Cutting a shotgun barrel...any tips?

[Guvnor]

Im thinking of chopping down my single shot 410 to a 19 inch barrel to make a compact camp gun.

Has anyone tried this, and how did it come out? Whats the best technique? Any tricks to keep the cut square? Will a plain old hacksaw work?

Is there an easy way to replace the bead sight with epoxy or something, or should I just say forget the bead altogether since it will be a gun used for very short range (less than 20 yards) anyway?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Schofield3]

Pipe Cutter!! easiest way I've done it; I'd say forget the front bead as well.
I found a very larger cutter at Lowes and it has worked very well on several shotgun barrels, take your time and cut slowly & it will come out nicely. you can also cold blue the cut barrel after which gives nice results as well....

 

[rcmodel]

Your best bet is to wrap a strip of masking tape around the barrel where you want to cut it. That will keep it straight if you can follow the tape line with a fine-tooth hacksaw.

Finish up the cut with a fine-cut file.
Just file it down to the tape line and break the sharp edges when you get done.

The best way to put the bead back on is by drilling & tapping it.
Glue isn't gonna work so hot, or at all, most likely..

You probably don't need the sight for your stated purpose, but it would make it more finished looking if you did put it back on.

Any gunsmith should be able to D&T it for very little.

IMO: Forget the pipe cutter!
Barrels are tapered, and a pipe cutter will want to walk down the taper and cut threads.

They also throw up a nasty little bur on the inside of the pipe, or barrel, that is very hard to remove without damaging the muzzle.

rc

 

[Schofield3]

They also throw up a nasty bur on the inside of the pipe, or barrel that is hard to deal with.

On the contrary Using a larger pipe cutter and takin it slowly will yield wonderful results and it leaves a much cleaner muzzle/crown than a saw.

Respectfully,

 

[Guvnor]

Thanks fellas.

Ill probably use a hacksaw since I have one laying around. I dont have a pipe cutter and im aiming for this project to be as cheap/free as possible since the gun itself was only a hundred bucks.

When I use the hacksaw, will it leave a sharp edge on the inside of the barrel? If so, should I lightly file the inside edge or maybe just use some extra fine grit sandpaper?

 

[Old Guard Dog]

A hacksaw will work fine, but to get the barrel perfectly square, use a machinist square and a good file. Deburr the inside and outside of the barrel, and a little cold blueing, and you're good to go. Drill and tap the bead sight. The taps aren't that much, and it is the right way to do it.

 

[dfariswheel]

Here's my basic tools version:

Cutting down a shotgun barrel.
Measure the existing barrel by closing the action (make sure it's empty) and putting a dowel rod or cleaning rod down the barrel.
Mark the rod even with the muzzle, remove it and measure from the end of the rod to the mark.
This is the actual barrel length.

Measure the rod to the length you want the barrel to be and mark it.
The barrel MUST be at least 18" long, and if you're smart, you won't go under 18 1/2".

After marking the rod at 18 1/2" or how ever long you want it, lay it along side the barrel with the FIRST mark even with the muzzle, then mark the barrel at the second mark.
This will be where the barrel will be cut.

STOP...... Start all over and measure everything AGAIN to be SURE.
Make sure the action is closed when you put the rod down the bore, and make SURE you measure everything RIGHT so the cut line isn't less than 18 1/2".
A smart man measures everything SEVERAL times. Cut too short and you just committed a FELONY.

Once you're SURE about where you want to cut, carefully wrap a piece of tape around the barrel, keeping it as square with the barrel as possible.
Buy a GOOD fine-tooth hacksaw blade and use it in a good high-tension saw frame.

When you're ready to make the cut...STOP... check everything out again one last time.

When you're SURE, make a one or two stroke gentle cut on the tape cut line. Then rotate the barrel and make another one or two stroke light cut.
Continue this until you have a shallow line cut all the way around the barrel.

Continue making one or two stoke cuts and rotating the barrel until the barrel is cut through.
Doing it this way insures you make a SQUARE cut that doesn't drift off and make the muzzle uneven.
This prevents having to do a lot of filing to try to square the muzzle up again.

Once the barrel is cut, use a fine-cut file to carefully remove the saw marks from the end of the muzzle, then use the file to break the sharp outer edge.
Wrap fine metal-type wet or dry sand cloth around the ball of your thumb, and use that to break the sharp inner edge of the muzzle.

Use cold blue to touch up the cut edge.

For a new front sight, either have a gunsmith install a new bead, or buy a Remington type bead and base unit from Brownell's, and soft solder it on by "sweating" it in place.
Brownell's sell this as a "Colonial Arms" front sight base, item number 198-104-101.

To solder the base on, use a fine-cut file to remove a spot of bluing from the barrel that is JUST as large as the new base. (solder won't stick to bluing).
Clean the base of any grease, heat it up and apply a thin coat of Brownell's Force-44 solder to it.
Apply a thin coat of flux on the bottom of the base, then clamp it on the barrel.
Heat the barrel until the solder melts then allow to cool.
Clean everything up and you're in business.

Another option is to use the new "Black Max" bonder made by Loctite and sold by Brownell's.
This is a "super-glue" mixed with a black rubbery binder that's specifically made to bond on shotgun sights. From all reports it really holds if you do the job right.

 

[Guvnor]

Great! Thanks

 

[krs]

The beads are generally threaded in. I'd have to pull one but I'd bet it's one of the common gun screw sizes - maybe 6-48, but I'm really not sure because it's been too long.

 

[Geneseo1911]

I used a chopsaw. It worked pretty well as far as being square. I dressed it up with a file and cold blued it.

Brownell's sells a matched drill bit and tap, which match the beads they sell. They only cost a few dollars & make the finished product look professional. The sight kit was $9.90, a "sight installer" (a device which clamps onto the bead without leaving marks) was $7.49, and a bottle of Oxpho-Blue was $9.99.

 

[1SOW]

I agree about the chop saw IF you cut slowly and don't get it too hot. It would be easier to make a straight and square cut.

I'd cut it a shade long and then file/sand to length and debur/break the edge as said by rcmodel, dfariswheel +

 

[murdoc rose]

I vote pipe cutter than a file also i advise putting the bead on it makes the gun look alot better and will have a lot more resale value. I've never heard of the chop saw looks like it would make it way to hot way to fast however the cut would be solid and I think less likely to crack

tbh I don't advise cutting it down but if you insist just go slow and don't get the thing hot

 

[lefteyedom]

Oh hell boys just brake out the bluetipped Saw!!

 

[Fumbler]

I've cut down barrels and pipe cutters don't work well, especially on a 410 because they tend to be tapered more than other shotguns.

The best is a hack saw, flat mill file, machinist square, a good eye, and a steady hand.

A chop saw would leave a nice flat muzzle, but the muzzle won't be perpendicular unless you find some way to compensate for barrel taper while securing the barrel for cutting.

 

[Geneseo1911]

A chop saw would leave a nice flat muzzle, but the muzzle won't be perpendicular unless you find some way to compensate for barrel taper while securing the barrel for cutting.

You're right. I forgot to mention this. I measured the diameters and made up the difference with some scrap I had laying around. I didn't have any trouble with the metal getting hot, but I had the saw plugged in via an extension cord at the time, so it wasn't running at full speed. (Those suckers draw a lot of amps!)

 

[AZ_Rebel]

If you are going to cut the barrel and replace the bead it is much easier if you locate the new bead before you cut.
This is how we do it in the shop:

Measure the barrel and mark where you are going to cut with masking tape. (Measure again just to be SURE.)

Take a long piece of thread and loop it around the front bead - Bring the ends back and tape them together on top of the receiver and centered as best as possible.

Go back to the tape where you are going to cut - where the threads are marks the center of the barrel - put a punch mark 1/2" back from the cut mark between the threads.

Cut the barrel - face it off square - drill and tap the punch mark - install bead - trim bead inside barrel - done!

ps Using a hack saw and a file is a much better way to cut than a pipe cutter.

 

[Fumbler]

If you are going to cut the barrel and replace the bead it is much easier if you locate the new bead before you cut.
This is how we do it in the shop:

Measure the barrel and mark where you are going to cut with masking tape. (Measure again just to be SURE.)

Take a long piece of thread and loop it around the front bead - Bring the ends back and tape them together on top of the receiver and centered as best as possible.

Go back to the tape where you are going to cut - where the threads are marks the center of the barrel - put a punch mark 1/2" back from the cut mark between the threads.

Cut the barrel - face it off square - drill and tap the punch mark - install bead - trim bead inside barrel - done!

ps Using a hack saw and a file is a much better way to cut than a pipe cutter.

Very good tips.

I used the vent rib attachment points to index the top of the barrel on my own projects.

I will add one thing...when you mark that spot you want to cut with masking tape, it would be a very very good idea to write on the tape to indicate which side of the tape you're going to cut on.

 

[jmorris]

I figure out where I want to cut the barrel then remove the sight. Next I put it in the mill vice and locate off the current sight hole then move to the new location and drill and tap. I then cut with a chop saw the face the barrel off in the lathe.

 

[PTK]

I simply use a hacksaw to get it close, chuck it up in the lathe to face off to the desired length and crown it, and then I use a drill and tap and reinstall the bead. Most people assume my shorter shotguns are factory.

 

[sonier]

nice tips i got a stevens 12 guage im thinking about doing this too as well. not sure though if i want to may put it off. but great knowledge otherwise thanks

 

[Riss]

I simply cut off with a chop saw and then turn the end on a lathe. Hold the chamber end by inserting a piece in the chamber, held in the jaws of the chuck, and put the muzzle end over a live center and face the end off square to the bore. Comes out perfect every time. Other easiest is using a muzzle facing cutter from Brownells to true up the end. If you get the large one meant for AR receivers you can square up any barrel size under the sun if you have the correct bore spud to hold it true.

 

[Mossberg535]

Im thinking of chopping down my single shot 410 to a 19 inch barrel to make a compact camp gun.

I did mine with a disk grinder.
Cut it about 1/2' longer than I wanted it, then ground back to about 1/16th longer, then fine tune it with a file and fine sand paper.

I cut mine from 28" to just under 22".