Shortening barrel/shot patterns

M

Musketman1

Inactive
I want to shorten a barrel up on my NEF to 18-20" or so. Ive heard this can just be done with a pipe cutter, or saw. But my guess is that once shortend the spread of the gun will be bigger. So if I had.. say a modified choke would it act like an Improved or Skeet choke once cut? Or would a full choke act like a modified choke once cut? Also would it affect my ability to shoot slugs after cut?
 
If you cut off more than a very few inches, wouldn't you end up with cylinder bore, i.e. no choke at all?
 
The gun will be a cylinder bore. It won't make as much difference in the pattern as you think.
DO NOT USE A PIPE CUTTER! It will constrict the muzzle, causing overpressure. Use a hacksaw, flat file and square. Chamfer the bore with a pocketknife.
Bill
 
There are three major components to a bbl "bore". They are:
The forcing cone.
The bore
The Pre-choke and choke

The Russians made a gun with a Pre-choke of .840 (II RC). A more "standard" pre-choke is .740 (II RC). I also believe that a Remington Trap choke is different from a "standard" Remington choke. (There are some Remington chokes that say "Not For Trap BBL's"; I believe this is because they have different forcing cones in a Trap gun than in other guns.)

These are extremes but I believe are relevant to you question.
 
I shot an H&R single shot 12ga that was cut to 19" bbl length several years ago. Used #4 shot at a frozen coyote carcass at 20'. It blasted a hole 4" in diameter from 20' so not much spread at all even though the bbl was 1" above legal limit.
 
I have one in 18.5 inch and the pattern is nice for house work. It does kick alot harder with the short barrel so do not use magnum loads. You would not need to use these loads for home or camp use. My fingers are proof of that! Magnum=very hard kick in a single barrel!
 
I am thinking of getting one in 20ga also. Anyone with knowledge of the 20 in a cut down barrel? Maybe an NEF Pardner like my 12ga? I do not currently own any 20ga guns but would like one for the wife who does not like 12ga.
 
...but would like one for the wife who does not like 12ga.
Click to expand...
Cheaper to put a Knoxx stock on your 12ga. If you get the SpecOps stock, she won't feel much of the recoil. Really...it makes 12ga's so much fun to shoot.
 
There are three major components to a bbl "bore". They are:
The forcing cone.
The bore
The Pre-choke and choke
Click to expand...

Interesting. Generally speaking, how long does the prechoke tend to be?
 
webbee

I have the Knox stock on my Rem 870 and Mos 500, but they do not make them for much else. I like the single shots very much, but the recoil is too much for the wife who loves to shoot so I think a 20 would be best.
 
Kozak6

IIRC the correct term for the pre-choke is the "Choke Forcing Cone". In modern guns it is generally found in the screw-in choke itself.

In a Model 12 it was about one inch in length.

Bob Brister in his book Shotgunning The Art and the Science shows the Russian gun that I referenced as part of the actual choke. It was six inches. I suspect this is an extreme.
 
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