[eddie c-clamp]

I'd like a Rem wingmaster 12ga, an older model.

I see lots of em with 26,28,30" bbls.


If I were to cut it down (or have a smith) to 18.5" (shortest legal size in my home state) would it function as well as it did prior to the cut?

[evbutler462]

Yes! However, it wouldn't have any choke. In other words, you would have a scattergun in cylinder choke (no constriction). That won't affect the function and would make a great HD, quail, rabbit, short range gun.

[rino451]

You can rent the tools to clean up the cut and thread the barrel for chokes so that's not really a problem. Might not make sense unless you were to do several barrels (I think the deposit is $100 and rental is $25 or $50). Once I collect a few more barrels, that's what I'm going to do. Figure that 19", 22", and 26" should cover most bases.

[Deer Hunter]

Could just buy another barrel for it. They arn't exactly expensive.

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

YES - it's a pump - go for it.

[Gord]

Doing a hacksaw job on your existing barrel may only be productive if you don't know or don't care about pattern. If you just want something to fling a bunch of lead randomly at close range, go for it. If you are expecting it to behave like a factory barrel, buy a factory barrel, or be prepared for any number of possible surprises after you cut yours down.

It'll function fine, but how it will shoot, only God can tell.

Dave McCracken's thoughts on the subject here (http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=366623):

As for barrels, the most common query I get is about shortening them.

I've had it done a few times, and it's been 50-50 as to whether I regretted it afterwards.

[mgkdrgn]

I have one here I cut down on a Rem 870. I have two 870's, and after I purchased a slug barrel I ended up with a "spare" 26" no vent rib Mod Cly choke sitting in the closet gathering dust.

If you have a spare barrel gathering dust as I did, go ahead and cut it. If you don't buy one in the length you want ... they can be had for under $100 new, and much less used if you look around a bit.

http://www.havlinsales.com/

Left side of page, click on "Remington Barrels".

If I didn't have one just laying around, I would have bought one of these.

[Bud Tugly]

I used a hacksaw to cut down an H&R 12 gauge from 28" to 19" many years ago. Worked OK for close range shooting, except I kinda missed not having a bead on front.

I wouldn't do it on a gun that was more valuable, especially since it's easy enough these days to just sell the existing barrel and buy a new short one to replace it. Probably even break even on the deal if you shop wisely enough.

[jmr40]

I did it to an 870 barrel I picked up for cheap in a pawn shop and it worked fine. Mine ended up 21" because I cut it at one of the vent rib posts. I figured if I messed up I could have a second chance at the next post which would have made it 19". Worked perfectly so I just left it where it is.

I used a hacksaw, file and a square to get everything straight. Re-blued the end with some cold blue and added front and rear sights made for turkey hunting that clamp onto the rib. Mine groups slugs into 2" groups at 50 yards about 2" higher than my POA. Since my sights are non-adjuistable I cannot change it, but it is close enough. Buckshot patterns are wide, but probably no different than most short barreled riot guns. I still have the longer barrel with choke tubes if needed.

[foghornl]

Cutting down a barrel CAN be a Do-It-Yourself project.

That being said, I thought about it for a while for my Maverick 88, but then realized that I would only have a short no-choke barrel without a front bead. I found the Mossberg barrel on sale for $69+tax, so I know have the short HomeLand Security Barrel, and the original 28" Mod choke for Woods-N-Water uses.

[cobra2411]

How short can you legally go? I always thought it was 18.5", but I was at a gun show over the weekend and saw some as short at 12.5"...

They were all pistol grip though, could they be classified as a rifle and fall under SBR rules?

[evbutler462]

I would borrow a pipe cutter from a plumber. Tighten it a bit and make several passes, giving it a slight tightening for each turn. I've cut several using a pipe cutter. They make beautiful cuts.

[foghornl]

Minimum length on a shotgun barrel (without getting into Short-Barrel Shotgun/Any Other Weapon rules) is 18", overall length must be 26".

Measure by closing the action, drop in a rod, mark rod/remove/measure.

[oldways]

On a vent rib barrel.

Cut with a hacksaw in a miter box.

True up with file and square.

Finish with 600 and 1000 grit wet/dry.

Remove any inside burr with 600 grit.

I have done several...can't tell the difference from factory barrels.

[rcmodel]

I would borrow a pipe cutter from a plumber. I wouldn't do that on a bet.

A shotgun barrel is not straight like a pipe. It is slightly tapered.
So, a pipe cutter will try to walk down the taper toward the muzzle.

But that's not the worst of it!
A pipe cutter always raises a swaged burr on the inside of the pipe (or barrel).

That is why they make tapered pipe reamers to remove the burr on the inside of the pipe. But if you use that on a barrel, then your muzzle becomes a blunderbus!

The only correct tool to cut off a barrel is either a metal saw, or better yet, a lathe.

[RetiredLawman]

Many years ago, the local community colllege offered a course in gunsmithing. It was 17 weeks long. I decided to take it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The 2 gunsmiths that taught the course used a circular type cutter for cutting barrels. It was a larger version of the type used for cutting copper tubing. He started the cut with one pass to barely touch the metal. Then he gradually tightened the device after each pass. It took a several minutes but the cut was beautiful with no internal shavings. Then he used another tool in which the barrel end was compressed very slightly. He measured the bore end, shot it, and compressed it some more until he got what he wanted.

These barrels had great patterns. Of course, the college had a lot of gunsmithing and machining tools. These instructors could play with a barrel that was cut down to 18 1/2" and after doing their thing, it would pattern full choke. Or if they wanted it to pattern differently, they could do it.

This was 20 years ago. I remember little that I learned. You can't become a gunsmith in 17 weeks. All you can do is learn assembly, parts replacement, fundamentals, and watch licensed gunsmiths doing their magic. I wish that I could go through this course again. I can't afford the maching tools that they use to make parts so I'll just coast until the Grim Reaper gathers me up.

Happy shooting!!

[RyanM]

How short can you legally go? I always thought it was 18.5", but I was at a gun show over the weekend and saw some as short at 12.5"...

They were all pistol grip though, could they be classified as a rifle and fall under SBR rules?

Most likely they were "smoothbore pistol" AOWs. Regulated the same way as short-barreled shotguns, except the transfer tax stamp is $5 instead of $200.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/syldssuf/serbu4.jpg

Professionally done jobbies, like my Serbu, pattern fine. Mine spreads about as much as a "spreader" choke. Maybe 10-20% more than a cylinder bore. And diameter may have more to do with that than length. The bore diameter at the muzzle is 0.735", compared to 0.729" for a cylinder bore.

Whether or not a basement hobbyist or a local gunsmith can do a job that I'd call "professional" is the problem.