Ask a Conservation Officer:

[Lee Borgersen]

Ask a Conservation Officer

Can I use my grandfather’s old .410 pistol to hunt grouse?

  Today at 1:00 a.m.




 

Q: My grandfather left me a single-shot .410 pistol with a 14-inch barrel. Is this a legal pistol and can it be used for grouse hunting?


 






A: Yes, a .410 pistol or shotgun is a popular caliber of shotshell used for grouse. Under state law, a shotgun with a barrel of less than 18 inches designed to be used with one hand is defined as a pistol. Such a unique firearm can certainly be used for grouse hunting, but you will want to make sure you are familiar with the requirements for transporting such a firearm, such as making sure it is unloaded and in a case for transporting in a motor vehicle. If you have applied for and been granted a permit to carry a pistol, you would then be able to treat that .410 as any other handgun for carry in public or transport in a motor vehicle.