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KS, USA
Posted: 4/7/2026 12:23:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DOGS2008][Edited]
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Don’t have this in hand yet. Planning to shorten a 1960? smooth barrel shotgun and replace the bead on the shortened barrel. Question is is it sop to drill all the way through the barrel when doing this? I see youtubers drilling all the way through and as long as it doesn’t protrude into the bore they say good to go? I don’t have anything without a vent rib on hand to look at for reference. The old bead looks to be soldered in place? It will never get used for anything other than “home defense “ if that. Thanks Tom |
Papa Tom
| All the way through. The shank of the new bead is trimmed to length. Brownells has kits with the bit, tap and bead. Old one probably isn't soldered they are swaged / press fit into place the hole in the barrel is tapered. IF the front bead is on a ramp then the ramp probably is soldered on. I personally install the new bead and use a fine grit dremel sanding drum and kiss the shank of the bead until its just flush with the inside of the barrel and finish with a some 600 grit emory cloth around a dowel to flush the shank to the inside of the muzzle. |
| My first shotgun (11yrs old, 12g, full choke, Stevens single shot) had a sight post that extended into the bore. I didn’t discover that until 40yrs later when I wanted to open the choke up to Improved for grouse and woodcock. I didn’t have a dremel, but I did have an adjustable choke reamer which I had bought for the opening up purpose. It worked great…… |
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Originally Posted By dusty3030: All the way through. The shank of the new bead is trimmed to length. Brownells has kits with the bit, tap and bead. Old one probably isn't soldered they are swaged / press fit into place the hole in the barrel is tapered. IF the front bead is on a ramp then the ramp probably is soldered on. I personally install the new bead and use a fine grit dremel sanding drum and kiss the shank of the bead until its just flush with the inside of the barrel and finish with a some 600 grit emory cloth around a dowel to flush the shank to the inside of the muzzle. I use a couple different size dowel rods with 400 then 600 grit paper, just working it by hand, then I wrap some polishing cloth around an old bore brush and spin it with a cordless drill to polish. |
| I know a few nationally known gunsmiths, one who specializes in only shotgun barrel work. I do all of mine the way he showed me many years ago. Drill and tap all the way through the barrel, file down the sight so its somewhat close to the inside of the barrel, then use a small 3-stone brake hone to finish it off. I've done many barrels this way and have never had a problem. |
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