A law passed by the Indiana General Assembly earlier this year repealed the state's previous prohibition on short-barreled shotguns, or guns with barrels shorter than 18 inches in length. However, Indiana residents wishing to own one of these guns must obtain the correct permits and go through background checks to be in legal possession of a short-barreled shotgun. Jim Tomes, Indiana State Senator and author of the law, says that the law is primarily aimed to get Indiana in line with federal law. He says the people who typically buy these types of guns are not the average gun owner.
"The people that buy these types of guns, they buy them for either collectability to add to their collections or if it's an older-type gun, it can cause historical value to it. They're very expensive to purchase," he says.
A 10-year federal penalty will be instituted for illegal possession or use of these guns.