Shotgun choke/H&R Handi-Rifle conversion barrel

[Netpackrat]

I'm not really a shotgun guy , so bear with me. I've got a New England Firearms Handi-Rifle (.223) that I am going to send back to the factory and have fitted with some new barrels under their accessory barrel program, which will make it more useful to me. One of the barrels will be a 12 gauge shotgun barrel, and while I would prefer improved cylinder or cylinder choke, they only offer modified and full chokes, plus a replaceable choke barrel with a vent rib that I don't really want anyway besides being more expensive. If I buy one of their 28" barrels, am I correct in assuming that if I cut it off say between 20"-24" I will then have a cylinder choke? Seems logical to me but again, I'm not really a shotgun guy. Second question, is there a way of inexpensively tightening it up a tad to improved cylinder?

[ZeroGravitas]

1> Yes you'll have cylinder choke.
2> Mike Orlen can cut a Tula choke, aka Jug choke, for you to obtain a tighter choke in a CYL barrel, but it prolly doesn't pass the inexpensive criteria.

I've heard of swaging choke into a CYL barrel but it doesn't pass the giggle test.
You can buy, or handload, spreader loads that will give Improved type patterns out of a Mod barrel.

[Netpackrat]

Well, it will probably get used mostly for the grouse that are always around the cabin, but I want to be able to run slugs and buckshot through it as well. Right now I am using a Buckmark .22 for grouse, but that limits the shots I can take because we have neighbors, so if the bird lands in a tree or something I have to maneuver for a shot that will put the bullet into the tree. Luckily grouse are stupid enough to usually sit there while you do this, and will often let you walk right up on them. Closest I have shot one was about 6 feet away. That was actually a semi-difficult shot with the scoped 10/22, since I took a head shot and had to allow for the height of the scope over the bore. Anyway, I'm not too worried about the open choke because of the close ranges, but being able to tighten it up to Improved Cylinder would be nice, because that is what I am used to from when I hunted ducks.

I'm in kind of a quandary about what rifle barrels to get for it also. I want a .450 Marlin barrel, but that only comes with a scope rail, no option for open sights. They sell a .45-70 barrel that comes with open sights, but I want to be able to use the same ammo as my 1895M guide gun. I don't really want a .45-70, but my brother already has one and the dies, so it wouldn't be a huge stretch, just another type of brass I'd have to buy. Still, I'd rather have the same ammo as my lever gun so I could bring the NEF along as a "hunt saver" backup disassembled in my pack, which kind of rules out using a scope. Guess I could probably get something custom fitted, but that also sort of defeats the economic purpose- though still cheaper than getting another scope. Something else I just thought of, is the .45-70 barrel may not be suitable for Marlin loads. Also thinking about getting a .30-30 barrel, and working up a cast bullet load.

[blackeagle603]

30-30 is a nice round in those. My friend got an H&R combo setup 20ga/30-30 his son's first longgun. He could hand load spire points. The acton is strong so you've got some overhead for load development. Also, it doesn't beat you up in a lightweight rifle.

[SeekHer]

NPR, why not get three barrels for it...
.30/30 for a light game gun,
.45/70 and have it bored to take the .450 Marlin,
12 bore shotgun barrel...check with your gunsmith and find out how far you can cut back and still be able to thread an interchangeable choke in it...this way if you want you could still always use a Mod of Full choke as well as the Imp Cyl...You might be able to get it down to 25" or so...lot shorter but not 20"...

I know that the Poly Choke adjustable choke used to take a wider tapping of the barrel then a screw-in choke does so maybe you could reduce the barrel even further using one of those...

Get a set of Talley or other detachable scope mounts for it and just switch the scope between the barrels as needed...there are scopes out there now that will allow multiple points of sight-in with the same scope for just this purpose...

Buy the barrels now on sale and have the gunsmithing work done at your leisure and can you afford it…

[Netpackrat]

NPR, why not get three barrels for it...
.30/30 for a light game gun,
.45/70 and have it bored to take the .450 Marlin,
12 bore shotgun barrel...check with your gunsmith and find out how far you can cut back and still be able to thread an interchangeable choke in it...this way if you want you could still always use a Mod of Full choke as well as the Imp Cyl...You might be able to get it down to 25" or so...lot shorter but not 20"...

Should have clarified that if I get a .30-30 barrel, it will be in addition to the .450 barrel, so yeah, 3 barrels, which will give me a total of 4 counting the .223. I don't think that the .45-70 barrel can be rebored to .450, the .45-70 being rimmed and all, while the .450 is a belted case, plus IIRC they share the same case length. The extractor on the NEF is integral with the barrel, so I think it will be easier to fit iron sights to the .450. Williams makes a peep rear for the Handi-Rifle, and I suspect strongly that it uses some of the same screw holes as the scope base. So then it will just be a matter of getting the front sight, and I think all NEF rifles use the same barrel contour regardless of caliber, so I might be able to do it with factory hardware, though I bet it requires drilling and tapping or having a dovetail cut.

As for the choke, I can live with a cylinder bore, or probably even the modified choke that it comes in. I just want to be able to throw the occasional slug down the barrel and it was my understanding that improved cylinder is the best choke for slugs in a smooth bore.

Get a set of Talley or other detachable scope mounts for it and just switch the scope between the barrels as needed...there are scopes out there now that will allow multiple points of sight-in with the same scope for just this purpose...

I wasn't aware of that, thought I would have to re-zero each time. That would be extremely useful, depending on the price.

Buy the barrels now on sale and have the gunsmithing work done at your leisure and can you afford it…

I don't think they are on sale, but the price is definitely right, and since Remington bought Marlin/H&R not too long ago, there is no telling how long the accessory barrel program will be available. Figure I might as well get it done now, and I can have the sight and choke issues sorted out by spring, so I can range test some loads when the weather turns decent again.

[SeekHer]

I thought that the .450 was a converted .45/70 case, sorry about that...Then which .45 is it, .450 Alaskan?

The .450 only comes with a scope rail then why not mount a Holo/Red Dot sight on it, IMO far better then open sights and you can get them that don't require batteries (a few) or the battery ones have like a 50,000 hour life span...

If you're only wanting to fire, as you say, the occasional slug down your barrel then you really don't have to worry...I fired a slug through a fixed full choke and it worked fine...It's the steady diet that causes problems...

They do have one with screw in chokes, albeit more money, but you can switch and get a Imp Cyl tube for it and I don't know how the threading will do when hit by a slug if you just removed the choke tube altogether...

As to vent rib, besides dissipating heat better that flat surface does give you a better "progression to the target" then just a round barrel does...My S/S all have raised ribs...But they also have the Tracker ll 24" slug barrel if you had to go that route…

You can get a number of different bases and mount them on your rifles and put the one set of detachable rings on your scope and just move as you see fit…sight it in for one caliber/range and then try it on another rifle and mark down where it hits paper until you have all guns marked, then you know how many clicks to move the turrets to get you to your desired POA and dial them in for that gun…

There are a couple of scopes that will allow you to set your POA on one rifle, move it to another but with a separate ring sight in to I believe 4 different settings…I first saw it for an ad for the Sako Quad (.22:R, .22RWM, .17 HRM and .17 Mach2) switch barrel gun and then saw a few others doing the same thing—Swarovski had one and there were at least one more that I remember for centerfire…

[Netpackrat]

I thought that the .450 was a converted .45/70 case, sorry about that...Then which .45 is it, .450 Alaskan?

The .450 Marlin is a unique cartridge and case head. It has basically the same overall dimensions as a .45-70, but it has a belt instead of a rim, so it can't be used in any of the older .45-70 rifles that can't handle the increased pressure. The case head is the same diameter as a regular belted magnum, but it is unique because the belt has been lengthened, so that the shorter .450 Marlin cartridge can't be chambered into a longer magnum rifle with a smaller bore, such as 8mm Rem mag. There was a wildcat cartridge called the .458x2" American, and other than the lengthened belt, the .450 Marlin is identical.

The .450 only comes with a scope rail then why not mount a Holo/Red Dot sight on it, IMO far better then open sights and you can get them that don't require batteries (a few) or the battery ones have like a 50,000 hour life span...

There's a thought. If adding irons looks like it will be too expensive, maybe I'll just add a weaver mount Russian PK-AS to the rail, since it will remain usable even if the batteries are dead.

As to vent rib, besides dissipating heat better that flat surface does give you a better "progression to the target" then just a round barrel does...My S/S all have raised ribs...But they also have the Tracker ll 24" slug barrel if you had to go that route…

Good point. It just seems out of place on a single shot, break action shotgun.