Wingman Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Hi All I have a spare barrel for my Mossberg 500 that is 30" and choked full. I would like to shorten the barrel to 25" and remove the choke for use in the hide on close range decoyed birds (max 35 yards) but clearly have to ensure it remains 100% legal within S2 regulations. So my question is this regarding the overall length of a shotgun barrel, on my Mossberg as with most pumps and semis there is approximately 2 and a bit inches behind the chamber for the locking block extension. Does this need to be included in the measurement for OAL is is it taken from the breech to the end of muzzle? Hope this is straightforward! Cheers all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 (edited) Barrel measurement would be taken from chamber to breech, not including the extension for locking the block. Edited May 30, 2017 by Gordon R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted May 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Barrel measurement would be taken from chamber to breech, not including the extension for locking the block. What I thought, thanks for confirming though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impala59 Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Put a fired case or snap cap in the chamber, measure from the back of that, if you are going 24" (the minimum) allow at least an extra 1/4" for cutting tool thickness and crowning to finish. Shorter than 24" would make it section 5 (prohibited) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Hi All I have a spare barrel for my Mossberg 500 that is 30" and choked full. I would like to shorten the barrel to 25" and remove the choke for use in the hide on close range decoyed birds (max 35 yards) but clearly have to ensure it remains 100% legal within S2 regulations... If NOT within S.2 (which for a pump is the same as S.1- the ONLY difference being mag. capacity) then you are looking at an end result that is S.5 The easy way to measure is, with the gun empty, close the action. Insert a ruler or tape measure from the muzzle end until it hits the breech face = that's the barrel length. Easy job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 I cut a SxS down and stuck to 241/2" to be safe. That way if muzzles get Damaged still some metal to make good. As said measure from back of cartridge and that way you can't get it wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted May 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 I was planning to go for 25 inches or maybe 25.5 just to be on the safe side. Thanks for all the responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Measure the choke start to finish and see how much you need to remove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 (edited) Don't do it. I'm surprised that everyone is posting various ideas on how to measure from A to B and no one has asked What length of barrel and choke are you using now? And what you think that you are going to achieve by doing this other than to end up with a short barrel with no choke. Edited May 30, 2017 by fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Can't you just buy a cheap short barreled shot gun ? Whatever you do to the one you have could render it vitrully worthless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsbob Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 The op said he has a spare barrell that is choked full and is 30 inches long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 The op said he has a spare barrell that is choked full and is 30 inches long. Yes a got that but still, I would look at a cheap short barrelled shoty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted May 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 Yes a got that but still, I would look at a cheap short barrelled shoty. I dont need another gun (and dont have cabinet space for it). The barrel is spare and cost next to nothing so I am not worried about affecting the already negligible value. As for removing the choke, I think I will get more use out of it with no choke than the current full, it will only be used in the hide for decoyed birds and from what I have read with something like 32G of 7 shot should be very effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 I dont need another gun (and dont have cabinet space for it). The barrel is spare and cost next to nothing so I am not worried about affecting the already negligible value. As for removing the choke, I think I will get more use out of it with no choke than the current full, it will only be used in the hide for decoyed birds and from what I have read with something like 32G of 7 shot should be very effective. We haven't got to the crux of the matter. You state that you have got a 30" full choke barrel and that you what to get a hacksaw to it and reduce it down to about 25" But the question that I ask is, how long and what choke is the one on the gun now? If you think that chopping a few inches off of the barrel is going to be loads better I can advise you that you are highly likely to be disapointed. I have a 500 with two barrels and it dont make a jots worth of difference. in some circumstances the short barrels can be a pain because they get hooked up in the netting, i've got 25s also. dont do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belly47 Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) We haven't got to the crux of the matter. You state that you have got a 30" full choke barrel and that you what to get a hacksaw to it and reduce it down to about 25" But the question that I ask is, how long and what choke is the one on the gun now? If you think that chopping a few inches off of the barrel is going to be loads better I can advise you that you are highly likely to be disapointed. I have a 500 with two barrels and it dont make a jots worth of difference. in some circumstances the short barrels can be a pain because they get hooked up in the netting, i've got 25s also. dont do it.the crux of the matter is that the op was asking for advice as to how to measure the barrel length correctly. he now has answers that he is happy with. only you brought up the issue of choke and are now pestering for answers Edited May 31, 2017 by belly47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted June 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 We haven't got to the crux of the matter. You state that you have got a 30" full choke barrel and that you what to get a hacksaw to it and reduce it down to about 25" But the question that I ask is, how long and what choke is the one on the gun now? If you think that chopping a few inches off of the barrel is going to be loads better I can advise you that you are highly likely to be disapointed. I have a 500 with two barrels and it dont make a jots worth of difference. in some circumstances the short barrels can be a pain because they get hooked up in the netting, i've got 25s also. dont do it. Ok let me clear this up, main barrel on the gun is 28 inch with a CLECT choke, perfect bore nothing wrong with it. The second barrel is 30 inch full choke which I believe is what the american refer to as a "goose" barrel. The spare one is just that spare, which will sit in my cabinet until I use it which is probably not often if at all. My thinking therefore is it may be of more use if shortened but I fully accept that the choke question is largely irrelevant if I am on target it wont make a jot of difference. To be honest its also a bit of an experiment I am interested to see how the gun handles and shoots if I cut it down and I am a tinkerer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted June 1, 2017 Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Haven't you cut it off yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted June 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2017 Not yet mate, cant find my hacksaw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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