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Posted: 6/27/2026 9:17:53 AM EDT
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I picked up an old mossy 500, revelation marked, for less than half what a mossy 500 barrels costs. It has a 30" barrel and I want to make a plan so I have a number for the F1 I will be submitting. Ideally I want to be in the 10-12" range. That is shorter than the action tube tab on the barrel right now. It looks like I have a long action tube and chopping basically at the end would be ~15". Would I be able to get under 14" if I got a short action tube and another barrel? What does it take to move that action tube tab on the barrel? I can cut and reweld the action tube to shorten it. If I went shorter than the action tube, have any of y'all expermented with alternative ways to attach to the action tube? The overall goal is something short and I will drill and tap the receiver for a pic rail and mount a small optic. It will also get paint and eventually new furniture. |
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You can move the barrel tab and shorten the tube. I had one done years ago to 12". The smith used brazing not welding. You do see the short barrel tube assemblies pop up for sale on GB now and then. Just an example https://www.opticsplanet.com/v/ms92514-mossberg-514-kit-w-14-inch-heavy.html |
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Originally Posted By timkel: You can move the barrel tab and shorten the tube. I had one done years ago to 12". The smith used brazing not welding. You do see the short barrel tube assemblies pop up for sale on GB now and then. Just an example https://www.opticsplanet.com/v/ms92514-mossberg-514-kit-w-14-inch-heavy.html That would make things very very easy.... Hmm, I will have to do some thinking. Removing and brazing the tab and cutting and rewelding the tube would not be terrible. |
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Originally Posted By dntama: Probably better to just to look for a used shockwave for the conversion. Even if I bought a 14" kit to use plus what I have into this gun buying a Shockwave would still be almost $200 more. Would be more fun to get the kit or DIY everything. Wonder if I could make something that will clamp or braze to the barrel and go forward to the front of a longer tube..... After all there is 1/4" gap between tube and tube.... Itll have to get a paintjob anyways. |
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I'll all about the joy of DIY. But I have also realized, through trying to save money by DIY, sometimes just selling a 'cheap' starter gun is the way to go. I've done way too many DIY jobs that cost me more in the long run than if I sold it bought the version I wanted originally. If you want to go super short, like the PTR Jack (8" Mossberg based gun), it'll be all custom or pricey. So you might as well give it a go. I don't weld or braze myself, so I go for simpler projects. If you are okay with the 14" length, sell your current gun and keep an eye out for a Shockwave. Or do like me and put the current gun in the back of the safe, then buy a second gun. Then buy another safe all to 'save' money.  Or trade your Mossberg for a gun with a shorter factory tube. Remington 870s can get to 12" with the standard tube (not on the newer security length guns) or down to 10" if you find a Special Field cheap enough (good luck). Browning BPS, Ithaca 37s, etc. are all candidates as well. I have a Remington 870 Special Field and Browning BPS that I've been threatening to chop & SBS for a long time.With that said, I do have a Shockwave that I've been thinking of going the SBS route on. But there is the new 590 Shockwave Bliksem that has a factory Rhodesian camo paint job that I love. So I may sell my Shockwave and just buy the Blksem version. I know it'll be cheaper to sell my Shockwave and buy the Bliksem than to have a custom paint job done that looks that good. |
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Originally Posted By ihon: I'll all about the joy of DIY. But I have also realized, through trying to save money by DIY, sometimes just selling a 'cheap' starter gun is the way to go. I've done way too many DIY jobs that cost me more in the long run than if I sold it bought the version I wanted originally. If you want to go super short, like the PTR Jack (8" Mossberg based gun), it'll be all custom or pricey. So you might as well give it a go. I don't weld or braze myself, so I go for simpler projects. If you are okay with the 14" length, sell your current gun and keep an eye out for a Shockwave. Or do like me and put the current gun in the back of the safe, then buy a second gun. Then buy another safe all to 'save' money. Or trade your Mossberg for a gun with a shorter factory tube. Remington 870s can get to 12" with the standard tube (not on the newer security length guns) or down to 10" if you find a Special Field cheap enough (good luck). Browning BPS, Ithaca 37s, etc. are all candidates as well. I have a Remington 870 Special Field and Browning BPS that I've been threatening to chop & SBS for a long time.With that said, I do have a Shockwave that I've been thinking of going the SBS route on. But there is the new 590 Shockwave Bliksem that has a factory Rhodesian camo paint job that I love. So I may sell my Shockwave and just buy the Blksem version. I know it'll be cheaper to sell my Shockwave and buy the Bliksem than to have a custom paint job done that looks that good. I do rewelds for fun. DIY is my jam. I design and machine FCGs on manual machines for fun. Little braze is well in my wheelhouse. I've never owned a "normal" shotgun. Everything has been AK based. I can always update the paperwork with the new length or buy a 14" barrel of I want to change things. Submitted for 14" yesterday. Planning to do something similar to this: Raptor Lug I will eventually paint this thing. Probably do a battle worn on it. I have been threatening to do a battle worn AK with electric purple showing through. Maybe I'll do that on this. |
| I've been hoping someone would start making the original raptor lugs for a long time now, in 12 and 20ga. The Maverick would be a good inexpensive candidate for chopping. I even called the company a couple of years ago and they said they had no plans to make any more and didn't have any available. |
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Originally Posted By sandboxmedic: I've been hoping someone would start making the original raptor lugs for a long time now, in 12 and 20ga. The Maverick would be a good inexpensive candidate for chopping. I even called the company a couple of years ago and they said they had no plans to make any more and didn't have any available. I'll be making something like a raptor lug for this. Due to tube length I should be able to get away with the original bolt style attachment. If I go shorter I'll make a standard one. Mine will be beefier and less pretty of course. Do you know if they made them in aluminum or steel? |
| I don't and I didn't think to ask them either. I know I saw some articles about them when they came out but I haven't been able to find any of those articles again or any other pictures of it in a long time. It's another of those items that I'd planned to buy but didn't and then they disappeared. They look fairly simple to make if you have the equipment, but obviously I don't or I'd have one in 20ga. |
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Now would absolutely be the time for you or someone else to make a batch of those Raptor lugs. There is a renewed interest in all things SBS right now. There isn't an inexpensive way to make a super short shotgun right now, unless of course you can DIY. But for those that can't weld or braze, this would be an option. There are tons of Mossberg 500 sitting idle right now, I know I have a spare 20ga. 500 that just sits for the most part. You can also grab a Maverick 88 pretty cheap as well, it also has the trigger guard mounted safety for use with a pistol grip. With that said, PSA is coming out with a modular shotgun, the 570. It appears from the release videos I've seen that is may have a mag tube/barrel clamp set up that might work like the Raptor lug. Although the barrel/mag tube may be notched so it doesn't move with recoil. The one thing I don't believe it does it cap off the mag tube, that's most likely down by threading the mag tube with a cap like conventional shotguns. |
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