Weird 870 barrel?

pmglock · January 21, 2002, 09:02 PM

I just purchased a used 870 Express (pre-key lock safety) with a 20in barrel and standard rifle sights. It was dirty when I bought it with a lot of lead fouling in the end of the bore. After cleaning it I noticed that there are shallow, wide spiral grooves towards the muzzle end of the barrel. The barrel is marked improved cylinder, which is what I would expect on a slug gun. This is NOT a screw in choke. What the heck is it?

Patrick

Dfariswheel · January 21, 2002, 09:37 PM

Sounds like somebody put a bunch of rifled slugs down it. I'd try cleaning it again, since you said that it was leaded badly, and this sounds like it's still leaded.
Possibly what you're seeing is lead left by the rifled slugs. This WOULD look like wide, shallow grooves.

pmglock · January 21, 2002, 11:22 PM

But the barrel is bright and shiny clean- the lead from the slugs had accumulated in the grooves and was tough to scrub out. These grooves are definitely in the steel of the barrel. Never seen anything like it before.

Patrick

NINE · January 21, 2002, 11:35 PM

I have a 870 Marine Magnum, and the barrel had what I thought at first were permenent marks from copper plated buck shot and slugs. Hoppes powder solvent took them right off... just run a 12Ga brush through it a couple times and then some patches. After doing that a couple times, with no results, then you may have a problem.

good luck.

Ps. ain't there some sort of "rifled choke" also.. maybe that's what it is?

NINE · January 21, 2002, 11:43 PM

pmglock · January 21, 2002, 11:49 PM

The barrel is clean! I can see and feel the grooves in the metal of the barrel. I was wondering if it were a type of rifled choke, but nothing on Remington's website seems to describe what I'm seeing. And the barrel is marked improved cylinder. The grooves are well defined, smooth and shallow. Doesn't look like a hack gunsmithing modification. It's WEIRD!

Patrick

Dave McC · January 22, 2002, 06:01 AM

Some black powder gunsmiths have done rifling in shotguns bbls to improve performance with slugs. This may be an 870 altered as such.

How does it pattern? And how does it shoot slugs?

pmglock · January 22, 2002, 09:41 AM

I thought you'd show up as the 870 expert in residence. I haven't had a chance to pattern it yet or group slugs. Looks like a proffesional mod of some kind; maybe to shoot sabots? It does home defense duty so I hope it will group decent with shot.

Patrick Mc

SDC · January 22, 2002, 10:24 AM

You sometimes see "rifling" like this done to spread out a shot pattern, usually for skeet or close-in bird hunting. I was at the IWA show 2 years ago, and this was an option for woodcock/"becassier" hunters.

C.R.Sam · January 22, 2002, 10:58 AM

What a horrible thing to do to a gun that is going to be used with shot. Want to spread the load, use a different load.
\
Like Dave says.....How does it shoot ? With shot and slugs ?

Sam

pmglock · January 22, 2002, 11:56 AM

C.R. Sam- haven't had a chance to pattern it yet. Maybe in the next couple of days. If the mod is to increase shot spread it does seem stupid on a rifle sighted slug gun. I guess I'll just have to see what happens. I was hoping somebody would tell me it was a great custom mod

.

Patrick

Dave McC · January 22, 2002, 07:59 PM

The proof's in the pudding. pattern it and shoot some groups with slugs. Then, you'll have actual results instead of theories.

Sure wish you were close to here, I'd like to see this....

January 21, 2002, 09:02 PM	#1
pmglock Member Join Date: July 13, 2000 Posts: 51	Weird 870 barrel? I just purchased a used 870 Express (pre-key lock safety) with a 20in barrel and standard rifle sights. It was dirty when I bought it with a lot of lead fouling in the end of the bore. After cleaning it I noticed that there are shallow, wide spiral grooves towards the muzzle end of the barrel. The barrel is marked improved cylinder, which is what I would expect on a slug gun. This is NOT a screw in choke. What the heck is it? Patrick

January 21, 2002, 11:22 PM	#3
pmglock Member Join Date: July 13, 2000 Posts: 51	thanks for the response But the barrel is bright and shiny clean- the lead from the slugs had accumulated in the grooves and was tough to scrub out. These grooves are definitely in the steel of the barrel. Never seen anything like it before. Patrick

January 21, 2002, 11:43 PM	#5
NINE Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 431	Last edited by NINE; January 22, 2002 at 01:59 PM.

January 21, 2002, 11:49 PM	#6
pmglock Member Join Date: July 13, 2000 Posts: 51	I swear.... The barrel is clean! I can see and feel the grooves in the metal of the barrel. I was wondering if it were a type of rifled choke, but nothing on Remington's website seems to describe what I'm seeing. And the barrel is marked improved cylinder. The grooves are well defined, smooth and shallow. Doesn't look like a hack gunsmithing modification. It's WEIRD! Patrick

January 22, 2002, 09:41 AM	#8
pmglock Member Join Date: July 13, 2000 Posts: 51	Hi Dave Mc I thought you'd show up as the 870 expert in residence. I haven't had a chance to pattern it yet or group slugs. Looks like a proffesional mod of some kind; maybe to shoot sabots? It does home defense duty so I hope it will group decent with shot. Patrick Mc

January 21, 2002, 09:37 PM	#2
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	Sounds like somebody put a bunch of rifled slugs down it. I'd try cleaning it again, since you said that it was leaded badly, and this sounds like it's still leaded. Possibly what you're seeing is lead left by the rifled slugs. This WOULD look like wide, shallow grooves.

January 21, 2002, 11:35 PM	#4
NINE Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 431	I have a 870 Marine Magnum, and the barrel had what I thought at first were permenent marks from copper plated buck shot and slugs. Hoppes powder solvent took them right off... just run a 12Ga brush through it a couple times and then some patches. After doing that a couple times, with no results, then you may have a problem. good luck. Ps. ain't there some sort of "rifled choke" also.. maybe that's what it is?

January 22, 2002, 06:01 AM	#7
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Some black powder gunsmiths have done rifling in shotguns bbls to improve performance with slugs. This may be an 870 altered as such. How does it pattern? And how does it shoot slugs?

January 22, 2002, 10:24 AM	#9
SDC Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2001 Location: People's Republic of Kanada Posts: 1,652	You sometimes see "rifling" like this done to spread out a shot pattern, usually for skeet or close-in bird hunting. I was at the IWA show 2 years ago, and this was an option for woodcock/"becassier" hunters. __________________ Gun control in Canada: making the streets safer for rapists, muggers, and other violent criminals since 1936.

January 22, 2002, 10:58 AM	#10
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	What a horrible thing to do to a gun that is going to be used with shot. Want to spread the load, use a different load. \ Like Dave says.....How does it shoot ? With shot and slugs ? Sam

January 22, 2002, 11:56 AM	#11
pmglock Member Join Date: July 13, 2000 Posts: 51	C.R. Sam- haven't had a chance to pattern it yet. Maybe in the next couple of days. If the mod is to increase shot spread it does seem stupid on a rifle sighted slug gun. I guess I'll just have to see what happens. I was hoping somebody would tell me it was a great custom mod . Patrick

January 22, 2002, 07:59 PM	#12
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	The proof's in the pudding. pattern it and shoot some groups with slugs. Then, you'll have actual results instead of theories. Sure wish you were close to here, I'd like to see this....