shotgun question

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
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was toying with the idea of sawing down a NEF 2o gauge past the choke...for a survival gun (still legal length) this would keep it short, handy and portable...it would handle slugs alot better, and in theory give a better spread on buckshot at close range (for defense) but most important I guess would be patterning...I'm wondering how a cylinder bore 20 guage would be for small game harvesting and what the effective range would be...I normally hunt small game with my double barrel I keep one barrel w/ improved cylinder for moving critters, and one mod. for things a tad further out...THe cool thing about the NEF shotguns is that a hollow after market stock and forend are avialable which enable you to stow survival gear and ammo in...
 
I wouldn't recommend it. Buy instead a shorter barreled shotgun to start with. Cylinder bore will not give you decent groups with slugs, buckshot or birdshot. Plus, lightening an already light shotgun makes it kick harder. If you do shorten one, don't think just attacking it with a hacksaw will give you a good barrel. It needs to be cut square to the bore and properly crowned. Usually a job for a competent gunsmith. Just the opinion of an old Codger though, so take it for what it is worth.

Codger
 
old codgers often have the best the most meaningful advice.. Thanks... I wouldn't plan on modifying a firearm myself..THanks again.
 
I too would not reccomend it. My dad has a 16 gauge with a sawed off barrel (18 inches I think). It does well on rabbits, but must shots are around 10 yards. After about 15-20 yards, a sawed off does not pattern well at all. As far as slugs go, you will lose more accuracy in loss of sight radius (and the sight itself for that matter), than you would gain by a cylinder choke. keep the barrel how it is, and pack bird/buck shot.
 
Codger_64 said:
I wouldn't recommend it. Buy instead a shorter barreled shotgun to start with. Cylinder bore will not give you decent groups with slugs, buckshot or birdshot. Plus, lightening an already light shotgun makes it kick harder. If you do shorten one, don't think just attacking it with a hacksaw will give you a good barrel. It needs to be cut square to the bore and properly crowned. Usually a job for a competent gunsmith.
Click to expand...

A gunsmith could add adjustable chokes to your "sawed off" barrel.
 
I sawed off a 24" double barrel down to 18.5 on a old 20 gage because the barrel bore end was pitted from years of heavy use. it still works fine with no chokes. Just increase your shot size. You should do fine.

I cut mine off myself using an electric band saw and a jig. I reamed and polished the bores. Works great.
 
If you used a metal chop saw you could cut it square. Buy a riot pump if you want a defensive shotgun. At least a nef is cheap enough if you screwed it up it wouldnt hurt to much.
 
I tried the chop saw first cutting off about 2 inches but on my saw I could not
get the barrel straight against the blade very well because the table surface is not flat and square. So I moved to the band saw with a large flat ground surface
and made a wood jig to square the barrel. Double barrels are compound tapered
and need to be squared one 2 sides. to get a straight cut. Band saws can wounder a little. The thicker the stock the worse they move inward. After a little reaming and beveling I got it very. very close with little work.

The best way to do it is use a horizontal milling machine with a slotting saw. I don't have horizontal just a vertical so this was not an option for me.

Mine is a side by side so it has the compound taper. If you have and over under then you have it easier.
 
Riley NEF/H&R 1871 CO. Has a barrel accessory program . if you send your shotgun back to them they can fit a 20" slug bbl. for $42 also the recievers except for 10 guage are all the same size so you could have any thing from 410/45lc to 12 guage fitted to your gun might be cheaper doing this then going through the NYC permit b.s. hope this helps ya http://www.hr1871.com/Support/accessoryProgram.aspx
 
I have cut down 12g guns and they did fine on clay pigeons. If the barrel has no taper on the end, cut it with anything and use a square and a file to tune it up, then some sandpaper to debur it. On a section of barrel w/ no taper, you can mark a line perpindicular to the bore by tightly wrapping a piece of paper or cardstock around it. If the edges line up on the paper, and it is tight to the barrel, the line is perp. to the bore. Only works on untapered portion. You can tell by measuring it. Yes, the pattern does open up w/ cyl. bore. Makes it a close range proposition. I hit clays out to about 30 yds max. after that, don't bother shooting.
 
Codger_64 said:
I wouldn't recommend it. Buy instead a shorter barreled shotgun to start with. Cylinder bore will not give you decent groups with slugs, buckshot or birdshot. Plus, lightening an already light shotgun makes it kick harder. If you do shorten one, don't think just attacking it with a hacksaw will give you a good barrel. It needs to be cut square to the bore and properly crowned. Usually a job for a competent gunsmith. Just the opinion of an old Codger though, so take it for what it is worth.

Codger
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%:thumbup:
 
You might just be able to buy a shorter barrel for it...barrels themselves are not too pricey, and it will save you alot of work.
 
If you don't already have the gun, look at a 20 gauge youth model with the shorter barrel. Then you can put the hollow stock you were talking about on it. I have never tried slugs out of a Mod choked 20 ga but out of a 12 ga it was always the sighting that seemed to be the problem for me, not the choke. I always thought the accuracy would take a deer 50-75 yards if I had a rear sight.
 
RescueRiley said:
was toying with the idea of sawing down a NEF 2o gauge past the choke...for a survival gun (still legal length) this would keep it short, handy and portable...it would handle slugs alot better, and in theory give a better spread on buckshot at close range (for defense) but most important I guess would be patterning...I'm wondering how a cylinder bore 20 guage would be for small game harvesting and what the effective range would be...I normally hunt small game with my double barrel I keep one barrel w/ improved cylinder for moving critters, and one mod. for things a tad further out...THe cool thing about the NEF shotguns is that a hollow after market stock and forend are avialable which enable you to stow survival gear and ammo in...
Click to expand...

The NEF guns main attraction are price and light weight. If you are really looking for a "Survival Gun" in that sense that it's a gun you wanted to keep with you for a true survival (a normal trip has gone unexpectedly wrong) situation. I'd go with a short barreled 20 or 12ga (12ga will be more punishing because of the light weight, but I've always felt that there isn't anything 20 can do that 12 can't do better). I would look at getting the the lightest replacement stock and fore-end (custom carbon fiber?) I could find and working on a carry system that would allow to carry the gun in two pieces, which will reduce the overall packing length. This will give you a lightweight gun that should pack as small as possible, yet if you found yourself in a serious situation you could easily assemble. You would lose instant availability, but would be easier to carry.

I wouldn't worry too much about slugs. I don't see them as potentially useful as shot in a survival situation. They are useless for small game, less useful than #4 or even #00 for self defence, the only thing it would be useful for is large game bear/hog, and then the one shot of the NEF model would be a concern when dealing with a potentially dangerous amimal.

Now if your looking for a everything has gone to hell in a handbasket and I'm heading to the woods "survival gun" I think your looking for a different animal completely, the NEF just isn't really the best choice, but that isn't where I think you are going.

Sean
 
...I've always felt that there isn't anything 20 can do that 12 can't do better...

Lol! And I've proven to myself and many others that a competent shotgunner wielding a 20 can do anything needed as well as a sixteen, twelve or ten. I do have a short barreled 12 for home defense, mostly for it's magazine capacity and ghost ring sights. But my 20's on Modified choke will put 3/4 ounce .50 cal. slugs in a pieplate at 75 yards if I do my part.

Check the L.O.P. on NEF youth stocks before you buy. 11 3/4" is too short for me. IIRC, you can put a full sized stock on a youth shotgun.

Codger
 
Codger_64 said:
...I've always felt that there isn't anything 20 can do that 12 can't do better...

Lol! And I've proven to myself and many others that a competent shotgunner wielding a 20 can do anything needed as well as a sixteen, twelve or ten.
Codger
Click to expand...

Well, my reply was meant to be half toungue in cheek as I sure you guessed. And I've broken many many clays with a 20 just as well as a 12, however IMHO when it come to reach, a 12 beats a 20 in almost every situation. My average on long going away shots with a 12 is always better than when shooting with a 20, and you see way more 12 than 20 in the duck blinds. For upland, than the advantages of the lighter weight, and quickness of the 20 generally make up for any disadvantages. I think that advantages of the 12 are more pellets and more powder per shell. The only disadvantage, is generally weight and kick.

Sean
 
Dern gun laws. I love to have a single shot 20ga, or even a 12ga with an old style wooden pistol grip and a 12" bbl.
 
Racerx2oo3 said:
I could find and working on a carry system that would allow to carry the gun in two pieces, which will reduce the overall packing length.
Click to expand...

I don't think you can do that. The headspace will need to be checked everytime you remove the barrel on one of those from what I've read. (I had an HR years ago but I was only a teenaged lad.)

This is an interesting option.
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns/tamer.aspx
20" barrel instead of 18, but that's not much to deal with.

Check the L.O.P. on NEF youth stocks before you buy. 11 3/4" is too short for me
Click to expand...

It's not the best fit for me either (6'0" tall) with normal armlength, but it works for an around the house gun. I would think it would work for a backpacking gun too, assuming that's what you were wanting to do with it RR (from the last thread).

RR, I still think a 20g pump youth is the best model for you because the barrel is easily removed.
 
I kind of like the 45 LC/410 option. But do you really feel secure with a single shot?
Anybody seen that Taurus revolver? Wonder if you could hit anything with a 410 shell out of a handgun?
 
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