14 Inch Barrel
- Thread starter Joven
- Start date
rellascout
Moderator
Not IMHO. Unless you live in a home with very narrow hallways it is not worth the extra money and hassle.
The British Soldier
New member
If you are happy to operate at such close range then go for it, especially if the money isn't a bother.
Personnally the only thing that a 14" barrel is good for is taking doors off prior to making entry during room combat; be loaded up with Hatton rounds and take the hinges off - you're in. The guns we had were called 'Barclaycards' [because they got you in anywhere!] and were 870s with just a pistol grip and a sawn off barrel. We did them on a lathe until I saw a nice little facing tool in the Brownells catalogue; just hacksaw off the barrel and put the tool in your power drill. It has a phosphor bronze pilot to centre the milling head in the barrel - ten seconds of power action and the barrel is perfectly square with no burrs.
Maybe that might save you a couple of hundred dollars!
Personnally the only thing that a 14" barrel is good for is taking doors off prior to making entry during room combat; be loaded up with Hatton rounds and take the hinges off - you're in. The guns we had were called 'Barclaycards' [because they got you in anywhere!] and were 870s with just a pistol grip and a sawn off barrel. We did them on a lathe until I saw a nice little facing tool in the Brownells catalogue; just hacksaw off the barrel and put the tool in your power drill. It has a phosphor bronze pilot to centre the milling head in the barrel - ten seconds of power action and the barrel is perfectly square with no burrs.
Maybe that might save you a couple of hundred dollars!
XavierBreath
New member
I don't think the British Soldier understands US laws concerning short barreled shotguns. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and not lecture.......
No, even if you did not have to pay the NFA tax. At 14 inches, what would your magazine capacity be?
The British Soldier
New member
To be frank, if you can't handle the weapon in the first place; cutting the barrel short won't do you much good. The best equipment for inside a house is the pistol. If you know how to use one, it doesn't matter whether your opponent has an AK; a double tap is a universal language.
The British Soldier
New member
Thank you for your courtesy Xavier; I figured the other bloke was being short but didn't grace it with a response.
I expect 14" shotguns are illegal anywhere and you would only get 5 rounds in the magazine [assuming it is a 2 3/4" chamber).
I expect 14" shotguns are illegal anywhere and you would only get 5 rounds in the magazine [assuming it is a 2 3/4" chamber).
Brit,
I was going to say that there'd be no real savings there. The process here is you pay the government your $200 up front, get the paperwork necessary to convert or "manufacture" the short barreled shotgun/barrel, and then go ahead if you're doing it yourself. If buying an already legally made and registered 14-incher, you pay the same $200 as a transfer tax/registration.
Most gunsmiths would probably charge about $40-$50 dollars to cut back a simple non-ribbed barrel and leave it without chokes.
A 14-incher can hold five in the magazine with a one-round mag extension. Total of six onboard if fully loaded with one in the chamber.
Denis
I was going to say that there'd be no real savings there. The process here is you pay the government your $200 up front, get the paperwork necessary to convert or "manufacture" the short barreled shotgun/barrel, and then go ahead if you're doing it yourself. If buying an already legally made and registered 14-incher, you pay the same $200 as a transfer tax/registration.
Most gunsmiths would probably charge about $40-$50 dollars to cut back a simple non-ribbed barrel and leave it without chokes.
A 14-incher can hold five in the magazine with a one-round mag extension. Total of six onboard if fully loaded with one in the chamber.
Denis
On the "close" thing- with sights and the IC choke installed on mine it can keep a full charge of 00 Buck inside13-14 inches at 25 yards (did it last week in testing a number of shtogun loads in three 12-gauges), and it can easily put five slugs inside four inches and less, depending on the load, at 50 yards.
Not necessarily trying to sell anybody on the idea, just noting that I'm quite satisfied with mine.
Denis
Not necessarily trying to sell anybody on the idea, just noting that I'm quite satisfied with mine.
Denis
Not so. 14" shotguns are treated the same in Canada as any other shotgun providing the gun was made at the factory with a short barrel (e.g. no hacksaw jobs). I own a 14" and 20" 870 and am underwhelmed with the supposed benefits of the shorter gun. It's very "tactical" but not all that practical particularly if you have to fire at night. Big flame with most rounds. Far less with the 20". I'll keep my 14" gun because I can but don't consider it vastly superior to the 20".
Once registered as such, that receiver remains legally a Class III gun forever, even if you swap barrels, stick an 18-incher on it, and throw the 14-incher away. If you put a regular barrel on it & sell it through normal channels as a "normal" gun, you risk federal jail time.
Denis
Denis
An SBS or SBR can be removed from the registry and sold as a standard title I firearm, however, the short barrel cannot stay with the gun, and the NFA Branch should be notified in writing of the change of barrel length (back to 18"+ for a shotgun) and the intention to remove it from the registry.
pjr try Federal LE slugs or shot..very little flash. I like my 14 inch shotty alot. Like to shoot it at the range a few times a week now. If you can get one, and its not to much hassle try it out. BTW at my I find it very accurate with slugs at 25 feet. Dont use it much beyond that. Hard to measure groupings as the wad knocks a hole in target as well.