Home Defence Barrel

[waterrat]

It is time to create a HD gun. I currently have 2 Wings, both geared for waterfowl. I have a spare barrel. Original 1953 Wing barrel with a ploy choke 2 3/4, non VR. Would it be feasible to cut the old barrel, and run cylinder bore, or look into a new barrel.

Depending on the replies, what are the pros/cons, and what length should I look to buy, or what king of pattern can I get from cylinder?? Looking a HD purpose???

Let me know what you think.

[Chief Brody]

Personally, I wouldn't cut an original barrel that old. It's survived this long, just leave it as-is - just my opinion.
Most HD barrels are 18-20". Cyl bore or improved cylinder are the common chokes. Mine is an 18" Imp Cyl choke, and with good ammunition, at likely HD-scenario distances, you should see patterns from the size of fist up to maybe 6-8". The Federal Flite Control #1 Buck I keep in mine delivers very small groups. Same for their 00 of course.

Check the classifieds section here or on other forums, you might find a good HD-length barrel at a good price - and it might be around the same cost of cutting and threading your old barrel.

Steve

[Synchronizor]

You could certainly cut down your current barrel if you don't care about preserving it. Cylinder is fine for HD; at across-the-room ranges, you should be able to place every pellet on a front-facing human unless your shells are really junky, or your house is really huge. Also, whether you have someone else cut it or you do it yourself, make sure the cut is square and cleaned up properly. The reputation that "sawn-off" shotguns have for poor patterning is more due to sloppy hacksaw work than the removal of the choke.

As for length, 18 - 20 inches is preferred for combat or defensive shotguns to keep them as maneuverable as possible without getting into NFA territory. I would recommend going for the shorter end of that range unless you plan to run a longer magazine extension; even two inches makes a noticeable difference, and any losses in velocity or sight radius will be negligible for HD purposes. If you're cutting a barrel down, 18.5" is a good length to aim for rather than the bare 18" legal minimum. The extra half-inch gives you a bit of margin for error in case you take off more than you expected while squaring up the cut, or there's a measurement dispute with authorities or lawyers.

The one issue I see is that since your barrel doesn't have a rib, it won't have any sights once it's cut. You'll have to spend some amount of additional time and/or money adding sights if you want it to be accurate at all but the closest ranges. Considering that, you may be better off just buying a basic defensive barrel as Chief Brody suggested. You should be able to find a good fixed-choke Police or Express Tactical barrel for $100 - $150 new, or well under $100 if you buy something used or off-brand. If spending even that much money is a concern, you could try selling or trading your spare barrel.

[UltimateGuns]

You have received great advice. An 18" barrel won't cost very much. I think it would be a shame to cut down that original barrel.