If anything, I would be happy that such a distinction exists, because our alternative would likely be anything shorter than ### is restricted/prohib, period, rather than allowing for factory made short barrels.
All that is needed to capture all of this is to make barrel length irrelevant and say any long gun shorter than 26" (660mm) in its firing configuration is restricted. Barrel length doesn't matter, how the barrel got to that length doesn't matter, none of it matters. Just a simple OAL measurement that any gun owner can understand, any cop can enforce on the side of the road and any judge can understand in a court of law. No prohibited anything just because someone did their own gunsmithing at home or anything idiotic like that. This can also be applied across the board to all long guns, rimfire/centerfire, shotgun/rifle, whatever. No worrying about the 18.5" (470mm) barrel bullsh!t on centerfire semi barrels, no 18" (457mm) limit on cutting barrels, none of it. Just one simple, basic rule to determine classification that can be understood by all and enforced evenly and fairly across the country.
Beyond the simplicity of this rule, something else to realize is that you could no longer create a prohibited firearm with a hacksaw. You would be allowed to make any long gun into a short barreled, pistol grip toy and simply re-register it as restricted. All the dangers of inadvertently/wrongly being charged with possession of a prohibited firearm disappear.
Note this doesn't mean I condone or approve of our ridiculous laws, it just shows that the exact same end result can be had without pages of writing in the firearms act. A second thing to note is that lots of criminals do saw off rifles and carry them, cops run across them on a regular basis and I see them in the local level crime news on a fairly regular basis.
Why??? How about "as a law abiding citizen you can have anything you like but if you use it in a crime we will stomp you into the ground"?
Logic like that isn't wanted in this country full of lefty sheep. C'mon, who actually thinks personal responsibility is a real thing?
This, in my opinion is nothing short of reduculous- to have in your possession two identical rifles,same overall length,same barrel length,but one restricted and one unrestricted...makes no sense at all,and I defy anybody to be able to tell which was which ,unless it was stamped on the barrel.Laws that are not enforceable are no laws at all...
First off, it is non-restricted, not unrestricted. All guns are heavily restricted in this country. Small distinction, but an important one. Second, one is not restricted if the barrel is chopped, it is prohibited. As in completely illegal and you go straight to jail if caught with it.
Mark
