Advice on Shotgun

[Quad]

Hey guys. Need a little advice.

I recently received a shotgun from my mother. It was my father's who passed away a few years ago. Not sure on the "brand" or anything. It came with a manual that looked like it came from China. It is a pump shotgun with bottom feed, and a 26" barrel. It's not very old as she said he purchased it around 10 years ago from Dunhams. She said it was pretty cheap at around $100. Now my question is this:

I don't have any use for a shotgun with a 26" barrel. I know that the legal limit for shotgun barrels are 18". Would there be any problems with either legality or with functionality if I sawed the barrel off to around 18" or so?
This is my first shotgun. I had been planning on purchasing a Mossberg or something else along those lines with an 18" barrel for home defense. However, if I'm able to cut this one down to the size I want, that wont be necessary. Didn't know if there was any law against "modifying" a gun in that manner, or if it would adversely affect functionality. Any advice would be appreciated. THX

 

[VUPDblue]

It will function fine and be legal with an 18" barrel. I advise to mark and cut at 18.5" before you break out that hacksaw though....just to be safe...

 

[pute62]

I wanted to do the same thing and sought the advice of a gunsmith close by because I knew I would just f*** it up. $20 to cut ,re crown and put the bead sight back on. Well worth the money but unfortunately, the gun was stolen before I had the chance.

 

[451_Detonics]

If you do cut it yourself remember where to measure from. I know a cople guys who ended up having to destroy a barrel and buy new ones.

 

[Quad]

Thanks for the replies everyone!
I plan on doing the cutting this weekend.

 

[BlueEagle]

Yep, just measure twice, cut once. Might wanna make sure to use two different measuring tapes, and maybe go for 19", just to be safe....the extra inch won't hurt you anyhow, and you want to make sure that you are NOT toeing that line.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Hey guys. Need a little advice.

I recently received a shotgun from my mother. It was my father's who passed away a few years ago. Not sure on the "brand" or anything. It came with a manual that looked like it came from China. It is a pump shotgun with bottom feed, and a 26" barrel. It's not very old as she said he purchased it around 10 years ago from Dunhams. She said it was pretty cheap at around $100. Now my question is this:

I don't have any use for a shotgun with a 26" barrel. I know that the legal limit for shotgun barrels are 18". Would there be any problems with either legality or with functionality if I sawed the barrel off to around 18" or so?
This is my first shotgun. I had been planning on purchasing a Mossberg or something else along those lines with an 18" barrel for home defense. However, if I'm able to cut this one down to the size I want, that wont be necessary. Didn't know if there was any law against "modifying" a gun in that manner, or if it would adversely affect functionality. Any advice would be appreciated. THX

I wouldn't ruin a gun I got of my dads like that, especially if it was the ONLY one of his I had or was gonna have. There's crap loads of cheap shotguns out there you can get any where for $100 but some day you are gonna look your own grand kids in the eye and have to say, "Yeah this was your great grand dad's gun. I cut that off before I knew any better."

 

[Quad]

I wouldn't ruin a gun I got of my dads like that, especially if it was the ONLY one of his I had or was gonna have. There's crap loads of cheap shotguns out there you can get any where for $100 but some day you are gonna look your own grand kids in the eye and have to say, "Yeah this was your great grand dad's gun. I cut that off before I knew any better."

Thanks for the advice. I have several other items from him that hold a special place in my heart. He really wasn't the gun owner type like I am, and I believe he only bought it because it was cheap and on sale for disposing of varmints in his back yard. I really don't even know if he ever shot it before. The fact is it's not really an item that holds any special value to me like some of the other things I have of his.

Thanks for offering a different view on the matter though!

 

[alan robert]

Second on measuring twice and go for 19 inches. Good luck with the mod.

 

[snapping turtle]

It might be a mossyburg 500 or rem 870 copy made in china. Other barrels might be available for it. If you cut it down let a gunsmith chop it if it can be done cheap.

26 inches is not to long of a shotgun barrel let it be, Disposing of varmints in the backyard priceless.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Thanks for the advice. I have several other items from him that hold a special place in my heart. He really wasn't the gun owner type like I am, and I believe he only bought it because it was cheap and on sale for disposing of varmints in his back yard. I really don't even know if he ever shot it before. The fact is it's not really an item that holds any special value to me like some of the other things I have of his.

Thanks for offering a different view on the matter though!

You don't know what will be important to you 10 years from now or to your son or his son. I can tell you this, you can cut that off but you can't put it back on and take your 13 year old bird hunting with it. I can go to the bank and get a hundred dollar bill and it won't be my dad's gun any more than any one of the H&R single shots in every paper around the country will be.

I've got one old double barrel 410 my dad bought off my uncle. My dad took the handle off a junk screen door to make trigger guard for it. I've got one old single shot 410 another uncle was gonna sell a couple years ago and dad told me that I went over and bought it and an old Mossberg bolt rifle.

My dad was not big in to guns either, we hunted rabbits a little when I was young but it was all people could do then to put food on the table, a roof over their heads and pay a doctor bill now and then. I remember for years and years he had a little bowl of 22's on his dresser and it wasn't until I was about 30 I learned he'd had a 22 rifle one time. He had to sell it to pay a traffic ticket and that wasn't so he could keep his "cell phone", it because they flat didn't have what the fine was. I


I've probably got a dozen 22 rifles in my safe, bolt, single shot, semi auto, but I'd trade about about any thing in my gun safe to have that rifle right now.