Dedicated closet gun

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Boattale

Boattale

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I have a 20 gauge 1100 that was a birthday present 46 years ago. I took good care of it and it still runs 100%. Stock is still in good shape. The shotgun has a 28" modified choke plain barrel. My wife is a smallish person and is really not up to a 12 gauge 870. My plan is to have the barrel shortened to 18" and have the bead reinstalled. I'm thinking installing a recoil pad for her and shortening length of pull about an inch including the pad will also be helpful. It will be kept full of 2 3/4" # 3 buckshot.

I'm not here all the time, we live out in the country. There's about a 1/4 mile lane from the road to our house and vehicles are not seen from the road. We have 7 dogs and they function very well as a motion detector alert system, be it a deer or anyone coming up the driveway

I want to have something here she can use. She is a former competitive trap shooter and totally comfortable with firearms. I feel like I owe this to her.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?
 
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If you buy a factory made shorter barrel it will have an appropriate gas port drilled into it right?

Yeah if I ever form 1 my S12 I will have to hog out the gas ports for it to reliability cycle low brass ammo.
If I chop an S12 to 16 inches it should cycle most ammo, if I chop it to 15 or 14 inches it will only cycle high brass with out modification.

It looks like most of the 1100 barrels are a politically correct 25 to 28 inches. The shortest I could find was 22.
 
Political correctness has nothing to do with it. Barrels shorter than 22 do not work well with the 1100's gas system, which is why Remington doesn't offer a shorter barrel for it, and those who made shorter barrels by cutting one down found reliability issues. (Also why very few PD's issued 18" 1100's.) This is why Remington's current 'shorty' auto is the V3 Tac-13. It has a different operating system.
 
I personally would get her a dedicated HD gun that works with the shorty 1 3/4" 4-Buck 12 ga. shells.
 
Boattale said:
I have a 20 gauge 1100 that was a birthday present 46 years ago. I took good care of it and it still runs 100%. Stock is still in good shape. The shotgun has a 28" modified choke plain barrel. My wife is a smallish person and is really not up to a 12 gauge 870. My plan is to have the barrel shortened to 18" and have the bead reinstalled. I'm thinking installing a recoil pad for her and shortening length of pull about an inch including the pad will also be helpful. It will be kept full of 2 3/4" # 3 buckshot.

I'm not here all the time, we live out in the country. There's about a 1/4 mile lane from the road to our house and vehicles are not seen from the road. We have 7 dogs and they function very well as a motion detector alert system, be it a deer or anyone coming up the driveway

I want to have something here she can use. She is a former competitive trap shooter and totally comfortable with firearms. I feel like I owe this to her.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?
Click to expand...

Do they sell shorter barrels for the gun? Id hate to see it sawed off....
 
Regardless of what you intend to do, make sure your closet is a good place for a shotgun. I am contemplating putting a shotgun in my closet just off the master bathroom. Then I found we have humidity and mold problems. Which would be rust problems on an exposed firearm.
 
I don't know -- I wouldn't hack up that classic shotgun if I were you. The money you spend on the mods would be better spent on a dedicated 20-gauge defense gun. A youth model might be the ticket. If you like Remington semi-autos, how about an 11-87 "Compact"? Comes with a 21" barrel:

 
Boattale said:
I have a 20 gauge 1100 that was a birthday present 46 years ago. I took good care of it and it still runs 100%. Stock is still in good shape. The shotgun has a 28" modified choke plain barrel. My wife is a smallish person and is really not up to a 12 gauge 870. My plan is to have the barrel shortened to 18" and have the bead reinstalled. I'm thinking installing a recoil pad for her and shortening length of pull about an inch including the pad will also be helpful. It will be kept full of 2 3/4" # 3 buckshot.

I'm not here all the time, we live out in the country. There's about a 1/4 mile lane from the road to our house and vehicles are not seen from the road. We have 7 dogs and they function very well as a motion detector alert system, be it a deer or anyone coming up the driveway

I want to have something here she can use. She is a former competitive trap shooter and totally comfortable with firearms. I feel like I owe this to her.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?
Click to expand...
I like your ideas as long as mrs has plenty of hand strength to manipulate the bolt for the foreseeable future.
I had the pleasure of shooting with my lifelong friend and his family this morning. His mother, a widow agreed to take a few practice shots with her DA revolver. She barely had enough hand strength to pull the trigger, and was unable to work the slide of my lcp. My friend had brought a single barrel 12ga hammer gun with him to leave with her. She agreed to fire it, but again, could scarcely get the piece cocked. When she fired, she had to take a step to regain her balance.
In light of this knowledge, I heartily agree with your choice of a 20ga, as #3 buckshot is not s light trap load.
In conclusion, it should be known that my friends mother was able to load, lever, shoulder, and fire her Henry Goldenboy. 22 rifle with ease and authority.
 
Thanks for the replies. Short standard weight 20 ga. 1100 barrels are exceptionally difficult to find. After doing more research and thinking about this a little - I think 20" will be the new barrel length. Not sure how much stock I can take off or if there will still be room for a recoil pad. The gun is going to a smith next week. It only sits in the safe now. My mother, who gave me the gun for my 21st birthday, would approve.
 
Boattale said:
Thanks for the replies. Short standard weight 20 ga. 1100 barrels are exceptionally difficult to find. After doing more research and thinking about this a little - I think 20" will be the new barrel length. Not sure how much stock I can take off or if there will still be room for a recoil pad. The gun is going to a smith next week. It only sits in the safe now. My mother, who gave me the gun for my 21st birthday, would approve.
Click to expand...
Have him open up the gas ports a little also, to keep it from being undergassed. The stock bolt is 8" long, cutting it to that gives a 9" LOP, so you have plenty of room to take it down. You will have to have your gunsmith put a grind-to-fit on it if you take it down, or you can probably use a small slip-on Limbsaver if you keep it to 12" or above.
 
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Boattale said:
I have a 20 gauge 1100 that was a birthday present 46 years ago. I took good care of it and it still runs 100%. Stock is still in good shape. The shotgun has a 28" modified choke plain barrel. My wife is a smallish person and is really not up to a 12 gauge 870. My plan is to have the barrel shortened to 18" and have the bead reinstalled. I'm thinking installing a recoil pad for her and shortening length of pull about an inch including the pad will also be helpful. It will be kept full of 2 3/4" # 3 buckshot.

I'm not here all the time, we live out in the country. There's about a 1/4 mile lane from the road to our house and vehicles are not seen from the road. We have 7 dogs and they function very well as a motion detector alert system, be it a deer or anyone coming up the driveway

I want to have something here she can use. She is a former competitive trap shooter and totally comfortable with firearms. I feel like I owe this to her.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?
Click to expand...
Have you asked HER what SHE wants? - Rule #1 - SHE decides, not you

Secondly, IF she likes the 1100, just get a new short barrel; there's no magic to 18", if you find one at 20 or 21, that is fine. Since she is a former trapshooter, use the measurements from her shotgun - there is a LOT more to fit than just cutting it shorter. Women tend to have longer necks, thinner faces and DAH, DAC, cast, toe in or out, pitch, thickness of the comb, etc. ALL come into play for a well-fit shotgun. Add in a lighter gun with some buckshot loads, fit will be even more critical.
 
George P said:
Then get the second barrel and do not ruin a perfectly good barrel.
Click to expand...
Totally agree. There's no reason to cut down the barrel of a gun when you can swap the barrel in 10 seconds. If it's a money issue, you could buy a short barrel and sell the standard one.

Think of it this way: By cutting down the barrel, you're destroying the value of that shotgun. It's like throwing money out the window.
 
If it was my gun I would shop around for a shorter barrel, one will pop up on the gun sites sometime.

E-bay has some 20" slug barrels with rifle sights prices in the $175+/- range.

But it is yours so whichever way you go be sure to post some pictures and a range report.
 
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