Home Depot cart a Mossberg 500 barrel cut job?

[turkeestalker]

Assume that even a very fine file will cut fairly quickly and easily, don't be heavy handed.

[TxGun]

As others have said, it's not a hard thing to do. I've done several and they all worked out great...and I am exceedingly particular about both aesthetics and function.

If you're hesitating, cut it long...one vent rib post north of where you really want it, and see how it comes out. Learn what you did right...or wrong. Then make the final cut, still giving yourself as much leeway as the vent rib will allow for finishing work with a file to get it squared up.

If you don't trust yourself even after the practice cut, then take it to a smith. He's not going to judge you about the prior attempt.

[wild cat mccane]

Well, wish me luck. Just Amazon Prime'd the bluing paste. This completes all the items I need to do the cut. Probably this weekend. Yeah!

[Screwball]

You got a Go-Pro?

While I hope it goes well, in the off chance it doesn't, comments might be a little entertaining.

[turkeestalker]

Here's wishing with all sincerity, the absolute best of luck to you.

Looking forward to your take on the experience and your results.

[wild cat mccane]

So it does appear Mossberg barrels are "overbored" or "back bored." The diameter inside the bore is larger than the area at the choke.

I think this might be true to even the 18.5 cylinder choke.

http://www.mossberg.com/customer-service/faqs/
(under the slug question)

Using the information from another site it appears their mossberg barrel cross section is at a Full.
http://rifleshooter.com/2015/07/shot...ing-explained/

As Mossberg states, anything above Full for buckshot isn't recommended. As I can't guarantee my barrel, I might be risking more than Full.

Looks like this cut isn't hard to accomplish, but mechanically isn't a good idea.

Dang it (until someone corrects my reading)

[FITASC]

The diameter inside the bore is larger than the area at the choke.

Of course it is, otherwise there wouldn't be any choke.

As Mossberg states, anything above Full for buckshot isn't recommended. As I can't guarantee my barrel, I might be risking more than Full.

How do you figure this? If you're cutting more than a few inches off the barrel, there is no choke; i.e. Cylinder, no matter what you started with.

[turkeestalker]

I believe that you're misunderstanding what you're reading and have no need for concern.
Your shotgun, or any shotgun, should be (roughly) the same diameter from the front of the chamber to the choke at the end of the barrel.
You are cutting the choked portion of the barrel away.
What you will wind up with is a cylinder bore. In other words .000 constriction.
No worries.

[wild cat mccane]

I certainly do not know what I am talking about.

So there is no problem here? This is equal to the 18.5" security barrel in diameter?

[FrankenMauser]

Cylinder bore is cylinder bore.

If loads were not recommended before the cut, then they'll remain the same after the cut.
If loads were fine before the cut, then they'll be fine after the cut.*

*Whether they'll perform the same is a question you'll have to answer through testing.

[turkeestalker]

No there is no problem as you're removing the 'choked' portion of the barrel.
What will be left is cylinder bore with no restriction.

[cptjack]

why do they callout a hacksaw. to do a hack job

[wild cat mccane]

The article I posted seems to suggest it isn't cylinder as the "backbore" is larger than cylinder?

Oops - maybe I read that entirely wrong.

[FITASC]

12 gauge can have a nominal diameter of .725 to .750. Whatever it is, that is its cylinder dimension and when you cut off whatever fixed choke was at the end of the barrel, you have a Cylinder choke.

[kraigwy]

Reading these post makes me want to go hug my lathe.

[HiBC]

I don't pretend to be a shotgun expert.
I don't know much about backboring. Feel free to correct me.
There is the old school chamber,short forcing cone,bore dia.

Then,for steel shot,came chamber,long forcing cone,bore dia

Somebody decided modern wads obturate so well,they could eliminate the forcing cone.

Actually they increase bore dia to chamber dia.
I don't know all the why's and wherefores.

It may be that when you cut the barrel,it will be considerably larger than a normal cylinder choke.
I know,both are zero constriction.

I just wonder how an unchoked backbored barrel will perform,

[wild cat mccane]

The above comment is exactly my concern...

[turkeestalker]

A cylinder bore on a shotgun is limited in and of itself in what it is good for simply because it is a cylinder bore. There is no 'choke' involved regardless of bore diameter.

I don't believe that whether or not your barrel has a forcing cone or doesn't have a forcing cone is going to amount to any notable difference in it's performance, but I've been wrong before.

If you'd like to know though, just shine a light down the barrel from the chamber end, you'll certainly be able to see if it has a forcing cone at the end of the chamber or is simply straight walled from the chamber itself on through.

[FITASC]

they could eliminate the forcing cone

Forcing cones exist. Geez, this is not hard to grasp. The diameter of the barrel is cylinder. Whether it is .725, .729, .735, .740, or .750 - typical diameters. Whatever your barrel is, cutting off the choke will leave you with a cylinder choke - perfectly lousy for most applications, but can do OK for HD, maybe slugs (but IC is usually better)

If you don't understand or feel comfortable then take it to a competent smith (NOT some Glock parts changer) and have it done.

[FrankenMauser]

Reading these post makes me want to go hug my lathe.

I want to hug your lathe, too.



Having done barrel chops without one - squaring the muzzle of one of them with just a file, even - it makes one greatly appreciate a lathe.

[wild cat mccane]

Can I ask one final stupid question before I make up my mind to cut the 28" barrel?

Given all this over/back bore stuff, can we make any assumptions if this cut barrel would perform (pattern) equal or worse than a 18.5 cylinder barrel? (I have the 18.5" barrel and it does appear much wider throughout until the muzzle "cylinder" bore.

I sincerely appreciate all the information being shared. Thank you.

[turkeestalker]

Nothing stupid about that question.

If the 18.5" barrel that you have is a 'cylinder' bore, then you already have a pretty good idea how your vent rib barrel should perform once you've cut it down to 20".

If you're not happy with the performance after you've cut it, you always have the option of having it cut for a choke tube by a smith to improve it.

[Screwball]

Originally Posted by wild cat mccane

Can I ask one final stupid question before I make up my mind to cut the 28" barrel?



Given all this over/back bore stuff, can we make any assumptions if this cut barrel would perform (pattern) equal or worse than a 18.5 cylinder barrel? (I have the 18.5" barrel and it does appear much wider throughout until the muzzle "cylinder" bore.



I sincerely appreciate all the information being shared. Thank you.

The standard 500 barrel is not overbored... the 835 is.

If you have a 835 barrel next to a 500 barrel, the bore of the 835 is actually the diameter of 10 Gauge. Cannot fit a 10 Gauge in the chamber, but the larger diameter supposedly makes the pattern better/less recoil.

If you cut down your barrel, and compared performance to a similar length cylinder barrel... it would be close (there is always slight differences between fixed choke barrels). Could also be that the cylinder choke could be more improved cylinder...

[dreaming]

Assuming screwball is correct when he posts that a 500 is not back bored, since you have a 500 you needn't worry about whether or not back boring will affect the use of your shotgun for HD. Still, I looked up what Browning says about back boring and if anyone is interested it can be found here.

[chardin]

If you're doing this to learn something, I'm all for it. You might mess up a shotgun barrel, you might learn something, you might do both. As long as you're okay with those outcomes, why not?