Barrel Cut Question ?

[870BkWht]

I have a Remington 870 express 20 gu. that has a 28'' barrel on it and I want to make this another turkey gun, but I do not want to pay 250 + dollars for a new barrel that is 21" and also I dont like that long of a barrel to turkey hunt with.  I also would like to have the ability to use this gun for rabbit, and grouse hunting so, my question is this.  Is it possible to have the 28'' barrel cut down to about 23'' and have it rethreaded for remchoke so that I can still use the IC, MOD, and Super FULL tubes to provide a variety of hunting use for different situations (turkey, grouse, squirrell, etc.) 

I was told once that alot of it depended on the thickness of the steel where the barrel will be cut.  How would I know for sure before it was actually cut. 

Also can anyone reccamend a good gunsmith to do this or atleast someone I could call and ask for more info about?

[allaboutshooting]

You can contact these folks http://wrightsgunsmiths.com/ and talk to them about barrel dimensions necessary for cutting and rethreading. They do very high quality work.

A better option however might be to look for a used factory barrel that is more like the length that you want. It would probably be less expensive in the long run.

Most of the folks that I hear from who are having problems with patterns with their 20 gauge guns are those using barrels shorter than 26". T he 26" barrel seems to be just about perfect in 20 gauge guns especially. I don't see any patterning advantage to longer barrels longer than 26"but they do produce less muzzle whip. I do hunt with a 28" barrel on my 20 gauge 870 and don't find it to be a problem however.

Thanks,
Clark

[870BkWht]

Clark,  thanks for your input and the link you posted.  I want to pick your brain a little more.

I really dont have a problem toting the gun around with the current 28'' barrel but I just think that barrel is a little too long to turkey hunt with.  It makes it much more easier for manueverabilty if the barrel on any shotgun is in the 21'' to 23'' length, but this is my opinion. 

If I could even find a barrel with a fixed choke, what would you think about having it cut to the lenght I want, and then having it sleaved with a long sleave in a super full constriction?  It would be like dedicated turkey barrel and I could still keep my 28'' barrel for squirrel, rabbits, etc. 

Do you know of a company that does this with any sucess?

[westtennhunter]

I hope I don't violate any forum rules by posting this. I had my barrel cut from 28 to 24 and rethreaded for REM choke by Mike Orlen in MA. He will do this for $50 including return shipping if you are a member of shotgunworld.com. For $35 more he will lengthen your forcing cone. He did one for me and one for my cousin. We were well satisfied.

[fountain2]

May wanna check with Sumtoy...he is a member here and a fine shotgun smith for a very reasonable price.  A+ work .  He did one for me and it turned out great....cut,  threaded and choked all at the same time with very good results

[allaboutshooting]

Clark,  thanks for your input and the link you posted.  I want to pick your brain a little more.

I really dont have a problem toting the gun around with the current 28'' barrel but I just think that barrel is a little too long to turkey hunt with.  It makes it much more easier for manueverabilty if the barrel on any shotgun is in the 21'' to 23'' length, but this is my opinion. 

If I could even find a barrel with a fixed choke, what would you think about having it cut to the lenght I want, and then having it sleaved with a long sleave in a super full constriction?  It would be like dedicated turkey barrel and I could still keep my 28'' barrel for squirrel, rabbits, etc. 

Do you know of a company that does this with any sucess?

I understand the desire for a shorter barrel. I was at one time a real fan of those short barrels and had the barrels of a Fox SxS cut down to just over 18" and threaded for chokes. I had a lot of other work done to that gun and used it in the turkey woods for several years. I still occasionally carry it.

I'm sure that you could have a barrel cut down and sleeved as you describe and that it would probably work pretty well. I'm also sure that there are several barrel builders who would do that for you. I've never had that done and have never discussed that with any of the barrel makers that I know.

If I was considering that, I'd contact Rob Roberts at http://robrobertsgunworks.com/ and talk with him about that process. He does excellent work and is very upfront about what's possible and reasonable. He'll also tell you what it might cost.

I hope that helps some.

Thanks,
Clark

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

If this 28" barrel already is threaded by the factory for Rem chokes I would just use it as is and not worry about 5" of barrel length if were me.  The 28" barrel will out shoot the 23" barrel in all probability.  I prefer a 28" over any other.  And it never ever bothers me or wished I had a shorter barrel.  The shortes I care to go is 26". 

[WaddleWhacker]

to bad your 870 aint a 12guage  because i would trade you 21'' barrel for that 28'' in a heartbeat

[westtennhunter]

Wouldn't dare cut off a perfectly good 28" barrel. I, too, prefer nothing shorter than 26". Every inch you cut off decreases muzzle velocity and along with it, pellet energy.

According to what I read, this was true in the old days, but todays powder burns faster so the longer barrels arent needed to maximize muzzle velocity. I don't know for sure. Has anybody ever tested it?

[westtennhunter]

The 20 and 21s seem too short to me. I like my 24 and I doubt I lose much velocity over a 26 or 28. Thank you for posting your results. If you only lost 50fps from 26 to 21, I feel good about my 24.

[gobble157]

I thought the same thing and wanted to cut my barrel. Honestly is isn't worth it. Keep it at 28 and try different chokes. You will be pleased with it after a few great patterns