Question about a Rifled Barrel for a shotgun

[Ken Woodford]

I've done a few searches and can't seem to find anything about this. My Apologies if I missed something.

I would love the get a semi auto shotgun and and extra barrel that is rifled. Not for a rifled slug but a barrel with rifling.

I didn't know that existed until I saw it on the NRA show on TV last year.

I'm sort of a newbie to shotguns and although the only shotgun I ever used was the 870 my department issued. So since that is my only experience for the 25 yrs I was active I still call myself a newbie re:shotguns.

I live in San Bernardino County and a huge portion of the county says closed to all shooting except shotguns with a bore diameter of 1/2 or smaller.

Technically it's still a shotgun even with a rifled barrel right?

Bass Pro shop sells the sabot round for rifled barrels but I honestly heard one saleman say no..shotguns only use rifled slugs. So I thought I would come here because I know there are some experts here as well as some salesmen.

Help me out with some info please.

Ken

[osis32]

There are rifled barrels. I know the 930 has some. Don't know much about the rules and regulations in terms of hunting with them.

[OneGun]

My experience with sabots in rifled barrels has been very accurate, even past 100 yds. The sabots are too expensive for my taste, however.

Interesting etymology of sabot; it is a French word for a type of shoe, the sabot is actually the retainer to keep the shotgun "dart" or round centered in the chamber. The word sabotage originated due to the practice of striking French workers to use their shoes to smash factory machines.

[2nd Shot]

Don't quote me on it, but I believe that in shotgun only hunting zones/seasons, it still counts, and is main reason why somebody would go through the trouble of putting a rifled barrel and scope on a shotgun as opposed to picking up an inexpensive rifle that's more accurate at longer ranges.

That said, pay attention to the "Half bore diameter" part of the law. What they mean is buck or bird shot only - no slugs. Projectiles no bigger than half the diameter of your bore. I have no idea if you could put, say a 9mm bullet in a sabot and try it, but I doubt it'd fit the intent of the law.

[mcmikeblues7]

as a hunter, who has looked through the laws about hunting with a slug-gun, I can tell you rifled barrels on shotguns are legal to hunt with in 'no-rifle/handgun zones'.
But you should not trust me, cuz I'm just a dood on the internet and you don't know if I have even spent a day hunting.
sabot (non-rifled) slugs do exist, and are very effective. Their main advantage is that in a lot of California, you must use lead free projectiles for big game. Lead-free Foster (rifled) slugs are HARD to find. I only know of two. But Sabot slugs are often made of copper.
Don't ever listen to a salesman at basspro, they are often not much of firearms experts.
You can get a rifled barrel for an 870, I would suggest a cantilever barrel, so you can have the scope mounted to your barrel and put on another barrel for shooting shot.

[Ken Woodford]

There are rifled barrels. I know the 930 has some. Don't know much about the rules and regulations in terms of hunting with them.

Thanks the 930 Mossberg looks like something I would be interested in.

[Ken Woodford]

My experience with sabots in rifled barrels has been very accurate, even past 100 yds. The sabots are too expensive for my taste, however.

Interesting etymology of sabot; it is a French word for a type of shoe, the sabot is actually the retainer to keep the shotgun "dart" or round centered in the chamber. The word sabotage originated due to the practice of striking French workers to use their shoes to smash factory machines.

The accuracy of the sabot vs the slug is why I am interested in the rifled barrel. Yep they are expensive..about $3 a round. I don't even know how expensive the extra barrel would be either. Nedless to say I wou;dn't be shooting any shoes or factory machines!! LOL.

[Ken Woodford]

Don't quote me on it, but I believe that in shotgun only hunting zones/seasons, it still counts, and is main reason why somebody would go through the trouble of putting a rifled barrel and scope on a shotgun as opposed to picking up an inexpensive rifle that's more accurate at longer ranges.

That said, pay attention to the "Half bore diameter" part of the law. What they mean is buck or bird shot only - no slugs. Projectiles no bigger than half the diameter of your bore. I have no idea if you could put, say a 9mm bullet in a sabot and try it, but I doubt it'd fit the intent of the law.

It's not a shotgun hunting season. The area in San Bernardino County around the Adelanto area north to I-40 is shotgun shooting only with a bore no greater than 1/2". That area is full of Coyotes and I cannot legally shoot the AR or any rifle to hunt them.

My requirements of an interchangeable barrel would be for that purpose and the smooth bore for any other defense or hunting I may do.

[Ken Woodford]

as a hunter, who has looked through the laws about hunting with a slug-gun, I can tell you rifled barrels on shotguns are legal to hunt with in 'no-rifle/handgun zones'.
But you should not trust me, cuz I'm just a dood on the internet and you don't know if I have even spent a day hunting.
sabot (non-rifled) slugs do exist, and are very effective. Their main advantage is that in a lot of California, you must use lead free projectiles for big game. Lead-free Foster (rifled) slugs are HARD to find. I only know of two. But Sabot slugs are often made of copper.
Don't ever listen to a salesman at basspro, they are often not much of firearms experts.
You can get a rifled barrel for an 870, I would suggest a cantilever barrel, so you can have the scope mounted to your barrel and put on another barrel for shooting shot.

Thanks DOOD in the internet!! LOL!!

The 870 is the only shotgun I have experience with and with so so many of them around that is of course a very viable option. I would prefer a semi auto but the 870 is not out of the question.

The 870 is defined as a shotgun so if a peron put a rifled barrel on, and the F&G Warden stops and sites the hunter...put that info in front of a jury and the burden would be on the DA to find the law that says a rifled barrel on a 870 changes it from a shotgun to a rifle.

That question does require me to inquire with the F&G.