sawed off the barrel, less recoil now?

C

cajun47

New member
i bought a used 12 ga mossberg 500 for one hundred bucks last summer. shot it every time i went to the range or camp. it had a 30" barrel and i sawed off 10 inches, cut a couple inches off the stock.

i expected the shotgun to kick a bit more. it actually seems to kick less. i don't get it. maybe the shorter stock fits me better and i have a better hold on the shotgun?
 
No it doesn't, as long as the OAL is still 26" it's perfectly legal. Please refrain from running your mouth about legalities if you don't know anything about them.


As far as recoil, you're probably loosing some velocity which may be why you're feeling less recoil... however one would assume the lighter weight would make a much bigger difference in recoil.
 
Most likely, your first assumption about the stock fitting you better is correct. The recoil (actual) will be higher because the gun now weighs less. The perceived (kick) recoil can have been changed by your alterations.

As long as the barrels are 18+" and the overall length is 26", you are good to go and have some fun
 
Some states as Michigan have a legal length of 30" for rifles and shotguns that are registered as a rifle or shotgun. You can purchase a 26" gun but you need to get a handgun purchase permit to do it.
 
Recoil can be calculated using a math formula that involves 4 things.

The guns weight. Less weight, more recoil
The weight of the projectile. Less weight, less recoil.
The powder charge. Less powder, less recoil
Muzzle velocity. Less velocity, less recoil.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

If you know all the information you can plug in the numbers here and find out.


Changing any 1 factor can effect recoil. By shortening the barrel, you are getting less velocity, so less recoil. You are also making the gun lighter, so that means more recoil.

Personally I think it is pretty close to an even tradeoff. It is possible that your gun does recoil slightly less with the same loads you were shooting before, but I'd think the difference would be hard to detect.
 
rep1954 said:
Some states as Michigan have a legal length of 30" for rifles and shotguns that are registered as a rifle or shotgun.
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Really? Some states don't register guns. Handguns, long guns, as long as they're not NFA, there is no registry. Talk with your legislators about changing the law.

OP said:
i expected the shotgun to kick a bit more. it actually seems to kick less.
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I'd be willing to bet that the total recoil went up and the perceived recoil went down. Having a stock that fits better is a wonderful thing.
 
Kinda thought after reading Paw Paw's posthow I wrote my post might have sounded a little misleading or not clear. You dont have to have a permit for a rifle or shotgun over 30" but you still have to fill out a form for the state inorder to purchase one and also a background check gets done by any FFL holder you buy from by phone. Rifles and shotguns of legal length may be sold freely between private persons 18 and over.
 
Kinda thought after reading Paw Paw's posthow I wrote my post might have sounded a little misleading or not clear. You dont have to have a permit for a rifle or shotgun over 30" but you still have to fill out a form for the state inorder to purchase one and also a background check gets done by any FFL holder you buy from by phone. Rifles and shotguns of legal length may be sold freely between private persons 18 and over.
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Why everyone has to comply with federal laws, some time your state law may be more restictive. If you take a firearm from your state where it is legal into another state for whatever reason, often to hunt, then you risk running afoul of that state's laws. To even confuse things more, what if your gun is legal in your home state and where you hunt, but illegal in a state through which you pass going to and fro to hunt.
 
20" of barrel is plenty to burn all the powder in the shells. You aren't losing velocity or pressure.
The obvious answer is stock fit.
 
It could kick less since the gas is expelled faster vs having to hold it. I can shoot a 3"slug with 1 hand on my friends m500 straight out. Not much kick to it either way.
 
Well it would be forced more upwards resulting in less recoil wouldn't it? The way I can shoot my 3" slugs with a 10 pound gun straight out is following the recoil timing and neutralize it completely. Maybe your just letting the gun naturally flow, making it seem less recoil.
 
20" of barrel is plenty to burn all the powder in the shells. You aren't losing velocity or pressure.
The obvious answer is stock fit.
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This is 1/2 right. Yes you burn all the powder in 20", but the longer barrel allows the pressure of the burned powder to continue to accelerate the projectile for a longer period of time. Velocity will continue to increase in longer barrels long after all the powder is burned.

The difference is how much velocity you gain. If you drop below 16" or so you will see a more dramatic decrease in velocity compared to 20". Going longer than 20" will result in smaller gains in velocity as barrel length increases. A 24"-26" barrel will be faster than 20", going any longer than that and the differences are so small as to not really matter. But they are there.
 
well i got to say that beat up sawed off mossberg is currently my funnest gun to shoot now. who has the cheapest 12 ga buckshot and slugs on the internet?
 
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