Win 97 shotgun barrel question

[Samcro]

I have been looking around on the auction sites and most are 28 to 32 inch barrels. Do you just find one in good shape and cut the barrel to whatever your preference is?

[Pettifogger]

Yes.  Very few original 97's had short barrels.  Most of the short barrels were trench guns and they are fairly pricey collector's items.  Virtually all of the 97's used for CAS have had their barrels shortened.  The most popular length is between 18 and 20 inches.

[Pay Dirt Norvelle]

I have two 97s and both of the barels are long.  If you would like a short barrel I would look around and find an orphan barrel and shorten that one.  That way you would not be modifying your gun.  However, it is your gun and you can shorten it if you want.

[Bugscuffle]

Just rmember that the choke on  shotgun barrel is located about three inches or so back from th muzzle. If you cut a 30" barrel down to 20" you have no more choke, or a cylander bore shotgun. For CAS shooting, at ranges that are not muh more than point blank. they work out real well, but at range beyond ten yards, the patern is spread out so much that they aren't very effective.

[Red Cent]

If a barrel is cut to 20", you can get a very good pattern by backboring and still have a wide pattern. I have lengthened the forcing cone and backbored some doubles and 97s (and my 97s) leaving about 3-4" of cylinder bore and it serves as a light choke.

The ID of a 12 gauge is .729" and I backbore to .742. The wad will expand to the .742 and be forced by the slight "choke" to conform back to a .729 cylinder bore. Done properly, the shotgun will take down most normal knockdowns up to 15-20  yards.

[Bugscuffle]

Red Cent, All true, lengthening the forcing cone is  good idea on the 97. Doing this will improve paterns and back boring will give you a jug choke effect tightening up th pattern somewhat. But, if you are going to go to all that trouble, why not just install an internal choke at the bore end of the barrel? It's one opertion and you will have the capablity to change cokes. Brownells has a passel of them: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=10266/k=/t=P/Products/Choke-Tubes-Accessories
A reputable gunsmith should be able to install it fo you for you for under $100.00

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Red Cent, All true, lengthening the forcing cone is  good idea on the 97. Doing this will improve paterns and back boring will give you a jug choke effect tightening up th pattern somewhat. But, if you are going to go to all that trouble, why not just install an internal choke at the bore end of the barrel? It's one opertion and you will have the capablity to change cokes. Brownells has a passel of them: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=10266/k=/t=P/Products/Choke-Tubes-Accessories
A reputable gunsmith should be able to install it fo you for you for under $100.00

My 'smith put a "Thinwall" choke in my 1908 vintage '97.  Just used the one Imp/Cyl that came with the job.

[Red Cent]

A HUNERD BUCKS!!  kidding:)

You probably know the long cone and the backbore will reduce felt recoil. And I have the reamers. The backbore takes a little time and the forcing cone is easy and littletime.

I have lengthened the cone, backbored until, maybe, 6-8 inches from muzzle, and then came in from the front with a backbore reamer for about 4-6 inches. The weird thing is the pattern will not expand much at all until after 30 yards. With careful aim and knowing the pattern, I have taken them down at about 40 yards.

Side note: I recently "redone" a 97 for a friend. He brought it to me in three sections. Stock and receiver with the guts. Barrel and receiver extension, and the mag tube and slide assy. Barrel was 28" but the last 4 inches looked to be .410 size. Turkey shoot gun?

[Red Cent]

Sir Charles, at SASS distances, an 18.5" barrel that was sawed off and let be will take any knock down out. Depends on your shotgun round. With my reamed out guns, I load a devastating  12gr of American Select and an ounce of shot. Probably around 800fps. It has taken down all targets from EOT, SE regional, NE Regional, and every state match from WV to Florida (included). The shot column is long and kinda tight.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Red Cent;  I see you have seen the light.  Lower pressure = tighter patterns.  larger shot = tighter patterns.  Careful about range and club limits on shot size!

I put in the choke to provide a more versatile shotgun.  If I need more choke for hunting, I have it.

[Professor Marvel]

Gentlepersons -

As RedCent and Sir C have pointed out:  Lower pressure = tighter patterns.  larger shot = tighter patterns. 

If one is (shall we say) "stuck" with a cylinder bore and is a cheapskate like myself of modest means, one can improve the pattern using  the time-honored methods of the muzzle-loading crowd -

One can also tighten patterns by experimenting with buffering media, and shotcups.

A number of folks use scotch tape (on the inside of the cup) to hold the cup petals together for a longer time, achieving tighter patterns.

Many muzzleloaders have created their own paper shotcups utiliizing everything from newsprint, to typewriter paper, to bond, and even the appropriate size paper coin rolls. As always, test carefully, tuning will be required and  YMMV, but as the man in the box o' truth says
"shooting is fun"

yhs
prof marvel