Steel shot in a Marlin Goose Gun

[thebigslide]

So I am thinking about buying the model 55 goose gun listed on marstar and I'd like to use it for hunting since the bolt action makes it rather unsuited to trap.

I'd like to replace the barrel with one that can handle steel shot and with a replaceable choke.

I'd like some guidance as to whether this is even a feasible project. I've replaced pinned and threaded barrels before on rifles, but not on a shotgun. All my shotguns are takedowns.

 

[Beadwindow]

You may want to call a local gunsmith to ask how much it would cost to thread the barrel for choke tubes, perhaps cutting the barrel down to a more reasonable length while they are at it. With regards to steel shot, the problem isn't with it passing down the barrel but rather when it reaches the full choke. Many full choked pump guns experienced a ring bulge near the muzzle during the first few years after steel shot was mandated, which also began to open up the choke in a rather crude way. In some cases, people had their full chokes reamed out to modified which seems to have worked.....in any event steel generally patterns better in a more open choke than lead waterfowl loads.

Since you can also add a rifled choke tube to a threaded barrel, perhaps you may have the makings of a handly slug gun for deer and utility shotgun for upland game and waterfowl with regular choke tubes. If there's a rudimentary rear sight on the Marlin that lines up with the front bead (Mossberg bolt guns were made this way), you won't have to do any more than have the bead reinstalled on the cut barrel.

The cheapest option might be simply to open the choke up to modified if you don't want to invest too much more into the gun and perhaps take advantage of the long barrel for goose hunting.

Regards,

Frank