The Real Mad Max Shotgun

Post by **PursuitSpecial** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:51 am

First of all, an interesting note is that when Max shows up behind Johnny, and raises the shotgun to his head, you hear a click like Max is cocking the barrels. But on that kind of shotgun, like the one I bought, it cocks the barrels automatically when you bring them back up after loading the shot. So I guess they just inserted a bit of sound effects there.

Here's the Stevens Ranger 16ga I bought. It isn't 100% correct to Max's shotgun, but is still very close, and the price was right:

Ok, I didn't buy a real sawed off shotgun. That's just a photoshop job I did on what it WOULD look like. The barrel on mine is one inch longer than the legal limit, and mine has the full stock. Here's how it looks:

Has anyone carefully looked into what kind of shotgun Max had?

I've read about the Stoeger Coach gun, and it does look kind of close. Also, the Stevens Savage 311 and 411, they look close too, and like I said, my Stevens Ranger even looks pretty close.

But Max's shotgun in MM1 looks like it has a little white band and a black cap at the bottom of the handle, and mine doesn't have that. The Stoeger Coach and Stevens 311 and 411s that I've seen don't have that either.

It also looks like Max's gun has a diamond shape cut into the front grip. That can be seen around the time he shoots Bubba off his bike.

Anyone have any other thoughts as to what it might be?

Post by **ydx7** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:23 am

The barrel on mine is one inch longer than the legal limit

That barrel looks really short as it is. Is that original, or previously shortened? Is it a 12ga? How much did it cost you? I'm sure I read thad side-by-siders were actally quite expensive.

Post by **PursuitSpecial** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:32 am

Federal legal limit in the US is 18 inches. Mine is 19 inches. The best buy I have found for a very similar brand new Stoeger Coach gun (with 18.5" barrel) is $269 at the local "White Elephant" store.

At the gun show I was at (where I bought mine) I also found some other similar Stevens guns. One other Ranger model had a longer barrel and had a price tag of $250, but I think the guy said he would take $200 for it.

Another Stevens I found, I think a 311 (very similar looking to the Ranger), the guy said it was $250, and it also had a longer barrel.

The Ranger I bought with the short barrel had a price tag of $200 on it. I talked him down to $180 and including a box of 16ga shells.

I also read somewhere that I can pay an extra $200 to the federal government, and they will do an extensive background check on me, and then issue me a certificate that says it is okay for me to saw off the shotgun barrels.

The certificate is only good for me, and it must be re issued to the new owner if I ever decided to sell the gun. I'm not sure about the state and county laws though.

Post by **Kevin** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:57 am

Depending on what state you live in, you could submit an ATF Form 1 complete with photos, fingerprints, signature from a head law enforcement official in your area, and a check for $200; then you could cut the barrel as short as you want. As long as you comply with the NFA Act of 1934, it is perfectly legal under Federal law to have a sawed-off shotgun; however, some states have their own laws to prohibit them. If you wanted to buy one that is already made, you would do the same thing only the form would be an ATF Form 4.

Post by **Deaths Head** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:07 am

The click you here in the final scene of Mad Max is the tang safety being switched off.

Stoegers are an ok gun. They are actually made by IGA in Brazil I think, then imported by Stoeger to the US. I don't believe they were being made back in the 70's. My money would be on a US or British/Aussy ,made shotgun. The trouble is that in the last century quite a few gun companies (many that are not around now) made very similar looking doubles. So unless someone who worked on the films recalls the model, I think it would be very hard to tell what type is used for the MM1/2 MFP guns or the hammered Double from MM3.

Post by **PursuitSpecial** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:51 am

I found the "Form 1" on the ATF website if I wanted to make mine a sawed off.

http://www.atf.gov/forms/pdfs/f53201.pdf

$200 is a lot of money though, but it sure would be a heck of a lot cooler than some airsoft toy sawed off shotgun replica.

Post by **Kevin** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 5:06 am

The $200 tax has been in place since 1934; back then it was a ridiculously large sum of money that was there to discourage people from wanting to go through with the process; compared to that it isn't too bad now. $200 is better than serving up to 10 years in prison for doing it illegally! Also, if you ever decide to take the firearm out of state, you need to have the approved paperwork to do so. As long as you stay within your state, its no big deal though. If you could find one that has been registered as a smooth bore pistol, you could purchase it on a Form 4 with only a $5 tax; however, side-by-side smooth bore pistols are rare and quite pricey; building one would still be $200 and you would need a receiver that has never been built as a long gun; that seems highly unlikely unless you are building a pump action. Here's an Auto Burglar; as you can see, you would be much better off making a short barreled shotgun with the gun you have. If you build one, make sure you know all the laws inside and out because most cops and ATF Agents are clueless when it come to NFA firearms and you will get screwed if you don't educate yourself.

http://www.westernfirearms.com/wfc/other?set=04

Post by **Biker** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:33 am

Now why would anyone want to have a real sawnoff shot gun? It's the ultimate anti- personnel weapon at close quarters and in a confined space... a hand grenade seems to have the egde over the sawn off shotgun but tends to upset the thrower of said grenades day as well as your intended victims, as shrapnel tends to be less descriminate than aimed lead balls.... And a flame thrower is rather too bulky to have as a concealed weapon unless you're attending a scuba diving convention and everyone's wearing aqua lungs, then you can blend in a little better....

So it seems to me a waste of a perfectly good shotgun to cut it down just to have one like Max's if you're never ever going to be able to use it. Except to trim the tops of high unreachable to prune hedges, trees and such.

Care to explain this to me?

Anyone? I'd really like to know. Honest.

Biker

Post by **Kevin** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:53 am

I have no desire to own a sawed off shotgun myself. As far as being practical or making sense; why would anyone want an Interceptor replica, for that matter? Why does someone need to drive a motorcycle on the street that is capable of 0 to 60mph in under 3 seconds? Those things don't seem too practical either. The best answer for anything like that is because they want to; there is no real logic. If everything we did had to make sense then life would be pretty boring. Flamethrower... hmmm... naah, I could see myself having an accident and dying a horrible, burning death. I think I will stick to things with motors and wheels.

Post by **Biker** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 8:22 am

Well yes I can understand why I'd like to have an Interceptor replica, to drive such a monster would be such a rush, especially at high speed. The same can be said for owning a motorcycle that does 0-100 in -2 seconds...

... but effectively ruinning a perfectly good shotgun to make it into a sawn off shotgun seems tantamount to throwing spendable money down the bog and flushing it away. Having replica disarmed guns OK, even model guns I can understand, but a real working sawnoff that could never be fired except by a bank robber, or some psycho in a shopping mall. I just can't get my head around that idea.

Thanks for the reply Kevin, you do know I'm not having a pop at you personally, or any owners of shotguns for that matter.

Ditto on the flamethrower, great for getting the bar-b-que going though... if you like the lingering aftertaste of napalm. I had a mate once who got his barbie started using petrol... got the result he wanted but the burgers tasted vile

Biker