Shotgun barrel modification

[djardine]

I own a Beretta 390 shotgun which is my do-all shotgun for the field. I am considering buying an extra barrel for the gun and having a gunsmith cut it down to 18.5 inches for "home defense" and just because I am looking for a fun project. Is this a possibility with a Beretta 390 barrel? The reason I ask is because the barrel is a small diameter and it increases to a larger diameter near the choke tube area and I was just curious if a gunsmith could make a "cylinder" bore barrel out of the barrel or is the larger diameter of the barrel on the end of the gun necessary?

 

[rcmodel]

If it is larger near the choke tube, it is made that way to add strength to the choke tube threads.

Since you will no longer have a choke tube or threads when you cut it off, you don't need it.

But I would be surprised if you were to throw a dial caliper on the barrel and measure the outside diameter at the choke tube, and at the 18.5" point, it wouldn't be larger there.

Barrels are tapered from thick near the chamber to thin at the muzzle.
Even if the muzzle is reinforced for the choke tube.

rc

 

[djardine]

The barrel is large near the reciever as expected and then thins out but then becomes larger again near the choke tube area. All the other shotguns I have owned (Remington, Benelli, Winchester) don't taper like that near the choke tube. Thanks for your response. I will go ahead with the project just becuase I think it would be fun to do. How much do you suspect it would cost to have a barrel cut down?

 

[788Ham]

Get a hacksaw and cut it off yourself, save the bucks you'd pay a GS!