Gunsmithing needed

ShawnRPrice

ShawnRPrice

Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
61
I have a NEF 20 gauge single shot that has a 25"ish barrel. I'm looking to have is shortened to 18-20". I have heard people doing this themselves and ruining the shot pattern. I want to avoid this. Does someone know of a good trustworthy gunsmith that I could contact to see about getting this accomplished?

Thanks

Shawn
 
You can do this yourself if you have a lathe... If not use a tubing cutter, then do a test pattern shot from 10-15 yards on a 4x8 sheet of plywood., wherever the shot pattern is straying, Then using your favorite 16-20oz hammer work the last 1/8th inch of the barrell in the same area that the pattern deviated from and move it towards the center. believe it or not, This is how really expensive english guns are choked.
 
Do you want it to have any choke? If not it's easy. If you do, though ... you're really limited in how much hand work you can put into that gun without it costing you more than a new one would.
 
J.S Carter,

I’ve never heard of using a hammer on the end of the barrel to adjust the pattern. I don’t think I trust myself enough to do that. I didn’t think of using a tubing cutter though. I’ll keep that in mind.

Cougar,

I’d still like to use the gun for hunting so I want to have the same choke it has now. I would also like to shoot slugs with the gun. Where I live some of the hunting areas are shotgun/slug only

I’m starting to think the best course of action is to leave the barrel alone.

Thank you both for your inputs

Shawn
 
Have you considered getting interchangeable choke tubes fitted once you get the barrel shortened? Although probably a little expensive, It would give you the option of many different chokes. Of course the work would need a competent gunsmith like you originally asked for.
 
I've never heard of that hammering idea either, or of using a lathe to shorten a barrel, or of using a tubing cutter. Seems to be a unique approach to gunsmithing....
 
ive never heard of js carters techniques either.

when shooting any size shot from a shotgun, the pattern is almost certainly going to have some "fliers". that is, one or more pellets that are outside the intended pattern. just inherent in the fact that all the pellets are bouncing around inside the bbl and against each other prior to exiting.

i guess the hammer could help, but it seems unlikely that the fliers are going to be in the same place every time, or even the majority of the time.
 
i have cut down shotgun barrels before and used a special roller made by an old gunsmith for rechoking a cut down barrel. if my friend still has the roller i could do it for you. i'll give him a call and find out. if so i'll contact you.
 
If you want to do it yourself a make a project out of it then more power to you, you'll like the gun even more afterwards.

If you're going to pay someone to do the work, then you ought to just buy another gun or barrel for the intended purpose. Chances are that gun shoots fairly well with shot loads as is, and you could get a seperate slug barrel for it for around $100 IIRC. NEF's are interchangeable, and the receiver is the only serial numbered part. You can get another barrel by mail order. It may have to be fitted, but IIRC that is only the rifle barrels. Either way it can be done through the mail.

Another option is you could get a mossberg 500, pump action gun for a couple hundred bucks. I bought one set up as a 12 gauge slug gun for $199 last summer. Very accurate and reliable, and made in the USA to boot. They have combo deals available with slug and smoothbore barrels both included as well for a few bucks more.
 
Howabout getting a decent gun and retiring that pipe. An express 870 has choke tubes and you can get a different barrel for about 75 bucks, which gives you a far better gun, with more options for less than 300 bucks. In the long run its a far better option.
 
Guntotin_fool said:
Howabout getting a decent gun and retiring that pipe. An express 870 has choke tubes and you can get a different barrel for about 75 bucks, which gives you a far better gun, with more options for less than 300 bucks. In the long run its a far better option.
Click to expand...

There is not one thing wrong with those NEF guns... they are lighter and simpler than the 870- I own several of each. If you are good with the NEF or just like it there is no need to get a pump OR knock the mans gun. That just shows ignorence in your response. The question was not askin of another gun. I buy the NEF and will when ever I find them cheap. They make great cabin,garden travel guns. The ones with the auto eject are decent self defense guns. I have cut several down over the years and a hacksaw and a file to true works well for me. I have a shortened (legal length) 12 ga ejector nef by the bed and don't feel undergunned at all.
 
you can definitely do it yourself with little trouble, just remember a couple of things.
1. barrel must be at least 18"
2. overall length of gun must be 26"
3 if you cut the barrel off yourself you will have no choke and thus a pretty open pattern, it will work fine for slugs.
4 A couple of posts above a gentleman mentioned a choke roller if you can hook up with him that will do well to about a modified choke.
5 screw in chokes can be installed if you have enough barrel thickness but he price can be quite high, around $100 for install with 1 tube.
6 remember you won't have a sight bead when you cut it so you'll have to have one installed, about $15 or $20

as far as the actual cutting as mentioned above a hacksaw and a file and your good to go. good luck
btw nef and h&r are great bang for the buck guns and handy as a pocket on a shirt, however you will be undergunned in case of zombie attack.
 
i talked to my friend who used to own a sporting goods store and if you arent in any hurry he can do it this spring (no heat in his shop). he needs to know what choke you want the gun to be, full, modified or improved cylinder. he can do it all including putting the bead back on. it would be best to have him do it so its done right. i have worked with him before on guns and he does good work. he might even have choke tubes if you want to go that route which is what i would suggest.
 
Take a look here:
http://www.hr1871.com/Support/accessoryProgram.aspx

You can get quite a few different barrels for it, providing your gun was made after 1987. The standard barrels are longer than you want, but there are 22" barrels for the youth models that would probably fit your gun. The 20 gauge barrel is only $42. Slug barrel is $62 for the standard rifled barrel, and $99 for the heavy barrel. You would be money ahead, and have a much more versatile gun by going this route.
 
There is a poster on here (and a friend of mine) that goes by "Tim the Slugman."

Tim is an amazing machinist by trade whose logon moniker comes from his making/modifying shotguns.

If he can't do the work, he can probably provide some suggestions.

Good luck
 
Nothing wrong with your shot gun . I would opt to buy a new barrel , Its real easy to shorten your own barrel as posted before. I learned to shoot with a stevens single 16 and got real good shooting skeet (doubles) with no problem. Shoot what you know and what you are comfortable with .
 
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