Shortening a barrel to create a slug barrel

[shovelhead70]

I have a 28 inch 20 gauge wingmaster barrel and want to cut it to 20 inches and create a slug barrel. i can't seem to find a slug barrel for a pre 1968 20 gauge wingmaster.

[Spirit 1]

Did you read the thread farther down this same page in this same forum, about shortening a shotgun barrel?

[shovelhead70]

Shortening a barrel to create a slug barrel

thank you. i missed many of the posts. i still do not know if this method allows the use of rifled slugs or just pellets.

[Gunsmith Dan]

I am not understanding your question???

A rifled slug can be used in a smooth bore barrel just like pellets/buckshot can be used. That is what they were actually designed for use in.

What you DO NOT want to do is use a rifled slug in a rifled barrel as you can get some ... err interesting results (none of them good and in some cases dangerous).

[Eddy's Shooting Sports]

I am not understanding your question???

A rifled slug can be used in a smooth bore barrel just like pellets/buckshot can be used. That is what they were actually designed for use in.

What you DO NOT want to do is use a rifled slug in a rifled barrel as you can get some ... err interesting results (none of them good and in some cases dangerous).

FUD

Please provide references as to why standard slugs are bad in rifled barrels...

[Spirit 1]

Shovelhead, a shotgun is incredibly simple overall. It's just a metal tube that's equipped with a trigger/hammer/firing pin mechanism. It accepts a shell, usually brass based & plastic shot chamber, at one end of tube. It's not a whole lot different from a black powder gun or a civil war canon, in that you load a charge in one end [shell] with pretty much whatever you want stacked on top of that powder charge: buckshot, slug, bb's, rock salt, carpet tacks, marshmallows, anything. Because of smooth bore whatever is loaded simply explodes out the other end when fired, no muss, no fuss except on target.

The reason for bothering to dress the barrel with a crown after cutting is so that the exploding gases behind the projectile[s] will be evenly balanced around circumference of tube as it goes off. That results in driving whatever load evenly, squarely, aimed where you pointed. Because shotguns aren't tack driver accurate the crown doesn't have to be so very precise and perfect as on a target gun etc. For buckshot/pellets and defensive use a crown doesn't matter a bit.

In general you can use rifled slugs in an un-rifled [smooth] shotgun barrel [most common setup], or unrifled slugs in a rifled barrel [more accurate], or rifled slugs in rifled barrel [no advantage and screws up spin on projectile], or any combination. Main thing that suffers is accuracy if things aren't matched up with rifling combo, like when using rifled slug in rifled bore.

The other important thing that can suffer is your freedom, if you cut a barrel too short. That gets real serious real fast if you are busted for it, so it's always better to cut slightly longer, just to make sure.

[kcstott]

What the real issue is you do not want to use slugs in barrels that have to much choke in them.
Anything tighter then an improved cylinder is a bad idea.

Rifled barrels are designed for saboted slugs and will produce great results. They are not the best choice for a rifled slug but are far from dangerous. And just to be sure I looked through my Rem 870 Manual and my Browning A5 manual and there is no mention of using specific ammo with a rifled barrel.

[Spirit 1]

What the real issue is you do not want to use slugs in barrels that have to much choke in them.Anything tighter then an improved cylinder is a bad idea.

Rifled barrels are designed for saboted slugs and will produce great results. They are not the best choice for a rifled slug but are far from dangerous. And just to be sure I looked through my Rem 870 Manual and my Browning A5 manual and there is no mention of using specific ammo with a rifled barrel.

Just like KCStott says! That choke thing is a non-issue in a chopped barrel gun because the choked section of barrel is at muzzle, that you're cutting off.

[kcstott]

Just like KCStott says! That choke thing is a non-issue in a chopped barrel gun because the choked section of barrel is at muzzle, that you're cutting off.

And if you are going to chop the barrel only remove the first three inches to get rid of the choke. But I would recommend removing the choke by reaming as opposed to cutting the barrel.

[shovelhead70]

Shortening a barrel to create a slug barrel

it seemed too easy or obvious to just remove the choke by reaming or cutting and produce a good slug barrel. thank you for the explanations about crowning the barrel. the other reason i would rather shorten the barrel is to use this barrel for defensive training for my daughter-in-law. i was told that the 20 gauge might be kinder to her in training that the 12 gauge. we used 870's and i wanted to keep it consistent so that she would be familiar with our other shotguns. thank you for your help.

[Gunsmith Dan]

EDDY's

Your FUD is FUD ..... I never said standard slugs, I said:

What you DO NOT want to do is use a rifled slug in a rifled barrel

You will not get good accuracy and can even end up with a unstable slug (which I guess is my definition of dangerous) as opposed to using a standard slug or sabot slug in a rifled barrel.

[kcstott]

How is unstable dangerous??

[Eddy's Shooting Sports]

EDDY's

Your FUD is FUD ..... I never said standard slugs, I said:



You will not get good accuracy and can even end up with a unstable slug (which I guess is my definition of dangerous) as opposed to using a standard slug or sabot slug in a rifled barrel.

What is a "standard" slug to you? The most common slugs are either foster type rifled slugs and wasp shaped sabot slugs. I don't mean to be argumentative, but if you do some reading on the subject, there is no danger in using any type of slug in any type of barrel, including those with full chokes. Having read some actual reports of using using rifled slugs in rifled barrels, it has been found that they are actually more accurate than from smooth bores. The rifling on rifled slugs is actually quite ineffective and serves more as medium to allow contraction of the slug through choked barrels. I'm not making this stuff up. It is documented by numerous sources.

I simply recommend that folks seek out reputable sources and make their own decision based on documented facts before choosing to shoot any type of ammunition through a particular firearm.

[Gunsmith Dan]

Would like very much to see these "reports" that say rifled slugs shoot more accurately in rifled than smoothbore ...... in fact a test done in Field and Stream says the opposite (what I can remember off the top of my head besides my own personal experience).

While the foster is a standard type American slug, not all foster type slugs are rifled ..... the main design is a front heavy slug using drag to stablize it with no spin.

Yes you are correct that the "rifling" is added to actually help the rounds fit through certain types of chokes, that same rifling on foster type slug engaging rifling in the barrel can cause a slight imbalance to the slug if the "rifling" on the slug is not cut/molded perfectly symetrical. Then on top of that using a rifled slug in a rifled barrel produces excessive lead fouling (and adding a choke to that even more) and everyone who shoots (or at least should) that to much lead fouling can greatly reduce accuracy.

The problem found is that imparting spin on foster type slug that might have the weight slightly off center imparts a unstable spin. The slug either does not shoot accurately, and if the weight is enough off center, could become unstable and do a end over end.

I, as a gunsmith, consider any weapon that causes a projectile to leave a barrel in a unstable manner dangerous as your bullets will never go where you are aiming at, and that is never a good thing.

[kcstott]

It was perceived by me and most likely other readers of your post that "Dangerous" meant to the shooter not the shootee. Inaccuracy in posts can be dangerous as well
I personally would not call a inaccurate rifle dangerous if it was based on inaccuracy alone. I would call it a waste of time and money though