Shorten SXS barrels....?
- Thread starter tim_up_north
- Start date
The shortening of the barrels probably won't be too expensive, but you will loose your choke. If you are happy with cylinder bore your off the hook. If you need choke, having the barrels threaded for tubes will set you back a couple hundred, plus the cost of the choke tubes. Also I have been told some guns may not have enough barrel wall thickness to install choke tube in.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Please don't cut a SxS barrel unless it's a junker anyway and you don't really care how it shoots afterwards. The barrels are regulated by the maker to shoot so that patterns from each barrel hit the same point of impact at typical shooting distance. After you lop some off, it will likely not shoot to the same point of impact with both barrels anymore, some guns will shoot "side by side" patterns, some others even "cross fire"
What? 
Put mine on the bandsaw and two minutes later it was a nice 18 incher. (18 1/4" actually) Touched up the surface with a smooth file and a bit of emory cloth and it looks as good as new. Pulled the old bead off, drilled a little hole, put the bead on, touched up the end of the barrel with some cold blue (felt marker), polished the chambers and now got a good shootin' gun. Much more handy length.
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I think the reference to aligning or adjusting the barrels has more to do with double barreled rifles... either O/U's or SxS's.
I do not believe the choke section of a shotgun barrel is so out of alignment with the rest of the bore, that cutting the choke off would cause a shift in the point of impact. I also do not believe the factories spend anytime shooting and aligning barrels... that alignment is all done in the assembly set up before soldering.
I do not believe the choke section of a shotgun barrel is so out of alignment with the rest of the bore, that cutting the choke off would cause a shift in the point of impact. I also do not believe the factories spend anytime shooting and aligning barrels... that alignment is all done in the assembly set up before soldering.
"...cosmetic (and/or safety) issues..." Can you expand on that? You may not have a problem unless a barrel is split, bulged or otherwise damaged.
Just cutting a double can lead to serious trouble. Not all double barrels are connected to each other over the whole length of the barrel. If nothing else, you will have no choke. Cylinder bore is fine for slugs or close shots at upland game, but it's useless for ducks etc.
Just cutting a double can lead to serious trouble. Not all double barrels are connected to each other over the whole length of the barrel. If nothing else, you will have no choke. Cylinder bore is fine for slugs or close shots at upland game, but it's useless for ducks etc.
I won't expand on it too much...
I ask because I purchased a nice little SXS from someone and took her out to run some shells through her at some clays. Everything worked fine. Got home and was wiping her down and felt a bulge on the left (FULL choke) barrel....hmmmm
I did some research and found out about the steel shot problem...NO, I DID NOT SHOOT STEEL THROUGH HER....#7 light field loads.
Anyhoo, I checked inside the muzzle and found two 'lines' (cracks, fissures, I'm not sure what to call them...). They run only on the bottom half of the barrel about an inch - inch and a half in.
I'm no expert, and didn't want to make things worse, so she's now on her way to a Gunsmith for inspection and possible cutting...there are many variables that have to be determined yet.
Can't say I noticed them before I took her out, so I'm in no hurry to call the seller and ##### to him...if they were there, its even possible he didn't see this issue either...I like to give the benefit of a doubt.
I'll likely know the prognosis within a couple of weeks...here's hoping.
I ask because I purchased a nice little SXS from someone and took her out to run some shells through her at some clays. Everything worked fine. Got home and was wiping her down and felt a bulge on the left (FULL choke) barrel....hmmmm
I did some research and found out about the steel shot problem...NO, I DID NOT SHOOT STEEL THROUGH HER....#7 light field loads.
Anyhoo, I checked inside the muzzle and found two 'lines' (cracks, fissures, I'm not sure what to call them...). They run only on the bottom half of the barrel about an inch - inch and a half in.
I'm no expert, and didn't want to make things worse, so she's now on her way to a Gunsmith for inspection and possible cutting...there are many variables that have to be determined yet.
Can't say I noticed them before I took her out, so I'm in no hurry to call the seller and ##### to him...if they were there, its even possible he didn't see this issue either...I like to give the benefit of a doubt.
I'll likely know the prognosis within a couple of weeks...here's hoping.
As for alignment issues, think about it. Unless the barrels are curved, the bore axes are going to point to the same spot regardless of barrel length or if you cut them.
I also don't agree that Open Cylinder isn't good for ducks - mine is absolutely DEADLY within decoy range.
And by the way tim, good luck with the gun.
I also don't agree that Open Cylinder isn't good for ducks - mine is absolutely DEADLY within decoy range.
And by the way tim, good luck with the gun.
Grouse Man said:
UH UH....SXS barrels on their own would shoot at points that would converge unless "regulated" by the manufacture. Diff. manufacturers do it at diff distances from the muzzle but they all do it..If your only taking a couple inches off you probably wont be past the regulation point,but if you get to silly at the saw your patterns could cross
You're mixed up on something here, guys. Barrel length is irrelevant. Barrels that are perfectly parallel will shoot perfectly parallel no matter what. On the other hand, barrels that converge will converge at their designated point which maybe at 20 yeards, or 30 yards, or 40 yards. But the barrel length plays no part in determining that. If you cut the barrels, their original alignment remains the same. You're not suddenly pulling them closer together; they're fixed to that rib, remember? However the axis of each barrel is aligned now, will not be changed by shortening the barrels.
Imagine locking the barrels in a vise. Look down each barrel and see where they point. Now cut the barrels down and look again. They're still pointing at the same places.
Capiche?
Imagine locking the barrels in a vise. Look down each barrel and see where they point. Now cut the barrels down and look again. They're still pointing at the same places.
Capiche?
Grouse Man is right here, think hard about what he is saying.
When the manufacturer builds a double shotgun the barrels are put into a jig that is supposed to regulate both barrels at a certain distance. They are then brazed/soft soldered together and the upper and lower rib installed (some are done all at once by furnace brazing).
This is what a 30" barrel looks like when it is cut to 26" The barrels are brazed together (within a couple of inches of the muzzle not continuous) and the upper and lower ribs are soldered. All that has to be done to this one to make it look factory is to put in the filler pieces and re-install the bead.
Most barrels are built this way as it is too expensive and difficult to manufacture them with a solid rib holding them together and it would add unnecessary weight.
Now if they were assembled in a regulated jig the alignment will not change no matter how short you cut the barrels, as the alignment is fixed and cannot be changed unless you un-solder the barrels and physically move them.
The only thing that will affect where the shotgun prints after cutting is the loss of the choke and loss of velocity because of the shorter barrel.
Double rifles are a completly different thing as a lot of them have some sort of adjustment for making some changes to POI. Most of these adjustments are made at or close to the muzzle so if you cut this off then you could really mess up barrel regulation.
When the manufacturer builds a double shotgun the barrels are put into a jig that is supposed to regulate both barrels at a certain distance. They are then brazed/soft soldered together and the upper and lower rib installed (some are done all at once by furnace brazing).
This is what a 30" barrel looks like when it is cut to 26" The barrels are brazed together (within a couple of inches of the muzzle not continuous) and the upper and lower ribs are soldered. All that has to be done to this one to make it look factory is to put in the filler pieces and re-install the bead.
Most barrels are built this way as it is too expensive and difficult to manufacture them with a solid rib holding them together and it would add unnecessary weight.
Now if they were assembled in a regulated jig the alignment will not change no matter how short you cut the barrels, as the alignment is fixed and cannot be changed unless you un-solder the barrels and physically move them.
The only thing that will affect where the shotgun prints after cutting is the loss of the choke and loss of velocity because of the shorter barrel.
Double rifles are a completly different thing as a lot of them have some sort of adjustment for making some changes to POI. Most of these adjustments are made at or close to the muzzle so if you cut this off then you could really mess up barrel regulation.
Measure the center line of the bores at the breech and muzzle and see if they are the same.
It is my understanding that they are pointed slightly inward to allow for recoil movement so the shot or bullet exits in the same line. This is the regulation we hear about on double rifles that are regulated to meet at a given distance. I am not really sure about the shotguns, but it would be worth measuring to find out.
Left and right barrels are over the centerline of the gun and are moved at different rates under recoil and even before the load exits the muzzles. This is part of what maked regulation a much more complicated matter than simply making the barrels parallel.
It is my understanding that they are pointed slightly inward to allow for recoil movement so the shot or bullet exits in the same line. This is the regulation we hear about on double rifles that are regulated to meet at a given distance. I am not really sure about the shotguns, but it would be worth measuring to find out.
Left and right barrels are over the centerline of the gun and are moved at different rates under recoil and even before the load exits the muzzles. This is part of what maked regulation a much more complicated matter than simply making the barrels parallel.
