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Author Topic: Short barrel for 12 gauge  (Read 6022 times)

Tallpine

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Short barrel for 12 gauge
« on: April 19, 2011, 06:07:53 PM »
Some years back, I bought an 870 Express (28") for my daughter for HS graduation.

This summer she and her new husband are going up to Alaska to spend some time with his grandparents who have a cabin up there near Talkeetna.

So we need to get them another barrel for bear defense up there (and home defense back in MI).

I'm not really a shotgun expert, but I'm thinking an 18.5" slug barrel.

Any suggestions about that, and/or the best place to order one from  ???
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charby

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2011, 06:14:16 PM »
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Tallpine

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2011, 06:19:03 PM »
Ouch!  They don't give them away, do they?  =(
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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2011, 06:22:20 PM »
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Scout26

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2011, 06:23:42 PM »
Get the ones from Mossberg, cheaper then the Remington's but still work just the same.

I'll look around the gun shows here, I've seen spare barrels for $40-$80.
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Regolith

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2011, 06:25:48 PM »
Midwayusa.com generally has pretty good prices.

An 18.5" cylinder bore or improved cylinder choked barrel is fairly standard for home defense and shooting non-sabot slugs. They're also the cheapest; Mossberg makes one for the 870 for $119: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=813264

I put a 20" rifle-sighted barrel on mine, mostly because it's difficult to find an 18.5" barrel that is threaded for choke tubes. However, I don't really find it all that much less maneuverable than my Mini-14, which has an 18.5" barrel.
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Jim147

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2011, 06:26:24 PM »
I just looked for someone else about a month ago. I know I don't have a spare.

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charby

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2011, 07:12:23 PM »
Quote from: Tallpine on April 19, 2011, 06:19:03 PM
Ouch!  They don't give them away, do they?  =(

I get a discount there, I can get that for $134.00.
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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2011, 08:05:50 PM »
Check ebay and gunbroker.  And don't get hung up on the 18.5".  I found a 22" slug barrel with rifle sights for my winchester 1300 on ebay for about %50 than it was from a supplier.  She's my back up zombie gun.

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2011, 08:50:11 PM »
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Tallpine

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #10 on: April 19, 2011, 08:58:45 PM »
Hah!  Ya think we can duct tape the piece back on to hunt birds ?   =D

$180 for a barrel seems high.  The gun wasn't that much more to start with.  ;/

It's just a piece of smooth pipe with some fittings.
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Tallpine

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2011, 08:59:40 PM »
Quote from: scout26 on April 19, 2011, 06:23:42 PM
Get the ones from Mossberg, cheaper then the Remington's but still work just the same.

I'll look around the gun shows here, I've seen spare barrels for $40-$80.

Where is "here" ?

You may be way closer to where she is than I am.
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Matthew Carberry

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #12 on: April 19, 2011, 09:03:41 PM »
« Last Edit: April 19, 2011, 09:07:02 PM by Matthew Carberry »
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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2011, 09:06:01 PM »
You could get them one of these: http://www.metrogun.com/metro_images/index.php?op=5&path=&file=10.jpg

Gives them some options, to try poking the bear like a spear first. Then shoot if that doesn't work...
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Scout26

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2011, 09:07:22 PM »
Quote from: Tallpine on April 19, 2011, 08:59:40 PM
Where is "here" ?

You may be way closer to where she is than I am.

"Here" would be western suburbs of Chicago.  Wheaton, Dupage county..  There's shows at the Dupage and Kane County fairgrounds that I hit on occasion, I can check and buy if you want me to.


ETA: No more shows until fall at Dupage County.  Last Kane County is 8 May.  I'm planning on going.  Let me know and if I see one, I'd be more then happy to pick it up and ship to where-ever "there" is.  =D
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Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants won't help.


Bring me my Broadsword and a clear understanding.
Get up to the roundhouse on the cliff-top standing.
Take women and children and bed them down.
Bless with a hard heart those that stand with me.
Bless the women and children who firm our hands.
Put our backs to the north wind.
Hold fast by the river.
Sweet memories to drive us on,
for the motherland.

Tallpine

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #15 on: April 19, 2011, 09:12:00 PM »
Quote from: scout26 on April 19, 2011, 09:07:22 PM
"Here" would be western suburbs of Chicago.  Wheaton, Dupage county..  There's shows at the Dupage and Kane County fairgrounds that I hit on occasion, I can check and buy if you want me to.

Well, heck - you are almost right next door (Grand Rapids, MI).

They are headed out here by car in June, and then flying up to AK.
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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #16 on: April 19, 2011, 09:21:00 PM »
Havlin Sales (http://havlinsales.com/) has good deals on Mossberg barrels.  They're kind of hit or miss though.  Right now, and every other time I've checked in many months, they've only got a 24" cylinder bore w/ rifle sights for the 870.  It's only $90 though.

I snagged a 20" barrel from them about 4 years ago for the same price.  Maybe it's 18.5" -- I forget and I'm too lazy to go measure it.

I don't have a problem using a rifle sight on a shotgun for fast and close stuff, since the rear sight folds down, but I did have my front sight FALL OFF during the only shotgun match I ran with it.
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Scout26

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #17 on: April 19, 2011, 09:37:00 PM »
Yep, forgot about Havlin.  Really Good People.   

24" with Rifle Sights - $89.99.

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Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants won't help.


Bring me my Broadsword and a clear understanding.
Get up to the roundhouse on the cliff-top standing.
Take women and children and bed them down.
Bless with a hard heart those that stand with me.
Bless the women and children who firm our hands.
Put our backs to the north wind.
Hold fast by the river.
Sweet memories to drive us on,
for the motherland.

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #18 on: April 19, 2011, 09:50:07 PM »
If she & he wing shoot well enough, stick with the bead sight.

Don't forget to try out several of the Brenneke slugs to see what shoots straight.

If the bbl is that sort of expensive, maybe buy a used police 870 and run with it. 
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Matthew Carberry

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #19 on: April 19, 2011, 11:48:15 PM »
http://www.ddupleks.lv/EN/ddupleks_products/show/Monolit32

Steel slug 1-1/8 oz. at 1500 FPS or so.

Apparently very accurate.

I'm looking into them to replace the Brennekes as my bear round.  They will have momentum, accuracy and I can't see steel deforming or skipping on even skull or shoulders.
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charby

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #20 on: April 20, 2011, 12:03:52 AM »
How bad are the bears up in AK?

I've camped with Griz in WY and MT and camped with Black Bears in MN, WY and MT. Never had an issue with either one, I've only seen 2 wild griz in my life, both in WY. One at 100 yards and another at 1/2 mile or so, neither cared I was there. I've seen two black bears in the wild, had one in camp rub against my tent in the BWCA, I slapped the side of the tent and bear split. Had another pass through camp in WY, didn't see it only heard it walk by the tent and woke me up, it sniffed around a bit and left camp.

I have a lot of respect for bears, I don't go looking for them and I try to keep camp as clean as possible to discourage bears from visiting. I have both griz I saw as much room as they wanted, not sure if they even knew I was there.
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Matthew Carberry

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Re: Short barrel for 12 gauge
« Reply #21 on: April 20, 2011, 12:26:08 AM »
Quote from: charby on April 20, 2011, 12:03:52 AM
How bad are the bears up in AK?

They're not bad, just misunderstood...  =D

There are a lot of them, anywhere you want to go in the summer anyway, and salmon-fed Alaskan brownies are a lot bigger than upland griz.  It just makes sense to be prepared.
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"As for affecting your movement, your Rascal should be able to achieve the the same speeds no matter what holster rig you are wearing."
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