Muzzleloading Pistol legal in Ohio?

[MrFurious]

I've had a hankering to build a Savage Striker .45cal muzzleloader with a 14" barrel, but want to make sure it's legal in Ohio before I drop the cash. The only thing the ODNR Rule Book has in it is ".38 or larger caliber rifle" under the Muzzleloading Section, and "handguns with a minimum 5 inch barrel using straight wall cartridges of .357 caliber or larger" in the Gun Season Section.

So anyone have a clue if one would be legal or not? :confused: If not, I'll have to come up with some home grown straight walled cartridge and have a barrel made up.

[Lundy43123]

Unless something has changed this year, I don't think it has, they are not legal.

I talked to the DNR a few years ago about the same thing. They said that even though it isn't mentioned specifically it doesn't meet the requirements for a legal pistol as decribed.

Kim

[Nimrod]

Although I am not familiar with the model pistol you discribe, how would you load a straight wall cartridge thru the muzzle? As posted earlier, I also do not believe it would be legal to use on Ohio deer.

[MrFurious]

Originally posted by Nimrod
Although I am not familiar with the model pistol you discribe, how would you load a straight wall cartridge thru the muzzle? As posted earlier, I also do not believe it would be legal to use on Ohio deer.

The straight walled cartridge would be an alternative to the muzzleloader, not loaded from the muzzle obviously. Problem is there isn't squat for decent straight walled rifle cartridges that don't have a rim, so I'll have to reinvent something.

[KillerSquirrel]

MrFurious,

Section 2923.11 of the Ohio Revised Code defines a firearm. It can be found at http://ohio.gov under the government section. It is cryptic.

Section 1501:31 of the Ohio Administrative Code defines ONDR rules for hunting. It can also be found at the Ohio web site.

I assume this is a handgun which DOES NOT have a shoulder stock. In order for a firearm to be considered a rifle (or shotgun) it has to be designed to be primarliy fired from the shoulder. Note that any rifle or shotgun that has a barrel shorter than 18 inches is considered "sawed-off" and is now a dangerous ordinance and HIGHLY ILLEGAL. OF course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but that isn't the point here.

Though under Ohio and Federal law a muzzleloader is a firearm it does not use a cartridge. Thus, it would be excluded from the ODNR prevision for handguns.

That is why I don't think you would be able to use this particular firearm for hunting in Ohio.

Hope I helped (no I am not an attorney and the above statements are my interpretation of the law, which is cryptic),
Squirrel

[MUZZY MAN]

I believe the regs. say handgun .357 caliber or larger and a strait walled caetridge

[keith]

page 16: of Reg' a hunter CANNOT DO ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING

#6 use a muzzleloading handgun for Deer hunting[COLOR=red]

:eek: