How to Shorten a Barrel

The sawed-off barrel is most common with the shotgun.

Barrel shortening is the process of sawing off a section of barrel from a rifle, shotgun or handgun in order to make the gun easier to store and less cumbersome in close-quarter siutations. When the barrel is shortened, the length of time it takes for the bullet to travel through the barrel is reduced. This reduction in barrel time shortens the amount of time the explosive gases have to impart force onto the bullet, reducing the muzzle velocity (the maximum speed of the bullet), making shorter barrels less accurate.

Things You'll Need

• Front sight dovetail cutting fixture
• Vice
• Hacksaw
• Smooth file
• Cutting oil
• 11-degree piloted reamer
• Abrasive paper

Instructions

1. Clamp the fixture onto the barrel so the end of the fixture is positioned where you want to cut the barrel.

2. Clamp the barrel horizontally into a vice and saw the barrel off with the hacksaw, using the side of the cutting fixture as a guide.

3. Rub the smooth file over the muzzle tip until it is level with the cutting fixture, using the flat surface of the cutting fixture's side as the way to ensure the barrel cut is perfectly square.

4. Dab 3 drops of cutting oil onto the tip of the barrel to allow the 11-degree piloted reamer to slide into the barrel. Slip the piloted reamer into the tip of the barrel and twist 3 to 5 rotations. This crowns the tip of the barrel and ensures all metal flakes and burrs are removed from the muzzle tip.

5. Rub abrasive paper over the tip of the barrel with your thumb to remove the chatter marks from the smooth file.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose the right pilot size on your reamer based on the interior diameter of your gun's barrel.

References

• Cutting and Crowning a Barrel