Major Forsyth Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Pards, I'm getting ready to cut the barrel on a Win 97 and would appreciate suggestions on length. My Norinco replica (Win 97) Trench Gun is 20 1/4". I was thinking of making it that length but thought I would check and see what others think is best. The current length is 27 1/4" Thanks in advance. Major Forsyth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 19½" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudflat Mike, SASS #20904 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Make it 21" in case there is an error somewhere down the road. Putting a new bead on is not easy without the proper tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 19 15/16" OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Initally, I would go with 22" and see how that 'feels' for you. Does it swing well? Does it feel manuverable? Can you 'handle' it? If that don't work, cut some more. I like mine 18.25" to 20.00". And although some of mine have a bead, I really prefer no front site. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Here's a minority opinion... 27-1/4" is a great length. I started with a 20" 97, and I really liked it, but I wanted to have one with a long barrel for use in "Cowboy Trap" and other such stuff. I eventually found one with a 28" tube, and just for fun, I tried it at a main match. Well the longer barrel gun is now my primary main match shotgun. I have found that I almost never miss a shootgun target with this gun, but with the shorter tube I would occasionally have to "re-engage" because I failed to properly point the gun at the target. With the longer barrel, it just seems to always properly point exactly where it needs to be to get knocked down. Some will say that the longer barrel makes it harder to get around props. At first, there is some truth to that, but once you've done it a few times, it does not seem to be a factor at all. And then I may as well say this before Driftwood does... Once you cut the barrel on an original, there is no going back. It is gone forever. If you really want a short barreled 97, I'd seriously consider getting another one that is already cut, or another Norinco, and leaving the long barrel alone. It'll be a nice extra gun in your collection. If you really have no use for the longer barrel, I'll still say leave it alone and trade it in for one with a short tube. You asked for opinions, and this one is mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Knee Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 All of mine are 18.5" Some have beads some dont. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 22" is nice if you get a bulge at the end there is still some left to cut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 22" is nice if you get a bulge at the end there is still some left to cut +1, a pard of mine is cutting one down for me to 22". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Fe River Stan,36999L Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 23.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Never met a barrel too short. 18 1/4 is just right. Coffinmaker (shoulda been hacksaw) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyatt Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 21 balances out a 15" length of pull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead Ringer Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Never met a barrel too short. 18 1/4 is just right. Coffinmaker (shoulda been hacksaw) +1 Ringer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Clark Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 20". Feels right to me on a 97....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nasty Newt # 7365 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I couldn't decide on 20 or 18 so went with 19. I like the way it feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 30" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Frank Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 18.1" Why? At the distance that we shoot, the bigger the spread, the better. Less barrel to get stuck in a window or doorway. Short barreled shotguns look cool! Any shorter would cost an extra $200 for a tax stamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOODFOX , sass#34179 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I like my 26"cyl. also have a 20" Woodfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Forsyth Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Thanks - pards. Some great advice here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G W Wade Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 damn all the good numbers are took GW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 22 to burn all da smokeless powder and reduce the Blast.... Or 28 for Holy Black... Jabez Cowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waimea Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 21 balances out a 15" length of pull Only a Pard with an 8 foot wing span is gonna need a 15 inch LOP. Ya big tall glass of root beer. Waimea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 30" DANG! Now that is nice! Once again, Driftwood has outdone me. This simple image is so much more eloquent than my earlier post. Hat's off to a great fellow and a good friend at the range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Mountain Buzzard Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Gotta agree with all the 22" pards. Seems to balance better. AND...if you want it shorter, you're still good to go. Tough to add if you start too short... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventura Slim, SASS #35690 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 What buckshot said. Cut mine to 18.25 in case the man shows up. The close it is to your body the less leverage to hold it up and reload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calvin N. Hobbes, 17218 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I would caution against getting too close to the legal federal limit of 18". I know of at least one case where an individual was detained and their 18" barrel 97 was confiscated because it "looked like a sawed off shotgun". Sure, everything was eventually dropped, but it only takes a traffic stop and one police officer who thinks he knows the law to make your life a living nightmare. My own personal preference is 22". It is important to note that cutting the barrel, while technically resulting in a "cylinder" choke, can pattern anywhere from "cylinder" to "extra full" due to the barrel making technology of the time. You can envision the inside of your barrel as looking like a wavy road...constricting and opening differing degrees throughout the length of the barrel. You should pattern your gun after cutting to see what your true choke is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awful Close Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Remember, barrel length is determined by the length from the front of the bolt to the end of the barrel for pumps and autos. My win 97 is cut to 19 inches. I figure I might drop it eventually and mess up the end, this way I have some extra barrel length to cut and still be legal-eagle.If I ever drop it twice and screw up the barrel, I' ll switch to a SxS. Also somewhere on the net is a government document that spells out exactly how the barrel length is to be measured. I had a copy at one time, but that was before the move to the new house. If you are concerned about having your gun being confiscated because of barrel length measurement issues, you may want to download the document and keep it in the case with the shotgun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dang It Dan 13202 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 20.5" - hell I don't know why, but that's where we cut it and feels fairly good to me. I have a 13.75" LOP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Gun Cole Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Where does a guy get a tax stamp and how short can we go ? My current guns are 18.1" with about 11-7/8" LOP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Gun Cole Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Last I talked to the gunsmith they measured the barrel by closing the action, Inserting a 1/2" wood dowel down the barrel and see if the 18" marking was visible or not. If the barrel is legal then it covers the 18" mark. So in theory if your barrel is 18.00" or longer the mark isn't visible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Gun Cole Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Last I talked to the gunsmith they measured the barrel by closing the action, Inserting a 1/2" wood dowel down the barrel and see if the 18" marking was visible or not. If the barrel is legal then it covers the 18" mark. So in theory if your barrel is 18.00" or longer the mark isn't visible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Frank Norfleet Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I don't like anything shorter than 20 1/4 if it is a take down. That way the barrel and magazine stay alined when you take them off the receiver. I know it is not a big thing, but it irritates me on my 20 inch every time I take it apart. Wish I had left another 1/4 inch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventura Slim, SASS #35690 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 A pipe cutter is the tool for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Frank Norfleet Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 A pipe cutter is the tool for this. Are you serious? Every pipe I've cut with a pipe cutter had a huge lip on the inside. You might wind up with more than a full choke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventura Slim, SASS #35690 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 file down the lip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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