte use to write about special loads for a 1917 for shotshells and he made a choke that slipped over the front sight. Said he could kill squirrels with it. I once saw a British top break that had the rifling removed, with some choke left at the muzzle. It worked, but was not legal.

If it is smoothbore, definitely get a factory letter. If it letters as smoothbore, send a copy to BATF Technical Branch with a request to reclassify it as non-NFA. They may ask that you submit the gun to them. If it doesn't letter, don't let BATF know you have it. A shotshell attachment may complicate matters.

Bob

I am hardly an expert but I was under the impression that some handguns were built with straight rifling just to get around the NFA issue.

No pictures of OP gun yet. You don't think he got scared with all of the legal discussion here ?

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Randy

Yet another one-post wonder, providing no pictures and just enough scant detail to generate guesswork by the real Forum members. Then not even so much as a thank you.