STOP! Don't cut! You might be ruining a collectors item! Do you know what the gun is worth? Have you checked a Blue Book of Gun Values? Had it appraised by a real gunsmith? Checked values on Gun Broker?
Of course it's your's to do what you want with. If it's pretty beat up, and rusty, then it might not be worth much. Then cut away.
To answer your questions,
2. Choke. The choke would be cut off so it would be a cylinder bore shotgun, or a wide open bore. No choke. Your patterns would be real wide and the effective range of the shotgun would be short.
3. Accuracy? Good for close work, less then 35 yds. See above.
4. Recoil? You would never notice a difference. It would go up ever slightly, as the gun weighs less.
If you want a hunting shotgun, check out a $350-400 Rem 870 or Weatherby PA-08 or a Mossberg or Bennelli Nova, etc.... You could sell the Win 1897 and be money ahead. And you would interchangeable choke tubes and a choice of barrel lengths.....
__________________
You only live twice. Once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.
IAN FLEMING
|