Stoeger Chamber Beveling

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

A buddy has a 20 gauge Stoeger who would like to have the chambers beveled for ease of loading. Looking for recommendations for a ‘smith to do the job. 
 

Thx in advance!

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Anyone with a 5/8" ball head grinding stone and a dremel or foredom type hand grinder can.  It's an easy job, and not worth sending a gun out of your local area.  Hint - don't let anyone talk you into grinding the EXTRACTOR lips!  Not needed.   Nor is removing 100% of the case rim ledge in the chambers.  good luck, GJ

 

If all else fails and nobody in Kansas owns a grinder, then this smith neighbors your state:

 

Run-N-Iron Customizing, Bertrand, Nebraska

[Frontier Lone Rider]

I just use a half round file, then a small round file, and finish with emery cloth.  I don't trust using a Dremel.

[Rance - SASS # 54090]

What^^^^^^ They said.. and like GJ said leave yer extractors alone..

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Something to consider.  Beveling the the chamber mouth on your shotgun will render the gun unsellable to anyone other than CAS shooters when it comes time to sell.  Just a thought.  If one is not competing in the top 10 percent, beveling the chamber mouth will not result in much if any gain.  Just a little more convenient.

Edited October 13, 2025 by Colorado Coffinmaker
Fix Context

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

That's one big reason why you want to leave some of the rim head spacing ledge on the chambers, and particularly on the extractors.  And, if one is worrying about resale value on short barreled Stoegers, it's pretty negligible even without modifications.

 

9 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Beveling the the chamber mouth on your shotgun will render the gun unsellable to anyone other than CAS shooters

Unsellable?  So, that seems rather overblown to me.  Lots of cowboy shotguns make a decent "home hallway sweeper".  Chopping barrels to remove chokes has a bigger impact on resale, as it makes it unattractive for hunting purposes.  good luck, GJ

Edited October 13, 2025 by Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

["Big Boston"]

7 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

That's one big reason why you want to leave some of the rim head spacing ledge on the chambers, and particularly on the extractors.  And, if one is worrying about resale value on short barreled Stoegers, it's pretty negligible even without modifications.

 

Unsellable?  So, that seems rather overblown to me.  Lots of cowboy shotguns make a decent "home hallway sweeper".  Chopping barrels to remove chokes has a bigger impact on resale, as it makes it unattractive for hunting purposes.  good luck, GJ

 

I'm not a regular gunshow vendor, but I do at least one show a year. Shotguns are an oddity when it comes to resale. I've sold lots of pumps, and in most cases, cutting the barrel to 18" to 21" with a bead added will make them sell quicker and usually get me $50 or more than if they are intact. Older 2 3/4 full choke guns are not worth much. They don't shoot steel very well, and for grouse/chicken you need a bit less choke and a shorter barrel to get it to swing. 

 

I have a Stoeger 20 with screw in chokes. I bought 2 of each choke, and for Cowboy I use skeet and skeet. Because of the chokes, it can be used in the woods for grouse/chicken. 

 

BB

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Not my gun. My friend doesn’t shoot CAS anymore, so I don’t know why it’s important to him. I don’t ask as it’s not my concern, except to help him do what he wants. 

[John Kloehr]

I'll try to remember to pull mine out of the safe and take a pic,

 

The beveling on mine is far from polished, looks like Dremel work. But only the top edge of the chambers, not the bottom or the ejectors. I think it does help ease rounds in following some videos I have seen.

 

Other guns I have seen pics of have the bevel all around including the extractors. I think this puts the gun on the edge of failure (risk of soft strikes) should it wear a hair more and the rounds sit too deep.

 

Popular loading videos show tilting the rounds in from the top so I see no advantage to more than a top bevel. Keeping it to that, I see no reason it could not be done at home. But also keep in mind that the Dremel is the gunsmiths favorite tool, at least as far as something his customers own. Doing the work with hand tools is far more prudent even if it takes a few hours done carefully a little at a time over a few days.

 

As to hurting value? As compared to what, slamming the gun down on the table in the heat of competition? It ain't gonna be pretty after a while anyway.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

7 minutes ago, John Kloehr said:

...Popular loading videos show tilting the rounds in from the top so I see no advantage to more than a top bevel....

Whether you are "rolling them in" or poking them in, the front (top) edge of the shell can hit the edge of the chamber at the bottom, thus the bevel there.

 

My main SxS for 25 years has been my Baikal.  I gave it to Coyote Cap 24 years ago for an action job.  But back then beveling the chambers wasn't "a thing".  A few times lately I've gotten out some sandpaper and worked on it by hand.  Very slow going!  It's nothing like the beveling most do but the edges are now rounded.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

PLUS ONE fer Abilene

 

I can see and understand "breaking the edge" at the breach to ease the sharp edges which will ease loading but in my not so humble opine, the "funnel" done to many guns is just . . . NO!!

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

This reminds me of a conversation with a fellow shooter last week.  He has two CZ's worked on by two different well known 'smiths.  The chamber beveling by one he said just had sharp angles at the inner and outer edges of the bevel and was much less user friendly that the one from the other smith that also rounded those edges.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Under any other shooting sport .

Someone would be insane to destroy a shotgun in this manner !

This would render this gun as damaged junk in any other shooting sport .

Just Sayin. 

Rooster 

 

[John Kloehr]

Finally remembered to get some pics while I was by my safe. Workmanship is not mine but from what I understand this is reasonably right. Just the top edges beveled. the step on the bottom half and the extractor is untouched (well, I do see now one got knicked. I suspect Dremel.

 

And looking even closer now that I have big pics, I think I could go a bit further and take out some of the step in the top half. Even as it is, it helps.

 

 

 

 

[The Verdigris Kid]

On 10/12/2025 at 5:16 PM, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

A buddy has a 20 gauge Stoeger who would like to have the chambers beveled for ease of loading. Looking for recommendations for a ‘smith to do the job. 
 

Thx in advance!

Doc Dag did mine.