Trimming my breacher

[Vitali]

I just bought a Mossberg 500, 20 ga, 50145. It's matte black and has an 18 1/2" barrel with a breacher. I put a 4 shell sidesaddle on it and I'm shopping for a light and mount. I'm looking at a Streamlight TLR-1 or TLR-3. I emailed Streamlight about a mount and they suggested their mag tube mount (part 69901). I emailed them back to clarify it fitting a 20 ga. I doubt it will since I've read it's for a 12 ga. Can anyone confirm or deny that the mount will work on my shotgun?

Also, I'm thinking about cutting off the zig zag tip on the breacher just to clean up the look a bit and shorten the barrel maybe a 1/4". I doubt I'm going to be breaching doors any time soon, so I see no harm in it. Is there some kind of paint that will match the factory matte black barrel? I'll just need it to cover the tip of the barrel where I cut or grind it.

 

[zhyla]

Just to be sure, measure the length of the barrel w/o the breacher tip before you cut it off. Like certain other things, less than 18 can get you in trouble.

 

[Vitali]

I measured the barrel as is and it's 18 1/2" to the tip of the breacher as stamped. Out of curiosity, what are the chances someone's going to measure your barrel if you shoot a BG in your house? Unless it's obviously short, I wouldn't think law enforcement would be overly concerned about the length of your barrel. Not that I'm going to cut it short, I'm just sayin'.

Is there a paint that I can use to touch up the muzzle that will match the Mossberg matte black or is this a bad idea?

 

[noyes]

overly concerned about the length of your barrel

RANDY WEAVER CASE

The target of all of this.........What kind of criminal was he to demand this kind of attention? Was he a major drug dealer? Serial killer? Was he a terrorist bomber?

Weaver sold two shotguns whose barrels arguably measured 1/4 inch less than the 18 inch length determined arbitrarily by Congress to be legal. The H&R single-barrel 12-ga. and Remington pump were sold to a good friend who instructed Weaver to shorten the barrels. The "good friend" was an undercover informant working for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF)

You may want to read this :
http://land.netonecom.net/tlp/ref/weaver.shtml

 

[Vitali]

Over the next 16 months, the feds painted Weaver as racist, as anti-semitic, as a criminal. But they had to entrap him into his only crime, altering two guns.

Um,...you're talking about Ruby Ridge. The Feds had it in for that guy. The article says it was entrapment. I'm talking about a defensive situation when someone breaks in to your house and you shoot them. 2 totally different situations.

 

[zhyla]

I don't think we need to get into the legal probabilities here, I was just pointing out it's good to measure things before cutting. It's certainly not worth the risk of jail time over a 1/2".

Anyways, what is the barrel currently finished in? Mossberg says "matte". I've got a similarly finished 590 and I've never determined if it's parkerized or painted or what. Alumahyde has a parkerized colored paint. I've used it, the color is at least similar.

Why not just buy a different barrel and sell the breacher? You'd probably come out ahead, money-wise.

 

[Vitali]

I don't think we need to get into the legal probabilities here

I was just curious if people thought someone would realistically measure your gun after you shoot someone in self defense. After thinking about it, they might be required to do it when filling out a report or an evidence log.

Why not just buy a different barrel and sell the breacher? You'd probably come out ahead, money-wise.

Hmmm,...that's a thought. Although I kind of like the fact that the breacher effectively shortens the barrel, as far as the spread, to like 15 1/2".

 

[atmay]

Hmmm,...that's a thought. Although I kind of like the fact that the breacher effectively shortens the barrel, as far as the spread, to like 15 1/2".

Barrel length has little to no effect on patterning, especially with a 2-3" difference in bbl length.

Also, it sounds like you want your shot charge to spread out quickly....why?

 

[zhyla]

Yes, cops do whip out the tape measure on occasion. If it looks modified there's a good chance they'll measure it.

 

[oneounceload]

Out of curiosity, what are the chances someone's going to measure your barrel if you shoot a BG in your house?

Very good chances, especially shooting them with something like that

Although I kind of like the fact that the breacher effectively shortens the barrel, as far as the spread, to like 15 1/2".

Barrel length has nothing to do with patterning - the choke does. Cylinder choke is the same whether the barrel is 18 or 30 inches.
As someone else mentioned, why would you want that? You want the pellets to stay fairly concentrated to impart the most energy on the target, not by "spray and pray"

 

[earplug]

Your asking for trouble if you go to short

If your weapon ever ends up in some sort of investigation it will be checked out.
I sold a pistol I bought new in CO from a FFL holder. Years later i sold it to a private party in GA. who resold it. It ended up being used in a murder trial with a conviction.
The BATF actually traced me down while I was stationed with the US Army in Germany. They ask lots of questions.

 

[Ron James]

Vitale, yes, after a shooting, it is a crime scene until the powers to be decree otherwise. If you defend yourself with a illegal weapon there will be server legal ramifications. Self defence or a legal shooting not with standing. Yes you can go to jail for defending yourself, if you think not, then that is your folly. :banghead:

 

[Vitali]

Thanks all for the input. I appreciate the response.

My thinking on the barrel was in a short distance shot (like in your house), the shorter effective barrel would create a slightly bigger spread and increase your chances of hitting your target in a stressful situation. From what I'm reading, it wouldn't matter.

So if I got a standard 18" barrel, would it swap out with the breacher barrel and fit the stock magazine? In reality though, it makes no difference which barrel I have, right? Effectively, they're the same, breacher or no breacher.

 

[oneounceload]

So if I got a standard 18" barrel, would it swap out with the breacher barrel and fit the stock magazine? In reality though, it makes no difference which barrel I have, right? Effectively, they're the same, breacher or no breacher.

IF they are choked the same, that would be correct as far as pattern, etc. - the extra inch or so matters not

 

[atmay]

So if I got a standard 18" barrel, would it swap out with the breacher barrel and fit the stock magazine? In reality though, it makes no difference which barrel I have, right? Effectively, they're the same, breacher or no breacher.

The beauty of the M500 and 870 are the fact that barrels are modular. Any 20ga M500 barrel will fit your gun.

After you swap out the barrel to what you want, buy several boxes of several brands/loadings of buckshot, and a roll of butcher paper. Fire each shot onto fresh paper, and see which loading gives you the tightest group out of your gun. Go with that one.

 

[Vitali]

the extra inch or so matters not

The breacher is 2 1/2" long. So the cylinder would be 16".

Looking over the Mossberg site, the only other 20 ga 500 & 590 "special purpose" gun listed (50452) has a standard 18 1/2" barrel, but it's blue. So, I guess, I could get that one if I want the blue barrel.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Here at Casa McC, the spread with my duty load at the longest possible distance from the cylinder bore HD tool runs about 8" MAX. Typically, more like 5" and that's fine with me.

Inserted into the CNS of a threat, this will provide oodles of energy dump.It's up to me to insert it correctly.....

 

[bushmaster1313]

I wouldn't think law enforcement would be overly concerned about the length of your barrel

A prosecutor in New Jersey would drool at the chance to put you away for cutting your barrel 1/4" too short.

I always measure the barrel of a gun I am acquiring twice (on the inside to a closed bolt) before I bring it home from my local FFL gun dealer.

 

[Vitali]

Here at Casa McC, the spread with my duty load at the longest possible distance from the cylinder bore HD tool runs about 8" MAX. Typically, more like 5" and that's fine with me.

Inserted into the CNS of a threat, this will provide oodles of energy dump.It's up to me to insert it correctly.....

What length barrel? 18? Are you talking about the furthest possible distance in your house? How far is that?

 

[Dave McCracken]

Barrel, 18" and chokeless, extended forcing cone(which mimics a bit of choke) and "Old" Estate R/R 00. For comparison's sake, 25 yard patterns are 16-20".

Backup is also an 870 with a 20" Remchoked barrel, Skeet or IC tube in. Patterns are similar.

Furthest possible distance here is less than 30 feet. I do not get more specific on a public forum.

 

[ArmedLiberal]

Thought this was a discussion of circumcision at first....

Hell yes your barrel will be measured and you'll do time for being a fraction of an inch short.