Any Other Weapon (AOW)

The term “any other weapon” means any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, a pistol or revolver having a barrel with a smooth bore designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell, weapons with combination shotgun and rifle barrels 12 inches or more, less than 18 inches in length, from which only a single discharge can be made from either barrel without manual reloading, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. Such term shall not include a pistol or a revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition.

Above is the official U.S. Government definition of an "Any Other Weapon," or AOW. Sounds confusingly legalese, doesn't it? Essentially, the AOW category was developed as a catch-all, for those guns that didn't immediately fit into the other descriptions in the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA 34). Some of the more common AOW's encountered include pen guns, cane guns, smooth-bore handguns, and pistols with a protruding vertical grip. In order for a non-licensed individual to build an AOW, it requires the same $200 tax as any NFA weapon. However, the tax to transfer an AOW is only $5, making them an interesting, less expensive means to explore the wonders of the NFA community.

At ETS, we have been manufacturing AOW, smooth-bore handguns based off the Remington 870 reciever. In order for an 870 reciever to be registered as an AOW, it had to have left the Remington factory without a full-length stock. We are able to get such recievers, and build them into AOWs.

The ETS 870 AOW comes chambered for 2 3/4" and 3" shells with an 11 7/8" barrel. It holds 4 rounds in the mag tube, in addition to the round in the chamber. The 870 AOWs are available with two different styles of grips. The first is a set of dual vertical grips, front and rear.

For an additional charge, these can be replaced with a set of Speedfeed grip and foreend. The Speedfeed pistol grip is the type commonly called a "birdshead," "whippet," or "NY Stakeout Squad" grip, while the foreend is the short, law enforcement style, allowing the user room to mount a shell holder without the need to modify the foreend. If the buyer desires, we can also add a handstrap to the Speedfeed foreend, which gives them the security of knowing their hand won't slide off and end up in front of the muzzle.

For a small fee, we can also mount a shell holder to the side of the gun. We recommend the Sureshell design, built by Mesa Tactical, of Costa Mesa, CA. Their design is built of aluminum, meaning it is very durable. Also, the Mesa Tactical design incorporates an innovative rubber friction retention system, ensuring that the rounds stay in place, even under heavy recoil and field use. One of the best parts of the Mesa Tactical Sureshell is actually a piece that is "missing". An NFA weapon is identified by serial number. The Mesa Tactical Sureshell is designed in such a way as to not cover the serial number of the weapon. Other designs cover the serial number, making identification in the field, or in an arms room, difficult without the use of tools.