Best deal ever...?

[Ditch-Tiger]

Just picked up a shotgun for $29.00 and thought I'd gloat...

It's a Coast to Coast (Mossberg 500) 12ga bought from a gun shop which purchased it from a police evidence sale.
It is obviously in rough shape for that price but will make a nice project gun.
The barrel has been cut down (poorly) and needs to be straightened along with some minor surface rust removal, the safety button is missing and it has no rear stock as the same "bubba" cut that down as well.
I figure i can re-cut the barrel and duracoat/paint it myself, a new safety will run me $18.00 and hopefully i can pick up a used stock for around $15-$20 to get this thing up and running for approximately $75.00.
What do you think?

 

[Seanpcola]

I think you got a great deal! I was shopping for two months trying to get good deal on a Mossberg 500. Finally bought new from the LGS and a day later deals started popping up on the local forums. Seems to always happen that way. I'd love to pick up something like you did so I can clean it up and mod on the cheap.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Before you go chopping any more off an already short barrel, measure down the bore to the face of the closed bolt and make sure you can still get 18" plus a bit (.25" or so) to be on the safe side. Otherwise you might need to add the price of a replacement barrel to your reconstruction project.

But if you can salvage the gun with just a buttstock, you did really well.

lpl

 

[gennro]

Looks like you got a really good deal there.

Also looks like the barrel is just a bit longer then my mossberg 18 1/2" barrel I have so you should be good.

 

[firemanstrickland]

seems like an excellent deal to me, thanks DAD (lee). just kidding

 

[Ditch-Tiger]

Lee-
No problem on the bbl, it measures 19.5" on the low side of the slanted first cut that bubba made.
I checked that first thing and it still measures over 26" w/o a grip/stock attached so I'm good to go!

I'm thinking about making a starting/reference cut with a pipe cutter to ensure it's square and then finishing it off w/ a hacksaw. Afterwards I'll take off the burs with a file.
Any issues with this or should i go at it another way?

Ideas and input welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Major Beef]

Sounds like a great deal.

 

[CoRoMo]

If you can find someone with a bandsaw, that would be much preferred IMO, but a steady hacksaw can work out just fine also.

 

[RaceM]

I've lopped several barrels by that method and it works just fine. Add some masking or painter's tape around the "good" side of the cut in case the saw skips so you don't leave tracks on the barrel.

 

[EMC45]

You have a Brownell's catalog. That will get you everything you need.

 

[PT92]

Just picked up a shotgun for $29.00 and thought I'd gloat...

It's a Coast to Coast (Mossberg 500) 12ga bought from a gun shop which purchased it from a police evidence sale.
It is obviously in rough shape for that price but will make a nice project gun.
The barrel has been cut down (poorly) and needs to be straightened along with some minor surface rust removal, the safety button is missing and it has no rear stock as the same "bubba" cut that down as well.
I figure i can re-cut the barrel and duracoat/paint it myself, a new safety will run me $18.00 and hopefully i can pick up a used stock for around $15-$20 to get this thing up and running for approximately $75.00.
What do you think?

Congrats on a steal!

-Cheers

 

[Dave McCracken]

Enjoy.....

 

[kozak6]

Yeah, I'd buy that for $30. What a great project gun.

 

[Old Shooter]

At one time I cut the barrel on a 12 gauge bolt action just by using the pipe cutter. Take it slow, just a touch of a turn at a time and, at least in my case, it will come off clean. I've just never felt comfortable about hacksaws around gun barrels, others seem to have had better results.

 

[Ditch-Tiger]

Well, i went with the pipe cutter and hacksaw approach (that's what i had on-hand) and then squared it up with a flat file and took the inside burs off with a rat-tailed file.
It turned out pretty good if i do say so myself and now measures 18.25".
Now to hit it up with some cold bluing and order a new safety for it...

I love project guns!

 

[straightshooter9]

DAMN IT ALL!!!!! :banghead:

hehehehe....Congrats!

 

[LiquidTension]

Well done. Not as well done as my $50 Wingmaster, but still well done