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Anyone have pix of a short (legal) SxS ??

Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007 ✭
edited May 2009 in General Discussion
I am going to cut down my scattergun, and I'd like some ideas about configuring the shoulder stock.

I'll cut the barrels back to 18.5.

What is the minimum overall length, please ??

Thank you.

Doug
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Comments

  • ruger41ruger41 Member Posts: 14,665 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    26" overall length with 18 1/2" barrels. I did that to a cheapie Biotto 12 gauge and it was a hoot to shoot with birdshot--not so much with buckshot & slugs. Unfortunately I never had pics of it and have long since sold it--I had a gunsmith shorten them and put the bead back on but I guess if you are a good enough gunsmith you could do it yourself--I just wasn't confident enough to go out to dads garage and take the chop saw or hacksaw to them without messing it up.
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  • Saxon PigSaxon Pig Member Posts: 754 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Do you plan to shorten the butt to achieve the 26" minimum legal length? I would not. You gain very little in portability and lose a lot in shootability.

    Here's a Stoeger "Coach Gun" and I think it has 20" barrels.

    standard.jpg
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  • machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
    edited November -1
    I agree with Saxon Pig about not shortening the buttstock. I once took a New York Gun Co. exposed-hammer double that had modern barrels, and shortened the pipes to 18 1/4 inches. I thought it was much more useful with a proper buttstock, so I left the stock alone. But if something like 10-inch barrels were possible without a permit, then I could see replicating something like the old Ithaca 'Auto-Burglar'.

    I tried firing both barrels simultaneously with that gun. While the stopping power would have been tremendous, it wasn't practical, because it was nearly impossible to get both barrels to go off at precisely the same time. Even when they fired close enough to sound like one shot, the patterning paper revealed that the shot loads were striking with a vertical spacing of several feet, even at very close range. This was because the second barrel was firing with the gun in some degree of recoil from the first shot. I concluded that the only way to get truly simultaneous ignition, would be to fire the charges electrically.

    But it's all still fun.
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    20 inches is the traditional length for a caoch gun and I see no clear advantage going down below that length, unless you are cutting the barrels back to 12-14 inches (and registering it), where the reduced length pays off. Here is my classic Remington 1900 which I bought years ago. It came 30" tubes but one barrel was badly dented so I had the tubes cut down and have been enjoying it ever since.
    [img][/img]RemingtonSXS.jpg
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  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007 ✭
    edited November -1
    Thank you, Gentlemen.

    Maybe I'll just do the barrels and get the AOW stamp.

    Mine is similar to yours, Frank.

    Doug
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  • zinkzink Member Posts: 6,456 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Had a 10 ga SxS I cut down to 18 1/4" barrels, it was a "get off my porch right now, mother f*%^#r" gun. It got the point across rather well considering 18 pellets of 000!

    Lance
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  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    this is the way to go. about $800 including AOW paperwork.
    el paso will make a custom thigh holster for it!
    tom

    411tet.jpg
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  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007 ✭
    edited November -1
    It's a beaut & I'd love to have one.

    Unfortunately, my wrists can't handle a pistol-gripped shotgun.

    SonDave (Dave_W) was there when I shot the Winchester Defender Marine I had.

    The next day, it was history.

    Oweee !!

    Doug
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Doug Wilson
    Thank you, Gentlemen.

    Maybe I'll just do the barrels and get the AOW stamp.

    Mine is similar to yours, Frank.

    Doug


    An existing shotgun cannot become an AOW because once it has had a stock on it it will be shotgun forever and cutting down the barrels makes it a short barreled shotgun, even if it no longer has it's butt stock attached. The "making" tax on a Form 1 for an AOW or SBS are the same $200 but the transfer tax (on a Form 4) on an AOW is only five bucks. An Ithaca Auto Burglar is an Any Other Weapon because it came out of the factory in it's original form and without a butt stock.
    [img][/img]AutoBurglar.jpg

    Take an existing Ithaca SXS and modify it to be identical to an Auto Burglar and it will be a Short Barreled Shotgun.
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  • hdcolt51hdcolt51 Member Posts: 4,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Doug, I would just get a stoeger coach gun ($250-350)and be done with it.Good guns does what you want it to do.Just my .02 my friend
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It is important to understand the terminology of shotguns when we start looking at shortening them:
    Shotgun: Fixed stock barrel over 18 inches and 26+ inches OAL, unregulated.
    [img][/img]Mossberg500Military1.jpg

    Shotgun: retractable stock, barrel over 18 inches and 26+ AOL
    [img][/img]Mossbergtactical.jpg

    Pistol grip shotgun: Barrel over 18 inches and 26+" OAL. Came from the factory without a butt stock
    [img][/img][IMG][/img]Win1300.jpg

    Short Barreled Shotgun. Barrel under 18 inches (in these cases 14") or under 26" OAL
    [img][/img]shortbarrel.jpg
    [img][/img]benellientry.jpg

    Any Other Weapon: No butt stock and barrel (or barrels) under 18 inches or under 26" OAL. This could be produced by a Class 2 manufacturer and then sold with a $5 transfer tax. Do the job yourself and you'll still have to pay the $200 "making" tax.
    [img][/img]AnyOtherWeapon.jpg
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  • elubsmeelubsme Member Posts: 2,125 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Years ago I bought an old Baker Batavia 12 gauge double with damascus barrels. I cut them off at 18 1/2 inches and installed a pair of Savage .410 insert barrels. Pretty cool looking, I still use it occasionally, I load my own .410's for it. Store bought is way too expensive anymore. Eddie
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  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by hdcolt51
    Doug, I would just get a stoeger coach gun ($250-350)and be done with it.Good guns does what you want it to do.Just my .02 my friend


    That's the one I have.

    You guys have convinced me.

    I'll leave it alone.

    Thank you.

    Doug
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  • cce1302cce1302 Member Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian

    Pistol grip shotgun: Barrel over 18 inches and 26+" OAL. Came from the factory without a butt stock
    [img][/img][IMG][/img]Win1300.jpg

    Mark-
    as long as OAL is over 26" and barrel length over 18" does it matter whether it came from the factory with a pistol grip or the pistol grip was changed out from a full length sholder stock?
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by cce1302
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian

    Pistol grip shotgun: Barrel over 18 inches and 26+" OAL. Came from the factory without a butt stock
    [img][/img][IMG][/img]Win1300.jpg

    Mark-
    as long as OAL is over 26" and barrel length over 18" does it matter whether it came from the factory with a pistol grip or the pistol grip was changed out from a full length shoulder stock?


    It does if you wish to have it converted into an Any Other Weapon. If it left the factory with a butt stock it will always be a shotgun so that means shortening the barrel makes it a Short Barreled Shotgun and that carries a $200 transfer tax, even with a pistol grip installed in place of the butt stock. Since it never had a butt stock a Class 2 manufacturer could cut down the barrel and convert it into an Any Other Weapon, register it as such and the transfer tax will only be $5.
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  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    quote:Doug, I would just get a stoeger coach gun ($250-350)and be done with it.Good guns does what you want it to do.Just my .02 my friend



    That's the one I have.

    You guys have convinced me.

    I'll leave it alone.



    I was about to offer to sell you my NIB stoeger silverado coach gun!
    after i ordered the shorty I had no use for the stoeger! never even fired it, but it sure looks nice!
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