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Alternate barrels for single shots.

harkbrokeharkbroke Member Posts: 60 ✭✭
edited December 2013 in Ask the Experts
I'm wondering.....
I have a Winchester single shot 20 gauge shotgun. A simple design consisting of a single barrel that is hinged to a frame which automatically centers the breech over the firing pin.
I thought it would be neat if someone made barrel tubes that would simply slide inside of the existing 20 gauge barrel that could itself be chambered for just about any center fire rifle cartridge ever made.
Then the rear of the 20 gauge barrel could be drilled and tapped for scope mounts or iron sights.
This could make for a very versatile single shot shooting system.
Just buy another seperate tube for whatever rifle caliber suits your needs or fancy.
Has anyone seen anything like this in the past?

Comments

  • MG1890MG1890 Member Posts: 4,460 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Most shotguns are not anywhere near strong enough to withstand the pressures of rifle cartridges.

    Some adapters do exist, there are .22 rimfire inserts for shotgun barrels, intended for drillings.
  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,383 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes.

    Actually you are limited in caliber by the strength of the shotgun action; no .300 Magnums here.
    The most that MC Ace offers are things like .30-30 and .45-70.
    http://www.mcace.com/shotguninserts.htm

    A hundred years ago, the .38-55 was the usual shotgun insert barrel choice.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    They have been made for years. Generally known as "subcaliber devices". Mostly to enable a person to fire handgun cartridges, from a shotgun.

    My limited experience was with one chambered for .38 Special. Fired in a 12 gauge. Couldn't hit anything, beyond point-blank range. Perhaps if the shotgun had adjustable sights, I would have consistently been able to even hit the target?
  • allamericangunshopallamericangunshop Member Posts: 727 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK ,,,
    Savage-Stevens made some things commonally called the 410ers ? it was a sub caliber ( 410 ) tube made to go into a 12 or a 20 ga. gun ???
    They also made some models ( single shots ) with rifle barrels ?
    and :
    A few companies over the years have made various 'sub caliber inserts' most with terrible results ???
    and :
    Back many years ago when I was in high school ( machine shop ) and then later in college machine shop : I made some of these , still have a few laying around some-place ??? They are really useless , a .38 spl. out of a 'sub caliber adadpter ' (without rifling) shot in a 12 ga. single shot ??? lucky to hit a truck @ twenty feet ???
    and then there are the 'flare guns' and the adadpters' , but thats another story ???????

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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Most single shot shotguns have a very simple LOCKUP to hold the barrels closed against the receiver Breach face. and the receiver itself is of moderate strength. This along with a large diameter firing pin does not leave much SAFETY MARGIN when it comes to Pressure at time the Shot Shell is fired. Centerfire Rifle cartridges develop More chamber pressure than this type of action will hold. There are some BREAK
    open Guns that are designed to handle these pressures The VALMET
    model 412 /512 are just such a firearm. another problem with INSERT barrels is they need the proper type of EXTRATOR/EJECTOR to get the fired Shell casing out of the chamber. Rimed cases work easier than rimless cases and again you need the insert barrel to work off ot the original shot barrel . . The insert barrel if it has a loose fit will shoot poor groups and if tight may be HARD to remove. . Bottom line
    Insert barrels have been tried for close to 100 years in Drillings ETC . they really are NOT a better mousetrap.
  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    Usually it goes the other way; NEF, Rossi, TC, etc., make frames with lock ups designed for rifle pressures, and also sell shotgun barrels to fit the frame.

    That said; most shotgun break open and bolt action designs ARE strong enough to handle most pistol calibers and some of the old black powder rifle rounds, as well as .22s of all varieties. The problem with just making an insert are, as I see it, four fold.

    1. The cost of a full length rifled insert would be likely over $150. For that, it's hardly worth it.
    2. Anchoring it into the barrel would be problematic.
    3. Sights... yeah.
    5. Extraction. Most cartridges have bases much smaller than a shot shell.

    So, just not worth it.
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by harkbroke
    I thought it would be neat if someone made barrel tubes that would simply slide inside of the existing 20 gauge barrel that could itself be chambered for just about any center fire rifle cartridge ever made.

    As mentioned, you can buy chamber inserts that will convert standard shotguns to a fairly wide variety of handgun and even a few rifle cartridges. These are typically the length of a shotgun shell, though there is no theoretical reason why you couldn't make one that ran the full length of the barrel. . .just as a matter of practice, these would probably be pretty expensive, and likely heavy, too.

    Limitations of these are accuracy (which is typically absolutely lousy), durability, etc. Since shotguns are basically loaded to only black powder pressures, this effectively limits the type of cartridges you can safely run through these.

    If you want inexpensive true caliber conversion, the better/smarter design is just a breakopen-type rifle that lets you easily swap barrels. These do exist.

    For example the H&R (formerly NEF) "Handi Rifle" lets you swap uppers to take a fairly good selection of rifle and handgun rounds and the result is WAY better than barrel inserts. Cost is relatively reasonable, only around $100 each, IIRC, though you have to have them fitted which adds a bit of cost and complexity.
  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Long time ago I had an H&R 22 hornet and 3" 20 gauge combo barrel set. Model 158 IFRC. With the Hornet it was heavy and even with the rim extraction was often iffy, especially if you needed the second shot. As a 20 it was a pleasure to carry, and was as reliable.
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