Thanks to the byzantine regulations that define what guns are and are not legal for Americans to own, there’s a classification of gats that fall into a sort of legal limbo. As they’re technically neither shotguns nor rifles, these pistol-gripped smoothbore self-defense blasters are known to our persnickety friends at the ATF as “Non-NFA Firearms.”
Read Mossberg’s informative description of how the federal bureaucracy defines these types of guns here. Firearms like their Compact Cruisers and the new-for-2017 Mossberg 590 Shockwave shotgun. You can read the ATF’s determination letter for the Shockwave here.
Anyway, because of how Texas defines “shotgun” without the Fed’s caveat of having been made to fire from the shoulder, these firearms weren’t legal in the Lone Star State (where Mossberg happens to have a manufacturing facility). Texas viewed them as short barreled shotguns (which are legal here but require NFA registration first) even if the ATF doesn’t see them as NFA items…or even shotguns at all.
Now all that is about to change. Here’s Mossberg’s press release trumpeting the legislative victory . . .
Mossberg® 590® Shockwave® Becomes Legal in Texas on September 1, 2017
Mossberg Thanks Local Leaders for Passage of House Bill 1819
North Haven, CT – Thanks to efforts by members of the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate, House Bill (HB) 1819 passed in May 2017, the Mossberg 590 Shockwave will be legal in the state of Texas, beginning September 1, 2017. The legislation was advanced through the combined efforts of Senators Charles Perry and Craig Estes, Representatives Poncho Nevarez and Drew Springer, the National Rifle Association (NRA®) and Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA®) and clarified Texas state laws concerning the purchase of suppressors and certain firearms, including the 590 Shockwave pump-action. The change in the law hits close to home for Mossberg as the company proudly manufactures the 590 Shockwave at their facility in Eagle Pass, Texas, which is also the home district for Representative Nevarez.
“All of us at Mossberg recognize that this Bill would not have passed without the efforts of many,” said Joe Bartozzi, Mossberg Executive Vice President and General Counsel, “We were proud to add our small role in the effort and are pleased to recognize the tremendous efforts of Senators Perry and Estes and Representatives Nevarez and Springer, the NRA and TRSA.”
Mossberg introduced the 590 Shockwave firearm at the 2017 SHOT Show, accompanied by a determination letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), defining the pump-action as a “Non-NFA Firearm.” The 590 Shockwave comes from the factory with a 14-inch barrel, Shockwave Technologies Raptor® grip and overall length of 26.5-inches. Because the 590 Shockwave is not capable of being shoulder-mounted and meets the overall length requirement of 26 inches, it is defined as “firearm” under the federal Gun Control Act (GCA).
To read the BATFE letter of classification or for more information on the 590 Shockwave, please visit http://www.mossberg.com/category/series/590-shockwave/.
Shockwave® and Raptor® are registered trademarks of Shockwave Technologies/Ewer Enterprises, LLC. NRA® is a registered trademark of the National Rifle Association. TSRA® is a registered trademark of the Texas State Rifle Association.
About O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.
Founded in 1919, O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. is the oldest family-owned firearms manufacturer in America, and is the largest pump-action shotgun manufacturer in the world. Leading the way with over 100 design and utility patents to its credit, and standing as the first ISO 9001 Certified long-gun manufacturer, Mossberg is considered to be one of the most innovative firearms manufacturers in U.S. History. For more information on commercial, special purpose, law enforcement and military shotguns, rifles and accessories, please visit their website at www.mossberg.com.