Need a Shorter Barrel in Lehigh Valley

**BadMonk** · November 29th, 2015, 03:30 PM

I own a Rossi M92 24" Octagonal rifle in .357 . It shoots fine now after slicking it up and experimenting with different sights. No problems at all now. But, it's too front heavy for me to handle any more. Money is tight. No funds to buy another. Plus, I'm hesitant to sell it because it's a good shooter now and you never know what you get with another gun.

So, in my infinite wisdom...lol...I thought cutting the barrel to 18" do the trick. I'm relatively handy. My garage workshop doesn't have a lathe but there are a bunch of hand tools, drill press, band saw, grinders and so forth. Anyhow, I wanted a pro take a look and so took it to a local gunsmith for an opinion. After looking it over, he said he could do the job for $350. The price seemed steep to me but I really have no reference, except the cost of the gun wasn't that much more than $350. Basically, I was told cutting the barrel is easy but adding the peripheral stuff - front sight, pins, etc. - are the time consuming/difficult part.

What do you think? Any gunsmiths that won't balk at working on a Rossi M92? Thank you.

**bluetrane2028** · November 29th, 2015, 05:46 PM

Don't hack up a rifle that shoots to your satisfaction. What is your primary use for the rifle?

**BadMonk** · November 29th, 2015, 05:59 PM

Mainly it's used for home defense.

**nitro570** · November 29th, 2015, 11:22 PM

Why don`t you just try trading it off for something more suitable for home defense.

**bluetrane2028** · November 29th, 2015, 11:27 PM

Want something short/handy and dont' want to drop a ton? Get a cheap .410 or .20 gauge shotgun. You can cut a shotgun barrel yourself with a hacksaw and not have to worry as much about getting the crown 100% perfect as it's a 7 yard gun anyways and there's no rifling to deal with. If you get a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870, you could probably even get a barrel that's already 18-20". Bonus points if you get a youth stock, because no need for full LOP indoors either IMO.

Would cost less than $350 I'm sure, and be less harsh to shoot than 12 gauge. If recoil isn't a problem, go with a 12 gauge. I've snagged both 870s and 500s for under $200 in good usable shape before.

**Bang** · November 30th, 2015, 06:19 PM

Skip spending $350 to wreck a proven shooter and look for a banged-around but still safe shooter for possibly less than $150. For in home, any gauge shotgun will do fine.

If you chose a shotgun, you may cut the barrel down to 18 inches in length. Measure from the face of the in-battery bolt to muzzle. If a worry-wart, make it 18-1/4" long.

Over-all length must be 26 inches or more. That gives you some wiggle-room for making it a close-quarters defense weapon.

You can do a nice job of hacksawing a shotgun barrel by wrapping tape around it and following the tape for cutting and filing.

Do not fall for the mythology of sawed-offs throwing a pattern of "can't miss". A cylinder bore will not open up very much inside of an average home's room, so you will still have to aim. A flashlight mounted is a good idea...if a good beam, the bright spot can act as an aiming point.