Question for those with this type of experience/knowledge. I have a cheap Laurona 20 guage SxS with 28"x3inch bbls, F/M. I'm thinking of either having it cut off at 25" and using as a beater woodcock/grouse gun or possibly haveing the chokes reamed out and opened to like IC and Mod. Ideally I would want it cut at 25" and have one barrel threaded to accept a removeable choke which would give me a CYL/ whatever I want but I wonder if there is enough metal on a cheap gun like this to pull that off? Opinions?
SxS choke modification
- Thread starter linderhof
- Start date
gunsaholic
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
There might be enough metal but it would have to be measured. It also usually costs a fair dollar to have it threaded and choke provided (depending on who you find of course). IF one barrel is already modified, you only need to open up one barrel and that would be the route I would go. It is no big deal having the I/C choke on the left barrel. Some prefer it that way. Also, the handling characteristics will be altered somewhat when you shorten to 25".
I'd strongly advise against cutting down the barrels. That gun would have been built to balance with the 28" barrels - cutting off three inches is going to leave you with a gun which is too light at the muzzle. Believe me, it doesn't help when wingshooting. And a gunsmith would also be needed to close off the interstices.
I would just have the chokes opened to CYL and IMP CYL. It'll make a great 30-yard grouse/woodcock gun.
I would just have the chokes opened to CYL and IMP CYL. It'll make a great 30-yard grouse/woodcock gun.
Having the barrel chokes opened up is better than cutting them down. (usually $40 to $60) You will be in for a terrible surprise if you shorten them -- It will throw the balance way off and really affect the way the gun swings. I find a short barrel (25") good in the thick stuff (point & shoot) but short barrels swing very fast and stop too fast very difficult for swing follow thru -- you will miss a lot. Open the chokes up -- skeet and lt modified/skeet 2 is about perfect for all-around upland hunting. BTW Laurona barrels have softer steel than average so the chokes can be adjusted easily and they are not chrome lined. Good luck!
I shoot an old Savage-Fox model B that sometime in the past had the barrels cut off. It was probaly a f/m 30" set up originally,now its 25.5 and cylinder bore both tubes. By some stroke of luck the gun seems perfect for me now,love the way it handels. I do pretty good with it on clays and if it was original I probaly would have no use for it.
