Any Serbu Super Shorty love here?

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Project355

Project355

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I'm a sucker. I saw the KSG, got a mail out from my local FFL, he was taking deposits/pre-order. Well, that turned into a very, very long wait. The concept of the KSG appealed to me, both as a bullpup and as a high capacity shotty.

So as I waited... (and the KSG went thru a few running changes in design), and in my lust, I came across the Serbu Super Shorty. Oh man, gotta have, gimme gimme.

I called up Mark and placed an order for one based on the 870 action. No 870 "pistol grip out of the factory" guns were available, so I waited there too. It took Serbu about 4 months to get the 870's (which allowed a serial number to be given to me for the paperwork) and another 6 months to build 'em. It was about another month, and the Fed's had everything squared away with the paperwork, and I got a call from Bunny Hunter saying to c'mon over to pick up the gun (as I'm in the same state as Serbu).

And about a month after that, hey I get a call from my local FFL.... KSG's arrived. Swimmin' in 12ga heaven! (yes, I like my KSG and it shoots everything flawlessly after polished out the Park finish from the chamber).

I'll post some pictures later this evening, but I gotta say... the Super Shorty is a lot of fun, and has gotten me ejected from two ranges on account of arcane policy, with those ranges insisting the law requires me to carry the "_original_" paperwork "at all times". I just bring a photocopy with me, and uniformed LEO's have shot my Shorty and never even mentioned the paperwork... go figure. Maybe I have a trusting face.....
 
Project355 said:
Why impractical?
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Short barrel makes it much more difficult to hit what you're shooting at, makes poor patterns, holds only 2+1, recoil is stout. I think the sss is a novelty. A really cool, well made and functional novelty. You won't find anyone hunting birds or bucks with one. I'm certainly not hating on Serbu one bit, I'm a big fan, I'm just being honest and realistic.no, I haven't fired one but I've used pistol grip only shotguns for years.
 
Obturation said:
Short barrel makes it much more difficult to hit what you're shooting at, makes poor patterns, holds only 2+1, recoil is stout.
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You know barrel length has nada to do with pattern? It patterns exactly the same as my CYL bore KSG. Exactly. Recoil is quite managable if shot correctly. And its not a bird gun. Its a SHTF self defense gun. And at that, I can't complain Shoot a few hundred thru one, its great at what it does.
 
I have played with one and if I could form 1 one at AOW costs ($5), I would built one just to have one as I still have an 870 I won at a raffle 15 or so years ago but not worth paying $200 to chop up an 870 and not a chance I’d pay $1000 for one. Not really knocking them because I have spent more on stuff that’s just as useless, I just have more fun with them than I did with the serbu

Wonder if they would sell just a bare AOW receiver at a reasonable cost...
 
I wouldn't count on that. My God have they got up to $1,000? Seems like only a few years ago when I paid not a whole lot more than half of that. I guess if he's building as many as he can and selling that same amount he's going to go for whatever the market will bear.
 
jmorris said:
Wonder if they would sell just a bare AOW receiver at a reasonable cost...
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There's no such thing as an AOW receiver......just receiver. An AOW is the completed firearm.
If you want to build your own AOW, file a F1, get a receiver thats never been a shotgun such as any PGO firearm that expels shotgun shells like the Mossberg Persuader or firearms that do not meet the definition of shotgun or AOW like the Mossberg Shockwave or Remington 870 Tac14.

Or for the same $200 Form 1 you can just make a short barreled shotgun. Faaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr more versatile and it can have a shoulder stock or pistol grip. You can also go back and forth from SBS>Title I shotgun>SBS as often as you want. You can't do that with an AOW, attaching a shoulder stock makes it an SBS and requires another stamp. A short barreled shotgun can be identical to an AOW but offers far more versatility.

The awesomeness that is a $5 tax stamp for a Form 4 transfer disappears when you are going to make your own.
 
As was often said on the Voice of America's Breakfast Show.... In simple English for our friends in the current broadcast area: "If someone were to put a shoulder stock on the Serbu, then it becomes an SBR, and the same length as a KSG which is not an SBR."

Gimme a KSG over the SBR, please!
 
Project355 said:
As was often said on the Voice of America's Breakfast Show.... In simple English for our friends in the current broadcast area: "If someone were to put a shoulder stock on the Serbu, then it becomes an SBR, and the same length as a KSG which is not an SBR."

Gimme a KSG over the SBR, please!
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Apparently not all of our friends in the current broadcast area know that a Serbu with a stock isn't an SBR, but an SBS. ;)

Frankly, an 870 SBS beats a KSG or Serbu any day of the week for many, many reasons.
 
Well, the Serbu is a different animal. There is no comparison, due to its different type and usefulness/utility. On the KSG... mine has run just fine. It has never given a problem in firing, feeding, ejecting... I did polish the chamber, as it looked like 320 grit paper in there. Rough from raw Parkerizing (phosphate). Its not mirror finished but lots better now, although it may have been a fix for a non existent problem. Some folks, KT as well, say low brass ammo is prone to chamber sticking. I didn't experience that, but... the polish seems to universally fix that issue.

Best little 12ga shotty I ever had was an Model 37 "riot" gun. Used to call it the "bumblebee" from the rings on the forestock and pistol grip area. Very utilitarian. But that thing was a joy to shoot, and was pre-disconnector, so you could just rack'em thru if you wanted to.

For me, my Serbu is my Jeep gun. I'd like a Winchester rifle in there too in 45LC, but they're kind of scarce right now.
 
dogtown tom said:
Apparently not all of our friends in the current broadcast area know that a Serbu with a stock isn't an SBR, but an SBS. ;)

Frankly, an 870 SBS beats a KSG or Serbu any day of the week for many, many reasons.
Click to expand...

I stand guilty as charged! I've been working, helping two guys with their trusts and paperwork for their SBRs. Got it on the brain. Yes.... SBS! S as in Shotty, not R as in Rifle.
 
I've been eyeballing them for years, but haven't come up with a reason to move it up the toy list, yet. They are a neat idea though and do look like they'd be a blast to shoot. Literally.
 
Thing weighs about 5lbs. A leg holster seems likely to flop around fairly wildly when running. I use a little climbing gear harness for mine, modified by shortening the under arm straps and adding a sturdy stainless spring hook thing which goes to a D ring on the pistol grip. A 1" webbing rig on my belt with Fastex to hold the 870 tight against my hip serves to stabilize it while moving quickly, and doubles as a safety of sorts, preventing the action from cycling that last inch as it wraps around the barrel and tube just ahead of the receiver. With a 9" barrel the thing virtually disappears when worn this way, it's weight not noticable. Unclips fairly quickly with two gestures, or in a pinch could be cocked and fired while still retained by the upper clip. At least once anyway. It'd probably be hard to maintain a grip with my hand almost in my armpit. But the MCS forend helps in restraining recoil nicely so maybe not too bad. Guess that's something I should try.
 
How the shorty hangs, using a modified climbing harness and small caribiner with a D-ring mounted to the upper edge of the grip, and a strap with polycarbonate buckle ahead of the action and slung on a belt. At full length the magazine tube was a bit ungainly, especially when sitting down. So I cut it down for just 3 x 2-3/4 shells and hand filed flat threads onto the new front of the tube for the end cap, then removed and re-brazed the barrel lug to match the new position of the mag cap so the barrel snugs up tight.
 

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I have one from my earlier days of NFA collecting. Looks cool. Not real pleasant to shoot. No complaints though.
 
While not a Serbu I have this guy sitting in NFA jail, 5 months in. I gave $450 plus the $5 bribe to the government for the transfer. I already have the Mossberg shockwave but like the angle of this better than the bird's head on the shockwave. This being a Mossberg it should take the same insert to reliably cycle mini-shells too so that adds the capacity a little.

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