Gunsmith to cut down shotgun barrel.

[ILoveCats]

Any local (Lincoln) 'smith recommendations? 

Considering having an 870 Wingmaster barrel cut back 2-4" to the next section of the rib, re-crowned, bluing touched up on the crown/rib, and bead reinstalled.

Maybe install a Remchoke if possible, but this is an old 20-ga "lightweight" (small ring) fixed-choke barrel, so may not have the thickness for that.

Any guesstimate on cost for above?

Thanks.

[ILoveCats]

Nobody?

Don't make me get out the hacksaw!

[SemperFiGuy]

Howsabout..............

You shed some light on why you want to do it??

Maybe we can talk you out of it, save you some money.

Or, alternatively.........If it sounds good:

We'll all go out, each buy one, put them together in a pool, get them all cut down, get group reduced rate.

sfg

[ILoveCats]

I've got a lovely old Wingmaster "Lightweight" 20, back from the days when they were really well made. Came with a fixed full choke 28" barrel that patterns beautifully.

A few decades ago I saw a matching 28" modified-choke light contour barrel at a gun show and picked it up, thinking it might be handy.

After mucho intensive pattern testing of these particular barrels with myriad shotshell loadings, I've learned that obsessing over the difference between modified and full choke is what Jeff Cooper used to call an unhealthy obsession over insignificantly small increments. Like having a 44 magnum revolver and insisting that you "need" a 41 magnum. Turns out I can get a much wider variety of patterns simply by switching loads than I can from switching  barrels.

That's the background.

So the bottom line is I've got this spare, modified barrel been sitting 'round since Reagan was in office and I'd like to chop it back to the next section of vent rib (26") or even two sections (24"). Thinking it might make a more handy bedside shotgun than a 28" tube for when things go "meow" in the night. Might be a good quail gun too. And, I've never shot skeet but it's always intrigued me, so I thought it might be fun someday to try it with a 5.5 lb, shorter barrel, pump 20.

[Les]

I used to know a guy in Lincoln but would not recommend him after I took 2 field grade 12's (870 and 1100) for adding a second bead for both my kids shooting trap, one was fine the other the bead wasn't centered on the rib    I'd think about contacting FCW in Cortland.  I also believe there's a couple guys out in Malcolm that work on guns and have an FFL, had a friend get a firing pin replaced in his almost new Savage .270.  Malcolm General store if memory serves, although I can't vouch for if they can handle it. 

[SemperFiGuy]

Turns out I can get a much wider variety of patterns simply by switching loads than I can from switching  barrels.

Well, yes, that's what I woulda said if you hadn't already figgered it out by yourself.

So---Some Thoughts:

You could sell your Modified barrel (Armslist, Gunbroker, NFOAForum, whatever) and not have to mess with cutting it off and then either re-choking it or adding a PolyChoke.   And then buy yourself some kind of a used Rem870, Mossberg 500, or general equivalent thereof for a housegun.   Plenty of 'em out there.

Or you could sell the Full barrel, keep the Modified to shoot trap, skeet, and/or field.

Or if you wanted, you could mount the Modified choke barrel on the Wingmaster and try shooting skeet with it.   If you want, I'll introduce you to skeet shooting at Harry Koch Range in Omaha.   I'm not very good at it, but know the skeet process and could help you get started.   And then if you didn't like skeet, you could still sell the extra barrel.   Just a bit more used.

Sometimes these modifications cost way more than expected and then often don't turn out the way you imagined they would.   Never happened to me, please understand.   It's just that I've heard of it from Other Guys.

FWIW,

sfg

[ILoveCats]

Thanks! 

The full choke barrel is original to the gun, which is a prized possession.  I'm never getting rid of that barrel for sure.  Shooting a 3" load with 1.25 oz of Baschieri & Pellagri's nickle plated / high antimony #6 shot, it throws a good-sized yet still-wickedly-dense pattern out at 35-40 yards.  Good medicine for pheasant.

Naw, basically I'm looking for something to do with this spare barrel and thought I might at least make a short, "cylinder" constriction barrel out of it.   Seems like Briley can cut, recrown and reinstall the bead for $75 so was curious if anyone local can do it for the same or less.  https://www.brileygunsmithing.com/c-879-full-list-of-shotgun-gunsmithing-pricing.aspx

Yes I could sell it then re-buy something already the right length, but buying, selling and trading are also activities that typically end up costing more money than originally anticipated.

Appreciate the skeet offer!  Unfortunately that hobby will happen when the kids are out of the house.  I'm already spending all my cash on their trap shooting expenses.

[SemperFiGuy]

OkeyDokey:

Please keep us posted if anything reportable turns out.

sfg