On Shortening Barrels...

Dave McC · June 4, 2001, 07:58 PM

This comes up a lot, and might be one of the more controversial subjects. Like navels, everybody has an opinion on this, and I've heard most of the viewpoints. My opinions on this have changed greatly over the years.

And these ARE opinions, not writ on a tablet of stone....

Back in 1978, my 870 wore a 28" full choke bbl,and I was a CO at the Md House of Correction. I used the 870 for some hunting chores and my slug hunting was handled by a Mossberg bolt action with a 18" bbl. I had a good smith shorten that one and it worked fine, after a bit of slug selection and sight adjustment.

But, then in 78 or 79, a Lifer named Vernon(Smokey) Butler, doing time for a contract murder, was searched and found to have in his possession a list of Correctional Officer's home addresses. Mine was near the top.I should have been flattered, most of the names on that list were of excellent officers, including the one that searched Butler in the first place. BTW, he hunted down and told every officer on that list. The administration did nothing....

So, Wondeful Wife and I moved suddenly, didn't tell the state we had( Probably one of my ESTEEMED coworkers was bribed to provide that list) and I realized I needed a "Serious" shotgun more than a goose gun.

So, the bbl got cut back to 18" and a little. Later, all the bells and whistles got added on, and now I've one excellent slug, buck and whatever shooter. But, I'd sure like to have that bbl in its original condition and length.

At the time,used riot bbls were mighty cheap. In fact, they still are at the right time and place....

Someplace along in there, I inherited a family shotgun, a SxS labelled "Ranger", that weighed way too much for an upland gun and wasn't much for balance. After conferring with my patient and long suffering gunsmith friend, the bbls got trimmed to 25", jug choked,and the whole thing lightened and made into something resembling a Lupara, the traditional Sicilian workgun for sport, food and handling paybacks. Changing the stock to an English style straight grip and hogging out some wood under the butt plate moved the balance point to the hinge, and it handled very well for its still hefty weight.

Great Grandpa Guiseppe Papania would have been proud of that shotgun.

But another family member needed a HD shotgun more than I needed yet another shotgun, and it's found a new home.

And, a 28" bbled double runs about the same length as a 20" bbled pump or auto.IOW,, I'd have probably been better off leaving it alone, opening up the chokes and taking off a little weight by other means than bobbing the bbls.

Then, I got the hots for setting up a turkey 870, and took a brand new 28" vent rib, Rem-choked bbl to a smith, and it ended up with Colonial choke tubes, a 21" length,and I had it in my hands maybe a year when Remington started to market
their 21" turkey bbls.If I had waited, I'd have only one brand of choke tubes to buy and a spare 28" bbl.

So, the long and short of it in my opinion....

Shortening up a bbl is a last resort on good shotguns. It should hardly ever be done on classic shotguns, even if your sure that a great grouse gun lurks inside Great Uncle Zeb's
old duck gun with 32" bbls.

Or, that a Field grade Model 12, Ithaca 37, 870, etc, would look and function better as a close range shoulder arm with that Trench Gun Look. It won't, trust me on that.

Upside of shortening....

Easier handling in tight places.

Lighter weight.

Balance point moves to the rear, oft a good idea for brush shooting like quail and grouse.

Downside......

Greater flash and noise.With the muzzle closer to the shooter,the effect is exacerbated, oft building a flinch, or making it harder to lose one.And try corking off a 3" magnum load in an 18" bbl sometime at dusk. Depending on powder type, the fireball can range from impressive to right scary.

Shorter sight radius.

Lighter weight.Like many other things in life, this can be good or bad....

Many shortened bbls, especially double bbls, do not shoot to the same POI after shortening. Oft doubles do not shoot to the same point,period.

By and large, if a short replacement bbl is available for your repeater, get one rather than cutting one off. If not, you still may be better off getting another shotgun. As cheap as used shotguns like the 870,37,500.etc, can be, oft a replacement shotgun can be bought for as much as a shortening job does.

Setting up that 21" turkey bbl cost about $140. A used but functional agency 870 would have cost less than $150 at the time.

Thanks,and I'd like to hear YOUR opinions....

Romulus · June 4, 2001, 10:10 PM

Dave, I may have posted this under a different topic...

I haven't owned many shotguns, the few I own I treasure second only to my family, immediate and extended. My greatest regret is granting authorization to chopping down a lovely looooong 870 barrel, from a Wingmaster. The hideous Express barrel was spared in its stead.

The buddy who gave me the Wingmaster barrel (he called it a goose barrel) has snubbed me out of righteous indignation since, and I can't fault him for it.

You understand that my apport to this thread is purely aesthetic, I don't have a clue about what functional damage my actions have brought upon that lovely barrel...

Dave McC · June 5, 2001, 04:22 PM

I understand, Rom. A former co-worker hacked off the bbls of a nice LC Smith that had been his father's because he wanted a shorty for the closet. So maybe two thirds of a nice 16 ga are left, and it's like seeing a once beautiful woman with a ring through her nose.Esthetics are important...

Bbls still work fine ballistically when legally short, but balance and weight are greatly affected. Steve Smith, the Midwest gun writer, says that really short bbls work fine for jump shooting in thick brush. Dunno if a 21" bbl meets his definition of really short, but Frankenstein works well for that, and will surprise most shooters.

June 4, 2001, 07:58 PM	#1
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	This comes up a lot, and might be one of the more controversial subjects. Like navels, everybody has an opinion on this, and I've heard most of the viewpoints. My opinions on this have changed greatly over the years. And these ARE opinions, not writ on a tablet of stone.... Back in 1978, my 870 wore a 28" full choke bbl,and I was a CO at the Md House of Correction. I used the 870 for some hunting chores and my slug hunting was handled by a Mossberg bolt action with a 18" bbl. I had a good smith shorten that one and it worked fine, after a bit of slug selection and sight adjustment. But, then in 78 or 79, a Lifer named Vernon(Smokey) Butler, doing time for a contract murder, was searched and found to have in his possession a list of Correctional Officer's home addresses. Mine was near the top.I should have been flattered, most of the names on that list were of excellent officers, including the one that searched Butler in the first place. BTW, he hunted down and told every officer on that list. The administration did nothing.... So, Wondeful Wife and I moved suddenly, didn't tell the state we had( Probably one of my ESTEEMED coworkers was bribed to provide that list) and I realized I needed a "Serious" shotgun more than a goose gun. So, the bbl got cut back to 18" and a little. Later, all the bells and whistles got added on, and now I've one excellent slug, buck and whatever shooter. But, I'd sure like to have that bbl in its original condition and length. At the time,used riot bbls were mighty cheap. In fact, they still are at the right time and place.... Someplace along in there, I inherited a family shotgun, a SxS labelled "Ranger", that weighed way too much for an upland gun and wasn't much for balance. After conferring with my patient and long suffering gunsmith friend, the bbls got trimmed to 25", jug choked,and the whole thing lightened and made into something resembling a Lupara, the traditional Sicilian workgun for sport, food and handling paybacks. Changing the stock to an English style straight grip and hogging out some wood under the butt plate moved the balance point to the hinge, and it handled very well for its still hefty weight. Great Grandpa Guiseppe Papania would have been proud of that shotgun. But another family member needed a HD shotgun more than I needed yet another shotgun, and it's found a new home. And, a 28" bbled double runs about the same length as a 20" bbled pump or auto.IOW,, I'd have probably been better off leaving it alone, opening up the chokes and taking off a little weight by other means than bobbing the bbls. Then, I got the hots for setting up a turkey 870, and took a brand new 28" vent rib, Rem-choked bbl to a smith, and it ended up with Colonial choke tubes, a 21" length,and I had it in my hands maybe a year when Remington started to market their 21" turkey bbls.If I had waited, I'd have only one brand of choke tubes to buy and a spare 28" bbl. So, the long and short of it in my opinion.... Shortening up a bbl is a last resort on good shotguns. It should hardly ever be done on classic shotguns, even if your sure that a great grouse gun lurks inside Great Uncle Zeb's old duck gun with 32" bbls. Or, that a Field grade Model 12, Ithaca 37, 870, etc, would look and function better as a close range shoulder arm with that Trench Gun Look. It won't, trust me on that. Upside of shortening.... Easier handling in tight places. Lighter weight. Balance point moves to the rear, oft a good idea for brush shooting like quail and grouse. Downside...... Greater flash and noise.With the muzzle closer to the shooter,the effect is exacerbated, oft building a flinch, or making it harder to lose one.And try corking off a 3" magnum load in an 18" bbl sometime at dusk. Depending on powder type, the fireball can range from impressive to right scary. Shorter sight radius. Lighter weight.Like many other things in life, this can be good or bad.... Many shortened bbls, especially double bbls, do not shoot to the same POI after shortening. Oft doubles do not shoot to the same point,period. By and large, if a short replacement bbl is available for your repeater, get one rather than cutting one off. If not, you still may be better off getting another shotgun. As cheap as used shotguns like the 870,37,500.etc, can be, oft a replacement shotgun can be bought for as much as a shortening job does. Setting up that 21" turkey bbl cost about $140. A used but functional agency 870 would have cost less than $150 at the time. Thanks,and I'd like to hear YOUR opinions....

June 4, 2001, 10:10 PM	#2
Romulus Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Kettle Moraine country Posts: 897	Dave, I may have posted this under a different topic... I haven't owned many shotguns, the few I own I treasure second only to my family, immediate and extended. My greatest regret is granting authorization to chopping down a lovely looooong 870 barrel, from a Wingmaster. The hideous Express barrel was spared in its stead. The buddy who gave me the Wingmaster barrel (he called it a goose barrel) has snubbed me out of righteous indignation since, and I can't fault him for it. You understand that my apport to this thread is purely aesthetic, I don't have a clue about what functional damage my actions have brought upon that lovely barrel...

June 5, 2001, 04:22 PM	#3
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	I understand, Rom. A former co-worker hacked off the bbls of a nice LC Smith that had been his father's because he wanted a shorty for the closet. So maybe two thirds of a nice 16 ga are left, and it's like seeing a once beautiful woman with a ring through her nose.Esthetics are important... Bbls still work fine ballistically when legally short, but balance and weight are greatly affected. Steve Smith, the Midwest gun writer, says that really short bbls work fine for jump shooting in thick brush. Dunno if a 21" bbl meets his definition of really short, but Frankenstein works well for that, and will surprise most shooters.