Chopping the barrel?

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amkus

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I want to cut down a 29in vent rib barrel I have to 18.5 or so inches for HD use. I already have another 30in barrel, so having two of nearly the exact same lenght seems pointless to me.

I also want to do it without spending a lot of money. Any suggestions?
 
amkus said:
I want to cut down a 29in vent rib barrel I have to 18.5 or so inches for HD use. I already have another 30in barrel, so having two of nearly the exact same lenght seems pointless to me.

I also want to do it without spending a lot of money. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

What kind of a shotgun is this barrel on? If it's a Rem 870, you can buy an 18.5 for $90 or so, and sell yours intact. Might come out ahead on the deal. Trying to get a clean, good looking cut through that vent rib is going to be a bitch.

http://www.havlinsales.com/

Left hand side of the page, close out barrels. About 1/2 way down that page for the Rem 870's made by Mossberg. You'll thank me later. :D
 
Like mgkdrgn said. But if you are committed to cutting it, call around to local machinist shops and ask them how much to cut it. They'll make a straight, good cut, and it will only take 30 seconds to do it. Your vent rib is going to need considered when you do this.
 
Depends on what shotgun it is does it have replaceable chokes are vent ribs rare or standard. On some guns vent ribs are a premium and some are standard just depends on the make and model. Some removable chokes make a trade worth it for some. But in any case first try advertising on gun forums for a trade. Someone may want the rib. Cutting makes no sense. :)
 
Cutting a barrel down in not bad if you have the right tools to do it (lathe). The vent rib will possibly give you a bit of trouble.

As said above look into selling that barrel and buying the correct one.
 
They do not make barrels as they once did, nor will they ever be made again.
When these barrels are gone, they are gone forever.
One cannot put back, what is cut off.

Hence the reason I and others plead with folks to sell old barrels, and buy the short barrels they want.

Whacking a barrel means NO choke, and you do want some choke. Even a cylinder choke, has a point or three of choke.

I am also not the only one, that would rather have fixed choked barrel from yesteryear, over a new offering with a screw in choke tube.

Seriously, the older barrels are that much better.
A Stan Baker Bore Diameter Tool does not lie.
Neither does a pattern board.

Please do not cut, instead buy a barrel for tasks, and preserve that which cannot be replaced.

Please.
 
amkus

If your intent on having your barrel cut down, consider having a gunsmith do it for you. I had an older Sportsman 12 (an economy grade Remington 870), that I wanted shortened from 28" to 18 1/2". He did a great job of cutting the barrel off, recontouring the muzzle and top rib to match, added a new front bead, and threaded the barrel for a set of choke tubes (the factory barrel had a fixed choke). Turned out just fine, and still looks good to this day.
 
Yep. Just sell your extra barrel on GunBroker. eBay won't allow them now, if you might have even considered them in the first place. GunBroker is also a good place to look for a deal on the shorter barrel you desire.

www.gunbroker.com
 
It's an old Mossberg 500 fixed full choke 30in vent rib barrel. There's little splotches of external rust all over it, so I doubt anyone will want to buy. I also haven't been able to find a 18in mossberg 12ga barrel for sale.
 
Just cut it right in front of one of the rib support post at or about the length you want it. Go buy a hack saw and just cut it off. Get a mill bastard file and smooth up the end when you get finished. Theres nothing to it. Just take your time and cut it straight. See below for a pic. (thanks to bkjeffrey for the pic)

P1010084.jpg

thank bkjeffrey for the pic
 
Last edited:
Just cut it right in front of one of the rib support post at or about the length you want it
Click to expand...

Did you also port it yourself? Looks good. I have a 20" with no buttstock ,it has a pistol grip, that I use for HD and was thinking about porting it myself to relieve some of the barrel rise. Does the porting help to eliminate the rise.
 
I've done a few that turned out just like PA4476's. I would add however that it would be a good idea to use a square when filing to make certain the end of the barrel is square. I used cold blueing to touch up the end of the barrel and added fiber optic sights that clamp to the barrel. This was a 15 minute job from beginning to end.
 
Be careful with the rib. I bought an 1100 that came with a cut down vent rib barrel (now 18.5"), and I found that with the origional rib, it shoots low with slugs. The use at 7 to 15 yards with buck shot is not bad, but it does shoot a little below point of aim.
 
A trick I use for cutting tubing straight is to simply put a hose clamp around it and snug down. Then just cut along the edge of the hose clamp. It should still work with the rib, I've used it on irregular shapes with good results.
 
I would go with a fiber optic bead like this.
s7_223880_imageset_01?$main-Large$.jpg

Otherwise you will have to drill and tap the vent rib to screw in a new bead. I have never had good luck trying to remove an old bead.
 
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