Cutting a barrel; is there a legal length?

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General Disarray

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Forgive me if this is a ridiculous question, but I have a super old junky Mossberg Sears model that I wanted to mod with a shorter barrel, and I can't justify spending cash on an aftermarket barrel. I wanted to know if there was any way to legally shorten the barrel? Is it the length that has to stay to certain limits, or is cutting a barrel illegal, period?
 
18 inches measured from the face of the bolt with the bolt closed.

You would measure that by putting a dowel rod or cleaning rod down the barrel till it touches the bolt. Or you can just take the barrel out of the gun, you can see clearly where the chamber starts.

best to cut to 18.5 so there is no argument over 1/8 of an inch making it illegal. If you get my meaning

Safer still to measure from the front of the receiver out 18.5 inches. That way if Johnny Law puts his tape measure to it, the barrel is clearly (just) over the legal length.
 
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In addition to barrel length restrictions there is a minimum overall length of the shotgun of 26". This is not a problem with pump action guns as even with a PGO stock they tend to be over the limit due to the length of the receiver. It can get you in trouble with break action guns though.
 
Is it a ribbed barrel or round? At any rate, ask a plumber or pipefitter on how best to make a straight cut. More barrels have been cut with a hacksaw than anything else. Take it to a gun smith as an option. What Willie Lowman has listed, is pretty good advice on the barrel.



Be Safe !!!!
 
A decent hacksaw frame and new blade will cut just fine. You can make a straight guide with a copper tubing cutter... Just a couple fairly light tension laps will give you a nice guide line.

Not everyone knows this... A hacksaw is designed to only cut in one direction and should be lifted off the work for the back draw to avoid damaging the teeth prematurely. Most guys cut on the forward push stroke.

Don't forget to ream the inside of the muzzle to remove all burrs.
Brent
 
MANY a barrel has been cut down by folks without the proper jigs - some were somewhat successfully close, some not....some were below the legal length, some were not

Would depend on what kind of machinist you are
 
Would depend on what kind of machinist you are
Click to expand...
I ain't a machinist but I make pretty straight cuts even with a "beverages" in my gullet... I prefer to just think of myself as a talented hacksaw monkey...:D
Brent
 
A hacksaw works just fine and is the best tool for the job. I've cut several. The steel in shotgun barrels is pretty soft and cutting is easy. I use a square and file to touch up the end of the barrel and finish with some cold blue. It is a 10 min. job from start to finish even for someone with 10 thumbs.

If the barrel has a vent rib cut through the rib closest to the length you want. Just be sure to stay over the minimum legal length.
 
I always used a lathe and a mill. I'd pop the bead (if there was a bead) set it up in the mill find the true center of the barrell and mark it. Then I'd cut chuck the barrell in the lathe make the cut. Chamfer the end like it was. Then go back to the mill drill a hole and re-set the bead. Spray some blue on it. They looked as good as the day they were bought. I always had to laugh. I have modified more guns than I have ever shot. A lot of the guns I worked on, I hate to admit, I didn't even know how to shoot. Tho I'd like to do a lot more shooting its something I love to do.
 
Brent - not every gun barrel is a straight tube - most are a tapered tube, even if just slightly - trying to cut that if you do not understand that can result in a bad cut and you will have your patterns off your POI/POA
 
A set of machinists V-blocks makes cutting a slightly tapered barrel a little easier. I've shortened barrels for customers by quickly cutting to about 1/4" over the desired length with a hacksaw (try Nicholson blades, btw), then go right over to the disc sander and true it up. Deburr the edge carefully. A little touchup blue and you're close. If you know what you're doing think about drilling and tapping for a new bead.

I''ll second the cautions on cutting to minimum length. I knew a guy who bought an 870 with an 18" barrel- completely legal. He was out shooting on some property and a neighbor down the road called in a complaint about the noise. The Sheriffs deputy arrived and measured the barrel *from the edge of the receiver to the muzzle*. The guy tried to explain but the Deputy arrested him for a barrel under the legal length of 18". He was bailed out by his family late that night, and the charges were dropped later that week.
 
cutting

Hacksaw is good. One direction as noted. New blade, please.
I use a machinist's square to set up the cut. After the cut, I draw file the muzzle - cannot emphasize too much how important it is to get the muzzle perfectly square. Ream the burrs, if any, carefully.
Pete
 
You can go any length you want if you have an approved form 1 for a SBS before you cut under 18”.

I have cut them with band saws and chop saws, then face the barrel off square on the lathe.
 
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