whats the cons to shortening the barrel on a shotgun and having it threaded back for factory chokes
I'm wanting to shorten the barrel on a brand new shotgun from 26 inches down to 22
Some might think I'm crazy to want to cut down a 1000/1500 dollar shotgun but that's the barrel length I want with a vent rib in 3-1/2 mag now with all that being said what will it effect ?
Will I lose velocity and pattern density or can I still achieve great patterns and still be effective to 40 yards and possible beyond
Sometimes you can't have them shortened and still use the factory chokes. A gunsmith will have to mic the barrel to see if there's enough material to thread it at the spot you are wanting. I wouldn't have anything less than a 24" barrel personally, and I would prefer at least a 26" barrel. Normally a lot easier to pattern... You will lose velocity and pattern density but you can normally still achieve good patterns with a short barrel by trying different chokes.
How much velocity we talking about like minor or significant? Can anyone tell me
What is the most efficient barrel length I have always been told 26 inches but could someone tell me why what makes that length more efficient than 22 or 24 and then even longer to 28
Per Nitro Companies website.
"The modern turkey hunter sacrifices pattern performance and velocity for maneuverability of a short 21" barrel. A gun with a 26" barrel will give you higher velocity and better patterns. For every inch up to 26", you gain 7 1/2 to 15 feet per second in velocity, depending upon the gun. A 26" barrel will give you 10 to 15 percent better patterns than a short barrel with the same choke constriction"
Disregarding any effect on velocity or the ability to use the type of choke that your gun normally uses, one significant consideration is the quality of work done. It can be pretty easy to shorten some barrels, threading them concentrically be another matter however. Over the last few decades I've seen some barrels ruined and seen the frustration of trying to find a way to compensate for improperly threaded muzzles.
Many years ago, it was a pretty common practice to shorten barrels with fixed chokes and thread them so they could accept screw-in choke tubes. Today, we have so many choices of brands and barrel lengths, that the process is not as common and frankly, that's a good thing.
Lastly, we all know that whatever value a barrel has can be greatly reduced by alteration. That may not seem like a factor in the decision making process. Many of us like to think that we'll always like and want to keep a particular gun but unfortunately, that's not always the case. In the situation where we "fall out of love" with a gun, anything that reduces its value is just piling-on.
Just a few thoughts that I hope help some.
Thanks,
Clark
Quote from: allaboutshooting on March 23, 2017, 04:49:28 PM
Disregarding any effect on velocity or the ability to use the type of choke that your gun normally uses, one significant consideration is the quality of work done. It can be pretty easy to shorten some barrels, threading them concentrically be another matter however. Over the last few decades I've seen some barrels ruined and seen the frustration of trying to find a way to compensate for improperly threaded muzzles.
Many years ago, it was a pretty common practice to shorten barrels with fixed chokes and thread them so they could accept screw-in choke tubes. Today, we have so many choices of brands and barrel lengths, that the process is not as common and frankly, that's a good thing.
Lastly, we all know that whatever value a barrel has can be greatly reduced by alteration. That may not seem like a factor in the decision making process. Many of us like to think that we'll always like and want to keep a particular gun but unfortunately, that's not always the case. In the situation where we "fall out of love" with a gun, anything that reduces its value is just piling-on.
Just a few thoughts that I hope help some.
Thanks,
Clark
I agree do I really want to cut down the barrel of a 1500 dollar shotgun no but I don't know what other choice I have I have went as far as contacting Remington and benelli to see if they would custom me a shotgun and they both said no as for me I didn't understand how they could call themselves a custom shop yet not do custom work
Have you used a longer barrel (24"+) for turkey hunting before? And if so, has it really been that much of a handicap? I'm as aggressive of a hunter as anyone, I love to run and gun. But I never saw the advantage of a barrel shorter than 24". The sight plane, the balance, the lack of muzzle jump are all better with a longer barrel. To some degree, although probably negligible, velocity and pattern will suffer. Not trying to sway you or tell you how to spend your money. Just thinking that if you think that 2" of barrel length is really going to make the difference, you may be disappointed.
It can be cut down. We cut them 129. Single shot all the way to 5000 O/U. You have alot of folks around that can do it. Now don't get to carried away with it because you may have to start over with chokes.
I would definitely consider discussing it with this SumToy guy here ^^^. ;)
Buy a mossberg 935. I believe they have a short barrel and are reasonably priced and leave your expensive gun alone.
Quote from: SumToy on March 23, 2017, 09:31:12 PM
It can be cut down. We cut them 129. Single shot all the way to 5000 O/U. You have alot of folks around that can do it. Now don't get to carried away with it because you may have to start over with chokes.
what barrel length do you recommend ? For the best pattern/performance does it all dictate on the gun ? Does one gun company shoot better with a shorter barrel than another ?
You probably will not be able to use your factory chokes. Velocity difference between 26 and 22 will be insignificant at 40 yards. Pattern can go either way, sometimes the shorter barrel patterns better, sometimes the longer barrel does. This varies depending on the gun and shell being used among other things.
Barrel length is more about personal preference and balance than anything. Also sight plane to a lesser degree. I would be more concerned with what choke options I would have and the quality of the work when considering cutting a barrel.
Quote from: Farmboy27 on March 23, 2017, 08:28:47 PM
Have you used a longer barrel (24"+) for turkey hunting before? And if so, has it really been that much of a handicap? I'm as aggressive of a hunter as anyone, I love to run and gun. But I never saw the advantage of a barrel shorter than 24". The sight plane, the balance, the lack of muzzle jump are all better with a longer barrel. To some degree, although probably negligible, velocity and pattern will suffer. Not trying to sway you or tell you how to spend your money. Just thinking that if you think that 2" of barrel length is really going to make the difference, you may be disappointed.
honestly no I haven't everything has always been 26 except for my Remington 870 turkey/predator it had a 20 inch barrel but I didn't like it nothing wrong with the gun it was just designed for an optic and I'm not a fan of an optic on my turkey gun so I sold it
Quote from: DBuck90 on March 24, 2017, 02:50:19 AM
Quote from: SumToy on March 23, 2017, 09:31:12 PM
It can be cut down. We cut them 129. Single shot all the way to 5000 O/U. You have alot of folks around that can do it. Now don't get to carried away with it because you may have to start over with chokes.
what barrel length do you recommend ? For the best pattern/performance does it all dictate on the gun ? Does one gun company shoot better with a shorter barrel than another ?
I like 26 for a all around gun. Now 22 to 24 is a good set up for a 12. (loud and blast I dont like) The 20ga can get buy little shorter because less powder less blast. Now I have seen the 18 inch get as good as 30 inch. We did a few swat gun that was 12 inch with buckshot chokes that was crazy loud and gave patterns that make you go I hope they not shoot at me with them. :TooFunny:
Quote from: DBuck90 on March 24, 2017, 07:04:58 AM
Quote from: Farmboy27 on March 23, 2017, 08:28:47 PM
Have you used a longer barrel (24"+) for turkey hunting before? And if so, has it really been that much of a handicap? I'm as aggressive of a hunter as anyone, I love to run and gun. But I never saw the advantage of a barrel shorter than 24". The sight plane, the balance, the lack of muzzle jump are all better with a longer barrel. To some degree, although probably negligible, velocity and pattern will suffer. Not trying to sway you or tell you how to spend your money. Just thinking that if you think that 2" of barrel length is really going to make the difference, you may be disappointed.
honestly no I haven't everything has always been 26 except for my Remington 870 turkey/predator it had a 20 inch barrel but I didn't like it nothing wrong with the gun it was just designed for an optic and I'm not a fan of an optic on my turkey gun so I sold it
Have you considered either a side by side or over & under shotgun. The overall length of those guns is much less than a pump or self-loader. So you could have a 26" barrel and still have a much shorter gun overall than even a short-barrelled pump of self-loader.
Thanks,
Clark
Had Carlsons do mine several years, 18 inches gun shoots great. A purpose built gun
Would I have them cut down one of my A5 Brownings? No. Do I like they way it handles over my Browning? Yes
Buddies don't want it in a duck blind but its built to fire one shot a hunt, it can fire more just hope I don't need to.
Build your dream gun its only money and your dream.
A shorter barrel equates to increased decibels to the shooters ears and anyone else in the immediate area.
As a shooter for over 60 years, I can attest to the long term effects of exposure to gun fire and the associated hearing loss. Hearing loss is a cumulative effect.
That was a good point about hearing loss. If you plan to shoot THOUSANDS of rounds per year thru the shotgun you may not want to shorten it.
Would be worth looking into buying another barrel. If you choose to get rid of the gun at some point it will be fairly easy to sell the extra barrel. Gun will have multiple uses if you have two barrels as well.
"Thousands of rounds per year" is a real misconception of what it takes to cause lasting ear/hearing damage. Only a few, sharp, high decibel shocks can be the nexus for lasting hearing loss. I had an Ithaca Mag-10 w/ a 22" barrel which was banned from the duck blind after a friend said that the side of his face was numbed after me firing a few rounds at waterfowl. That was over 25 years ago, and my friend says repeatedly that he suffered permanent hearing loss in his right ear due to the excessive muzzle blast/shock.
I had a Model 29 S&W in .44 Magnum with a 6.25" barrel. I bought it to use for deer in Illinois when they first allowed handgun hunting. Those hunts were only allowed in January then and the first season was exceptionally cold with lots of snow and ice. I took it to the range one morning to sight-in just before the season but it was so cold that I got as close to the range office as possible. I was the only person there, so it was safe enough.
I put in plugs and also some decent muffs. I fired the revolver 4 times and it was right where it needed to be. That was enough, so I took off the muffs and removed the plugs. It was still just as quiet as it was with them on. I had no hearing. I immediately knew my mistake. I'd been next to a steel sided building that did not allow any of the impulses from the muzzle of that very loud gun to escape.
It was at least 2 days before some hearing returned and that was after spending my time in a very silent place trying to allow the jangled nerves in my ears to return to some sort of normalcy. My hearing has never been the same. I have tinnitus (crickets, ringing, etc.) that never goes away. From that day, my hearing was damaged and there is no way to repair it. As I age, it becomes worse.
When I shoot at the range now, I wear good plugs and good muffs and I don't shoot close to buildings.
I only recount this story to illustrate how one foolish incident changed my hearing for the rest of my life, in the hopes that others will not do something equally foolish.
Oh, and I did sell that Model 29!
Thanks,
Clark
Quote from: decoykrvr on March 30, 2017, 06:23:15 PM
"Thousands of rounds per year" is a real misconception of what it takes to cause lasting ear/hearing damage. Only a few, sharp, high decibel shocks can be the nexus for lasting hearing loss. I had an Ithaca Mag-10 w/ a 22" barrel which was banned from the duck blind after a friend said that the side of his face was numbed after me firing a few rounds at waterfowl. That was over 25 years ago, and my friend says repeatedly that he suffered permanent hearing loss in his right ear due to the excessive muzzle blast/shock.
X2 Not always the amount of shots, but the damage of a few.