[mountainman13]

That sounds like a pretty good tip. Don't think I would have thought of that one.

[c3shooter]

The BEST way is to hand it to your gunsmith, who will likely chuck it in his lathe, and cut it with the lathe.

DIY, use the pipecutter trick to mark, use a fine toothed tight hacksaw (assuming you do not have a power hacksaw) and use a square to keep your cut square. You should recrown muzzle.

Man was absolutely correct- using a rotary pipecutter to sever barrel is BAD idea. To mark- OK. To cut off- no.

[LaineC]

I was just curious, I know people shorten their barrels for home defense guns, I just wondered what's was the best way!

[axxe55]

Originally Posted by LaineC

I was just curious, I know people shorten their barrels for home defense guns, I just wondered what's was the best way!

the best way is to buy another barrel or a shotgun that already has a barrel in the length you want from the factory. second best way is to take it to a gunsmith and have it done correctly. i have done a couple in the past, but age and wisdom have taught me to leave such things alone and to buy what i need or want instead or buy the proper tools and equipment and do a job correctly, or outsource it to someone who does. if you don't possess the proper tools and experiance, it will look like crap and decrease the value by a large margin. i look for home brewed crap done by so called "gunsmiths" to fix up and return them to their original state. many times they can be bought very cheap.

[kryptar19]

DO NOT use a saw-zaw! It will cause too much heat and the barrel will splinter. Now, you won't notice these little "cracks" but when you shoot it its gonna look like Elmer Fuds gun after Bugs stuck his finger in it.

If your gonna DIY put it in a pipe vice, mark it with a pipe cutter, use a new hack saw with a fine tooth blade to cut, and recrown it.

I've done this a few times, and if you do it correctly it will look almost factory made.

[bearrwe]

The best way to do it is to take to a gunsmith who has proper tool, hands down. A gunsmith can even tap it for choke tubes or reorient and refinish the end of the barrel all of which help you retain the guns value. If you are going to DIY whether for hobby or lack of funds research your projects, have the right tools for the job, stay in your experience comfort zone and take your time. Do realize if you make a mistake and don't take a chance if you think you've done something that might make the firearm unsafe. If there is any question of the safety of the gun have it checked by a pro with the proper equipment to test/check it out.