Is there a breakdown shotgun?

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Bill_G

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i'm interested in a shotgun that can be broken down for storage in a small footlocker. would like to keep it under $400 if possible. can be 12 or 20 gauge....single or double or pump. does it exist?

thanks..............Bill
 
Almost all doubles "breakdown". Just remove the forearm and take off the barrels. The package will be as long as the barrels.

There are some breakdown pumps, the most famous being the Winchester Model 12.
 
any break-barrel design can usually be separated into stock, barrel, and forend components very easily and without tools. Mossberg also markets a model of their 500 series that is called the Just In Case. It comes in a compact case and is stored partially broken down. It would however be easiest to just go with a double barrel shotgun.
 
It's very easy to "break down" a remington 870 into it's barrel and receiver/mag tube pieces.
 
Waaaaay back before idiots began shooting people for no reason, and you could keep a gun in your dorm room at Virginia Tech, my roommate and I both kept our guns - my 1100 and his 870 usually - in our footlockers and had the footlockers chained to the bed frame. Keep in mind that with a repeater you will usually have some tang at the back of the barrel added to the barrel length as the biggest dimension to deal with. Since most of them come from the factory broken down, you should be able to measure real easy at the gun store.
 
A minor point.....not all break open shotguns will "break down". While it is probably true that most modern guns come apart easily, I have an older Savage 430 O/U that doesn't break down.
Pete
 
Are you sure that 430 forend doesn't just pull away from the barrels? I thought they did, but I haven't been around one in decades.

John
 
I bought my Spartan coach gun initially because it'd fit in a saddle bag or top trunk of the GoldWing motorcycle I had at the time. I could lock it up on a dove hunting trip. Screw in choke tubes sealed the deal as I wanted it for dove hunting. I have not been disappointed.

11qh2mx.jpg

BTW, I spent 300 bucks on this gun and was worth every penny. :D
 
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Oh, yeah, and my H&R 10 gauge turkey gun has a short barrel, 22" I think, maybe 24, don't recall. The forestock must be unscrewed, but will come off and break down pretty small. This one's my goose gun, don't hunt turkey. It's about 9 lbs, kinda heavy, but when you pull the trigger, you appreciate that fact. :D

PICT0240.jpg
 
I have an older Savage 430 O/U that doesn't break down.
Click to expand...
Yes, it does.
JohnBT in post #9 is correct.

The forearm has a hidden spring loaded latch holding it to the barrels.

With the gun closed, just pull the forend away from the barrels at the front, and the spring latch will release.

Then open the gun and unhook the barrels from the receiver henge pin.

Put it back together the same way.

BTW: I don't know of any double gun that can't be easily taken down.

They had to be able to take it apart & put it together multiple times some way while fitting it.

rc
 
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Bolt action shotguns are the only guns that come to mind that cannot easily be broken down for storage. Any double, pump or semi auto are easliy broken down for easy storage. They come from the factory broken down in the box.
 
Yes, it does.
JohnBT in post #9 is correct.

The forearm has a hidden spring loaded latch holding it to the barrels.

With the gun closed, just pull the forend away from the barrels at the front, and the spring latch will release.

Then open the gun and unhook the barrels from the receiver henge pin.

Put it back together the same way.

BTW: I don't know of any double gun that can't be easily taken down.

They had to be able to take it apart & put it together multiple times some way while fitting it.
Click to expand...
Now you have me wondering. I haven't had that old gun out of the gun cabinet in a while. As I recall (I am away from home right now), the barrel pivot pin assembly is quite different than any of my other break opens; it doesn't just lift off the receiver like all of my other sxs's and o/u's.
I will check again. Maybe I am misremembering the model #??

Hmm. Just looked at a schematic of the 430. I also looked at a schematic of the 330.....that actually may be the correct model # for the gun that I have. I will have to check later today. I do know that It is the only shotgun that I own that I have not had apart. The barrels can be taken off the 330 but it's a bit more work as far as I can see.
See the schematic here: http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Schemat.../schematics/Savage_330_schem.jpg&name=330+(*)
Pete
 
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Go to most any Gun store,BPS,Gander Mt. Gun show and ask that same question. I`d say most shotguns "break down" in one form or another.
Which would allow them to be stored in a small foot-locker.
 
Just curious. What's the length of an over under with an X" barrel? the receiver and magazine tube on my Mossberg is about 35" with the barrel off, I'd assume the barrel on most double guns would be longer than the action and stock.
 
Bill,

A coach gun is the classic take-down shotgun, they've been serving that role for a very long time. The advantage they have is a short receiver, which cuts down on both overall length when assembled and when taken down.

While I'm familiar with take-down pumps like the Winchester Model 97 and Model 12, my own favorite take-down pumpguns are Stevens 520s/620s or their store brand counterparts (Montgomery Ward etc). Good solid used examples of both are out there for not much money relatively speakingoften well under your stated budget, and they often sport lower price tags than better known makes/models of used pumpguns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAOXP6pySFU (Dude - FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER!!!)

Happy shopping!
 
"I'd assume the barrel on most double guns would be longer than the action and stock."

And shorter overall as a result. Here is an 870 Express with a 28" barrel next to a 28 ga. Guerini Woodlander with 28" barrels. The shorter receiver makes a big difference in the overall length. I'm at work or I'd measure the receivers. I took this pic with the butts lined up to show the difference in the trigger position.

DSCN0165a3.jpg
 
Most pump guns break down into pieces of which the barrel is the longest. Here's a Mossy 500 broken into three pieces.

IMG_4674.jpg

In this case since the barrel in 18.5", the receiver/magazine tube are the longest part at 20".
 
A Remington Model 29 pump is a "take down model". It twists apart in front of the receiver. You have the receiver/stock in one hand and the barrel/slide in the other. I believe the model 10 is the same. If no one posts a pic, I can break down my 29 and post one. The only problem is they are oldies and harder to find. The 29 was only made from 1929-1933.
 
An apology is due from me as well as an admission of a certain amount of foolishness. The "it doesn't break down" SG to which I referred in my earlier posts is, in fact, a 430 and it does break down.
Now I am scratching my head, trying to understand what led me to believe that it would not come apart.
Go figure.
The good news is that I learned something useful, both about the gun and myself.
Pete
 
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