porting shotgun barrel??

nedfig · October 25, 2000, 05:00 PM

Is there any science to porting a shotgun barrel. If the holes are al little off center, will it cause the SG to jerk to one side. Has any one tried to port a SG barrel? I saw the porting jig in Brownell's. $235, ouch. No wonder Vang and the others charge so much.

Art Eatman · October 25, 2000, 08:36 PM

The only ported shotgun I've seen was John Satterwhite's 870 which he used for exhibition shooting. IIRC, after 18 years, it had four rows of holes--two rows on each side of the vent rib. They appeared to be *about* 0.050" or so in diameter. I think each row had maybe six or eight holes. The rows were just behind the screw-in choke.

Were I going to do something like that to an 870 barrel, I would have no qualms about doing it myself. I have a dual cross-feed workpiece holder for my drill press. Scribe the line, carefully center-punch, and drill.

It sure seemed to work for Satterwhite, given his shooting seven hand-thrown claybirds with it.

Art

JK · October 28, 2000, 03:37 PM

I just wanted to add that if you port a gas operated shotgun you may have to open up the gas port to get the gun to cycle properly after porting the barrel. Take your time and lay out the hole pattern evenly before drilling and you should get good results - John K

------------------
Fight Crime-Shoot Back

October 25, 2000, 05:00 PM	#1
nedfig Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2000 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 263	Is there any science to porting a shotgun barrel. If the holes are al little off center, will it cause the SG to jerk to one side. Has any one tried to port a SG barrel? I saw the porting jig in Brownell's. $235, ouch. No wonder Vang and the others charge so much.

October 25, 2000, 08:36 PM	#2
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	The only ported shotgun I've seen was John Satterwhite's 870 which he used for exhibition shooting. IIRC, after 18 years, it had four rows of holes--two rows on each side of the vent rib. They appeared to be about 0.050" or so in diameter. I think each row had maybe six or eight holes. The rows were just behind the screw-in choke. Were I going to do something like that to an 870 barrel, I would have no qualms about doing it myself. I have a dual cross-feed workpiece holder for my drill press. Scribe the line, carefully center-punch, and drill. It sure seemed to work for Satterwhite, given his shooting seven hand-thrown claybirds with it. Art

October 28, 2000, 03:37 PM	#3
JK Member Join Date: October 27, 2000 Posts: 75	I just wanted to add that if you port a gas operated shotgun you may have to open up the gas port to get the gun to cycle properly after porting the barrel. Take your time and lay out the hole pattern evenly before drilling and you should get good results - John K ------------------ Fight Crime-Shoot Back