Bobbing a shotgun barrel

[Suck My Glock]

A friend of mine just picked up an old Western Field .410 pump gun for his infirm wife who is often at home alone to have on hand for home defense. I suggested it might be worth while to have the barrel bobbed to the minimum legal length and maybe have the stock shortened for her as well.

Does anyone here have a west valley smith in mind to suggest I have them use? (They are close to Luke Air Force Base.)

This is a pre-1968 gun, and since serial numbers were not REQUIRED by law until the 68' GCA, there is none on this. Does that complicate leaving the pump gun with a gunsmith? I know they have to enter the weapon into their records and do another 4473 on it when its picked up. But without a serial #,...is this problematic?

 

[Ballistic Therapy]

If the gun is left for more than one business day they record it. No serial number is not a problem as long as the gun was made before serial numbers were mandatory.
A gunsmith does not fill out a 4473 or do a background check when returning the gun to the customer as long as the customer is the same one that dropped it off.
Not in Arizona anyway.

 

[Tim McBride]

Gun does have to be logged into the bound book, but the other poster is correct, no 4473 required as long as it goes back to the original person who dropped it off. The lack of a serial number is not a big deal, it's logged as "No Serial Number".

 

[Suck My Glock]

Thanks for correcting me on the 4473 thing. Its been over 20 years since I paid someone to customize something, and I guess the rules have changed for the better.

Still need a reccomendation for whom in the west valley to send them.

 

[shooter444]

I have been shortening wood stocks with a hand saw, and, barrels with a hacksaw, for decades! A hand file to clean/square up the muzzle, and a belt sander to re-fit the original butt plate back on,... and you should be good to go!

jmho

 

[Kingjoey]

Don't need the receiver, just bring the barrel.

 

[Harrier]

This is not legal advice... just an opinion...
Since there is a legal overall length requirement, I would look into shortening the stock first- once that is a good fit I would measure the shotgun's required OAL and add 1/4"-1/2" for good measure- then mark it with masking tape so no-one gets confused. Then I would check into removing the barrel and having it cut down without having to enter anything into a permanent record. I would also find out how the shortening might affect the shot pattern- probably widen it considerably.

 

[shooter444]

This is not legal advice... just an opinion...
Since there is a legal overall length requirement, I would look into shortening the stock first- once that is a good fit I would measure the shotgun's required OAL and add 1/4"-1/2" for good measure- then mark it with masking tape so no-one gets confused. Then I would check into removing the barrel and having it cut down without having to enter anything into a permanent record. I would also find out how the [highlight=yellow]shortening might affect the shot pattern- probably widen it considerably.[/highlight]

Not really, Harrier,... minimum legal barrel length is 18 inches, which I never found to increase pattern size enough to be worth mentioning.

 

[Harrier]

What I had in mind is that there are a lot of long Full choke hunting barrels out there that when cut down become essentially open cylinder. Up close it actually can help some but a little further out the pattern becomes terrible... gotta do testing to see where the optimum distances are- I would think a 410 would be especially sensitive.... but then I'm a little light on 410 experience.

 

[shooter444]

What I had in mind is that there are a lot of long Full choke hunting barrels out there that when cut down become essentially open cylinder. Up close it actually can help some but a little further out the pattern becomes terrible... [highlight=yellow]gotta do testing to see where the optimum distances are-[/highlight] I would think a 410 would be especially sensitive.... but then I'm a little light on 410 experience.

Agreed.

 

[Tim McBride]

A properly cut choke, or thread in choke, is always preferable to a cut barrel that has been faced.

 

[Suck My Glock]

This is just going to be for distances to longer than a hallway or a livingroom. I think it doesn't really matter.

 

[shooter444]

[highlight=yellow]This is just going to be for distances to longer than a hallway or a livingroom. I think it doesn't really matter.[/highlight]

Then, this is a moot conversation,... imo.

 

[Flash]

This is just going to be for distances to longer than a hallway or a livingroom. I think it doesn't really matter.

I have shot a .410 bore continuously for most of my life and you're right, at those distances it really doesn't matter. Even cutting the choke out won't make a huge difference at those distances.

 

[needsmostuff]

Just guessing but that looks like it may have been made by Mossberg.
Perhaps a already short barrel could be found , but it would be likely be a cyl. bore also .
Personally , from what you say the intended purpose is , I would just grab a hack saw and lop it off. Tidy it up a little with a file and call it good. Leave it a inch longer and you can always have a gunsmith or someone with a lathe clean it up later if it bugs you.
Get some of the buck-n-ball defensive ammo they sell for the Judge type guns and you are good to go.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/03/17/shouldnt-use-410-shotshells-defense/


P.S. Sawed off 410 barrels shoot 410 slugs good,,,,,,, real good. I built one with rifle sights a few years ago and it was a deadly little carbine.

 

[shooter444]

If you mark your cut with a PIPE CUTTER gives a perfectly level point to start cutting on. Taking it slow is the key, imo, and, leaving a little extra length (as stated) will help, if needed.