Making a shotgun

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FIVETWOSEVEN

FIVETWOSEVEN

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I want to make a single shot shotgun using my own parts but I don't know what to use for the barrel. Should I just buy a shotgun barrel offline? Or is there a pipe that I can buy that is strong enough to handle a 20ga?
 
I applaud your ingenuity but is this project going to put you in the black when you can buy single barrel 20s used for between 80 and 100 dollars sometimes less?

Unfortunately I dont have an answer to your question, just a question of my own.
 
Buy a barrel. You can get "odd lots" from Numrich dirt cheap.

You could use seamless tubing and heat treat it (if you know the metallurgy and how to do it right), but because of the structure, It'd need to be quite thick to ensure safety. Wouldn't save you much, and you'd have a very heavy single barrel.
 
if you make a barrel out of a pipe, you will have to ream a chamber too. chamber reamers cost a pretty penny, so i suggest you just buy a complete barrel.
 
Darn, and I was hoping for a project like this...
homegunsmith.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=3;t=24503

I know it's 19 pages, but it's nice to see how it came along :)
 
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Nah, Link is good: HGS is just experience some "issues".
...or maybe they don't like hot linking?
Yeah, just copy and paste new address :|
 
I tried the website itself and same thing so i'm guessing that its just the site having issues.
 
I would just buy an old H&R barrel and use the same locking mechinism. I would assume making a pipe that wont explode in your face will be hard, but making it stay closed during firing could be an issue...

HB
 
Thats what I want to do to. I saw something about using a pipe that is 3/4" inside and
1" outside for a 12ga. would 1/4" of pipe wall contain a 12ga?
 
I don't know if the pipe would hold over time, but I wouldn't want to use something that isn't at least tempered or case hardened steel. Needless to say, substandard steel could result in an "explosive" situation.
 
The very first thing you EVER heat-treat probably shouldn't be a pressure vessel.

Buy a chambered barrel and start there. Save the boring, reaming, etc.
 
I just want one that uses the same design as the video posted. seems more simple that a break action like a H&R
 
Reading the comments on the video, I can assure you the barrel of that shotgun is bored, reamed, and chambered with a fair amount of expensive tooling.

I don't think you'll find satisfactory results with a piece of pipe or tubing.

Barrel making without even a rudimentary lathe is a challenge for even a seasoned metal worker. Do you have any machine tools at your disposal, and the skills to run them?
 
I was planning to just gonna buy a pipe, it doesn't have to be accurate at all. Just a fun project.
 
Dude - it's not the accuracy we're worried about. It's the potential for CATASTROPHIC failure of the metal. Without proper heat treating, or proper chamber dimensions, a pipe can VERY easily become a pipe bomb when you stuff a shotgun shell into it.

We know you just want a fun gun, but it stops being so fun when shards of it are lodged in your face.

Buy a pre-made barrel, and go from there. Seriously.
 
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Yeah I've decided to yield to you guys, I'm gonna get a Remington 870 barrel and work from there.
 
not to derail or anything as I think this is relevant to the topic, but why advise someone that wants to learn something to basically give up and do it a different way?

First it's "Buy a pre-made barrel" next problem is going to be the lock/trigger mechanism... is that going to be "buy one premade" too? How about the stock? See where I'm going with this?

The OP wants to make one, not buy one.

Sure testing it can be dangerous, but if you do things properly (including following ALL safety procedures properly) and take it step by step, not only can building your own shotgun be a rewarding experience, but it can teach you a lot about the different processes involved.

That said, if the OP wants to do it the easier way and start with a pre-made barrel, it does cut a lot of time off the process.
 
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