Making a trail Gun

[giese]

What can I do to my 11-87 to turn it into a gun I can take with me on the trail or backcountry. Suggestions for reducing weight and shortening the barrel are what I need. Also what this might cost me.

I will be taking some trips in griz bear country and was going to get a 44 mag. Now I think I might get a 357 snub for unwanted close work and make my shot gun into the primary defense weapon. I figure for the price of a 44 I can modify my shotgun and buy a 357.

I am going to post on the rifle page about what rifle might serve this purpose also.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Badger Arms who posts here is an Alaska resident, and should have some input on this, but meanwhile...

Yes, it can be done, but for the money and time involved, you can pickup a used Mossberg or Winchester pump with a short barrel that'll work better for you than the 11-87. While a good shotgun, it's not a lightweight nor amenable to trimming much. Turning it into a toting gun for backpacking wil not be cheap or easy.

Or, go the superlight and cheap route and get an H&R or NEF single shot. These are tough, reliable, and weight's under 7 lbs, sometimes way under.

Another choice, Savage's combo model 26. Many of these are 22LR/20 gauge, and work well with slugs and shot.

HTH....

 

[giese]

Good thoughts

Thanks Dave. After posting this I had the same idea and went to the Mossberg 500 and Rem 870 pages and saw what they have in 18in barrels. Looks like I might go this route, buy a whole new gun, maybe even work it up to a HD gun also, or maybe something I can use for deer hunting in the future. I like the pump idea for reliability. I have jammed my 11-87 before, usually this was my fault I believe from poor trigger pull or odd firing position resulting in poor ejection when hunting, anyway I want to know that there is a round in the chamber and at least a few more to follow!! With the right stock I might be able to get the weight down too. I shy from the single shot idea a bit for the application I have.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

you can pick up used H&R single shot shotguns for 80 or so. lop the barrel off at 18.5 or 20 inches and recrown it, and you'll have a weapon that's both light and handy, AND inexpensive.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Ok, some folks like the singles for this, but I'd like more beans in the wheel for dangerous game.

A basic Mossy 500 with bare legal barrel can come in around 6.5 lbs. An 870's closer to 7. Either will do well for HD, hunting or toting.

HTH...

 

[Gordon]

What would be wrong with a synthetic stock and a 18" RS barrel for his 1187?

 

[Dave McCracken]

Some 11-87s with short barrels are finicky about load choices, and a synthetic stock and the short barrel will still leave lots of weight.

11-87s are good shotguns, but a bit bulky for this mission.

 

[giese]

Pump options

I can probably find an old 870 or 500 that I can whip into shape for about the same cash.

What would you all recommend, folding stock, pistol grip, short barrel. Any special model of gun? Ideas please, this might be best because it will probably be stuck to the outside of a pack for quick access getting bashed and scratched down the trail or in the bottom of the boat. With all of this in mind lets try and keep it cheap! Maybe I should change the thread name to "Ultimate Scatterwacker!"

 

[Dave McCracken]

I'm no big fan of folders, even less of PG only shotguns. I'd get a standard stock, cut it an inch short to better handle in fast crises and with backpack in place.Mount a pad and sling swivels. An 18" barrel makes sense.

Any of the Big Four pumps will do. Winchesters and Mossies run a little lighter than 870s, Ithacas mostly fall between.

This will take a bit of a beating on the trial, so used beats new here.

HTH....

 

[pcf]

Go with finding a good used pump, it will should cost as much as, or less than a new barrel for your 1187. As far as bears go, I have no clue, but if you do a search you will find quite a bit of information about the usefulness of a "bear gun".

 

[Mannlicher]

Best bet for a packable trail gun is a Mossberg or Remmy, with pistol grip stock, and a mag extension. Stuff it full of Rottweil slugs, and you are good to go.

 

[Horsesense]

Two questions,

What do you think of loading the 2nd shot as a sabot? I know you aren't going to get good accuracy, in a smooth bore, but I figure shot #2 against a griz would be COLSE and a good hard sabot slug may be the ticket.

When cutting off a barrel, do you measure from the back of the chamber of the front?

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

the next best bet IMO behind the single shot would be a 12 or 20 gauge defender, as they're the lightest of the pumps.

 

[Dave McCracken]

If t'were me, I'd want a Rottweil Brenekke up first and maybe second, backed by 000 or 00.

Any barrel that measures less than 18" from the face of the breech or bolt to the muzzle isn't Kosher in the eyes of the Gummint.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

I've never shot a bear with anything, but previous reports say that penetration is important on the big'uns. For that reason, best bet is said to be Breneke solid slugs.

Seems like about half of the unprovoked bear attacks come as a complete surprise, so getting any long gun into action can be problematic. Carrying a chamber-loaded rifle or shotgun at port-arms all day is not my idea of recreation. I'd be tempted to use a .44 mag pistol with the Winchester-Nosler partition bullets. Best yet is to have at least one other person who is also armed so the luckey one can (carefully) shoot the bear off the unlucky one. Don't forget bear spary, it seems to work about as often as a gun.....