Home Depot cart a Mossberg 500 barrel cut job?

[wild cat mccane]

Should be obvious at this point, I am not a shotgun choke expert.

If I am using Federal Flite Control ammo, does this premium wad take out any of my concerns?

I am asking after reading comments from Dave McCracken in this thread:
https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=454549

[Bill DeShivs]

Just cut the damned barrel! It's not rocket science.
4 pages on simply hacksawing a barrel.

[FITASC]

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.

No, a Cylinder bore is a cylinder bore.. The choke is the constriction for the last inch or so at the end. You won't notice much difference as choke is measured in tenths of thousands of an inch, and you're about to cut off whatever choke your barrel currently has.

[wild cat mccane]

So just do it?

[FITASC]

If you think you can cut it taking into account the barrel taper, etc. have at it - if it goes south, just buy another barrel for $200 or whatever. I personally, would have a smith do it, because I don't trust my ability to take a straight saw blade and cut a round object perfectly square to the bore.

IF you intend to put the bead back on, I would use the current bead as a guide before you cut and mark your center position on the rib. You'll then need to drill and tap, remembering the rib is mostly likely soft aluminum.

[wild cat mccane]

Seeing some concerns, I posted the 28" barrel for sale locally. If it sells, I'll post the 18.5" barrel for sale and purchase the 20" vent rib barrel.

As I've not gotten anything so far and have it cheap...I might just end up throwing caution into the wind and cut this bad boy up out of spite.

*Next update will likely be that I need help fixing my cut job

[wild cat mccane]

...

[Bill DeShivs]

Put the barrel in a padded vise. Wrap tape where you want to cut. Saw on edge of tape.
Straighten/level with a file. Chamfer inside edges with pocket knife. Chamfer outside edges with file.
The rib is steel. There is no "backboring" and if there was, you would have cut it off anyway.
You don't have to touch up the bluing if you don't want to.
There is nothing complicated about it.

[wild cat mccane]

Welp, I'll do it.

Pictures, review, and asterisked cussing to follow very soon

[FITASC]

Next update will likely be that I need help fixing my cut job

As long as it isn't a cut hand or fingers!....

The true test will be after at the pattern plate.

[wild cat mccane]

Final clarification.

Is there an assumption here that I am missing that the patterning will likely be garbage?

[TxGun]

At this point, cut or don't cut. Nobody here can hold your hand or do it for you. Either be wild, wild cat...take it to a gunsmith...or forget about it.

[wild cat mccane]

Hey man, I'm just trying to learn from people who know more than I do. I think everyone has been accommodating to me asking questions, even several times.

I've hear differences in: material of the rib, is the barrel overbored or not, what file to use to smooth, using a piper cutter vs not, etc. About everything has been contradicted by someone else

Thanks all for the continued info.

[Bill DeShivs]

I have cut many dozens of shotgun barrels.
Shotgun ribs are seldom aluminum. The only way you can attach aluminum to steel is with screws.
Your pattern will open up a little bit. At 20 feet, you won't notice it.
Use a smooth, single cut mill bastard file-preferrably a good one like Simonds brand.
A pipe cutter is a moot point-as your gun has a rib.
Your barrel is not overbored, but if it was, you will be cutting that part out.
If you doubt my qualifications, see my web site.

[FrankenMauser]

Is there an assumption here that I am missing that the patterning will likely be garbage?

Yes.
Not because of the chop, or anything that you do (unless you leave a big burr). ...But because 99% of shotgunners see absolutely no reason for a cylinder bore and want nothing to do with one.

It's cylinder bore. Patterns are going to be big. Don't worry about it.

[FITASC]

Is there an assumption here that I am missing that the patterning will likely be garbage?

Only if you don't cut it square or finish it so it is. It could then shoot high or too much L or R -why you check it at the pattern plate (You should do that with any shotgun and the ammo you intend to use anyway.

[wild cat mccane]

Thanks to the three comments above answering my patterning question.

[HiBC]

There was a time when the only shotgun I had was a cyl bore cut down Win 97.
And I would occasionally go pheasant hunting.
Obviously,no long range shooting would work. So I did not need the long range energy carrying power of larger shot.
I went with the high brass heavy loads of 1 1/4 oz 7 1/2's .
I had to just let some birds go,but within range,the larger pattern and small shot pattern density helped make up for my mediocre shooting!! I got a lot of slap downs.
These days I have a Berretta O/U. I tend to have the IC /skeet 2 tubes installed most of the time.

Since they developed shot cups ,buffers,etc you can get by with a little less choke.

[agtman]

Cut it to "Whippet" length.

Concealable, handy, fast, and close-range lethal.

No patterning issues to be vexed with.

[Screwball]

Originally Posted by agtman

Cut it to "Whippet" length.

I so want to get an A5 or variation just to do that...

[FITASC]

Can you even think about doing that in NJ?...

[agtman]

Can you even think about doing that in NJ?

You can, ... unless N.J. now makes it a "Mind Crime" to do so.

Simplest solution? Move.

You can thank me later.

[Screwball]

Originally Posted by FITASC

Can you even think about doing that in NJ?...

You can do it as you can in mostly any other state... stay above 18".

Only thing that can't be done in NJ is a tax stamp for SBS or AOW.

[FITASC]

Thanks for the clarification - on the Net we get to hear a lot of "horror" stories about certain states and locales - most of which are based on innuendo and stated by folks with zero first-hand experience or knowledge, so it's nice to hear from someone who lives in a locale giving us the info.

[wild cat mccane]

Done.

Tools I picked up for the cut:
Nelson bastard file, Dewalt 32 hack saw blade, cheap HDX hack saw, cheap miter box (didn't use much), wood door shims (awesome), Birchwood bluing paste, Dewalt mini clamp (didn't use), HDX deburring tool, and BESSEY vice (didn't use-impossible to get the rounded barrel to stay on).

Observations:
1 The 500 rib is defiantly steel and defiantly held on to the barrel at each rib,
2 The rib acts as a near perfect horizontal level whereas all areas of the barrel acts as an impossible plane to level.
3 The poking out nut on the barrel was the project's unexpected difficult item for holding this steady=what a pain that was to figure out how to level,
4 The bastard file is leaving a texture in the practice cut. I may get a smooth file for the last few sweeps,
5 The cutting took a bit of time, yet went faster than I thought it would as I was doing it. Weird.

Started with a practice run using the last rib before the muzzle. I held it entirely by hand against my work bench . Went well, but my cut meandered and was much thicker at the bottom. Oops.

Next I graduated to the real cut. I used wood door shims to prop up the muzzle end in the miter box. Using a small level on the length of the rib, I leveled the barrel with the shim and held it all down by hand. I am not sure if the miter box did much. Cut away.

I am going to clean up it all up and hit it with the blue. Patterning to follow.

Thank you all for your tireless answering of my repeated questions. It was defiantly easy. Not easier than I thought, but easy.

Sorry for the photobucket. Didn't realize how crappy that got.

Practice cut:


Half way done:


Fin with all three barrels: