Based on the advice of some of the more knowledgeable members in this section, i've picked up a nice J. Stevens Springfield SxS. It's got nice clean bores, a nicely patina'ed stock and case-hardened receiver. The action locks up tight, and the gun feels great. This is exactly what i was looking for, based on your suggestions and it is a nicely preserved example.

 

 

Having said that, i'm going to turn it into a Coach Gun. The plans are to fit a recoil pad, and of course to cut down the barrels. I'm going to aim for 19" for the length of the barrel. This way if i ding up the crown and have to re-cut, i've got a little room to repair it.

 

A couple of questions before i proceed with this little project:

 

1: How should i measure the length of the barrel? I've inserted a 2-3/4 snap cap into the chamber and measured it from the crown end. It came out to 25.5 inches. Am i doing this the right way? I'd rather err on the side of 100% legal, rather than absolute shortness.

2: What method should i go about cutting it? Hacksaw, chop saw? I'm gonna finish it with a quick run through the belt sander to square it up. Also, the steel wool and solder trick to finish off the rib/barrel end.

Sweet Sxs! Looks niiiice but...

 

Why chop up and modify such a nice gun!? All joking aside, what is the actual purpose of a coach gun and why does everyone want to build one? So you cut down the barrel and it becomes a coach gun? I don't really get it. In the sportbike world, that's like taking your fairings off, installing a new headlight, and saying you built a Streetfighter.

It's like sporterizing a vet bring back. <shudder> Such a purdy gun and you want to cut it up? Why not find a $20 damascus barrel hunk of junk to do that to instead of this rather nice looking sxs??

 

Yes - I'm HATING on you cutting up that gun.

Yeah, I have to agree with DJG on this...

just drop the hacksaw and step away

What did you pay for the SxS??

 

Harry

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's valuable. I'm going to do it to this gun because i plan on shooting it. I'm not going to buy a gun and leave it in the safe because it's in good condition. This is probably one of the most common shotguns available. It's literally nothing special. It's nice looking and in good condition, but i'm not exactly "tacti-cool"ing a hand-fitted heirloom English SxS. It's going to get cut down to 19 inches, cleaned up nicely and going to be taken out to the range.

i think you'll throw balance off and end up with something that kicks like a mule

So....no help on this one?

I cannot personally provide any help as far as the process goes, but I say go for it! If this is what you want to do, then by all means do it.

Based on the advice of some of the more knowledgeable members in this section, i've picked up a nice J. Stevens Springfield SxS. It's got nice clean bores, a nicely patina'ed stock and case-hardened receiver. The action locks up tight, and the gun feels great. This is exactly what i was looking for, based on your suggestions and it is a nicely preserved example.

 

 

Having said that, i'm going to turn it into a Coach Gun. The plans are to fit a recoil pad, and of course to cut down the barrels. I'm going to aim for 19" for the length of the barrel. This way if i ding up the crown and have to re-cut, i've got a little room to repair it.

 

A couple of questions before i proceed with this little project:

 

1: How should i measure the length of the barrel? I've inserted a 2-3/4 snap cap into the chamber and measured it from the crown end. It came out to 25.5 inches. Am i doing this the right way? I'd rather err on the side of 100% legal, rather than absolute shortness.

2: What method should i go about cutting it? Hacksaw, chop saw? I'm gonna finish it with a quick run through the belt sander to square it up. Also, the steel wool and solder trick to finish off the rib/barrel end.

That's a fine old Stevens Springfield. Great utility & field gun. There are some I know who would shed a tear knowing you are about to chop the barrels.

 

To get your correct bbl. length now, measure a double's barrels from the muzzle to the breechface (or just measure the barrels from one end to the other end.) I would first pull that buttstcock and repair the small crack that butts up to the receiver frame. Moisture has gotten in there, caused the wood to swell and crack under recoil. I'd repair it first before that crack worsens. Then try shooting the gun and see how it shoots. You might enjoy it in its present configuration.

 

You do run the risk of changing the point of impact when you cut the barrels. Remember that side by sides are converging barrels oriented from left and right to hit point of aim centrally at what is usually 40 yds. Cutting your barrels will remove both chokes and open them up to cylinder. But shortening your barrels drastically may induce your right barrel to not converge as much to the left (to hit center) and could hit right of your target and the same phenomenon but only the opposite for your left barrel could occur. In other words, not only will your patterns be affected as intended but so may your point of impact which is unintended. Shortening the barrels will create the open patterns you desire, and it will be fine for "across the room" but beyond twenty-five yards you may find it frustrating for an afternoon of impromptu clay shooting. That's the small risk you run.

 

PS - If you need a disassembly guide for this shotgun I can the scan the pages from my book and email them to you.

Parker, thanks for the informative answer. I am slightly concerned about the POA/POI shift and non-choke issues after cutting down the barrels. I've decided that i can live with this, as i'm not interested in selling this shotgun and would like a coach gun.

 

Regarding the barrel length, my understanding from your statement is that the measurement would be from the muzzle, all the way to the very end of the breech (where it meets the receiver)?

 

The repair of the buttstock was another issue on my list; it doesn't seem like a major crack so it won't be hard to fix. That is my #1 to do on this gun.

 

I would love scans of the disassembly manual. PM incoming.

As far as cutting, if you really are going to do this and you have a chop saw and a hack saw I would take just a little of with each first and see which one give you the best results and make you final cut after you figure that out.

 

Harry

If you have access to a band saw it would do the trick. Measure from the end of the barrel to the end of the chamber. 18 inches and cut! Use a file to clean the edges and that's about it.

 

Do with the gun as you wish, if someone doesn't like what your doing to it then tell them to make you an offer on the gun. If they don't put their money where their mouth is then chop away!

 

They make some tacticool things that would make her a better shooter. Laserlyte makes some accessories that would spruce the gun up.

Bandsaw might be the best solution though I still don't recommend cutting that gun.

Bandsaw might be the best solution though I still don't recommend cutting that gun.

 

Make him an offer. This way you can save that shotgun and he can use the money to by a Stoeger coach gun.

He seemed to indicate that he was not open to offers. I would like to know what he paid for it - I don't want to insult him with a douchebag offer.

He seemed to indicate that he was not open to offers. I would like to know what he paid for it - I don't want to insult him with a douchebag offer.

 

True, don't want to buy a gun you really don't want for a price that your not willing to pay.

18 inches and cut!

I thought minimum was 18.5?

I thought minimum was 18.5?

 

Nope. 18" is minimum. 18.5" is a smart cut so that some yahoo can't f you up...

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's valuable. I'm going to do it to this gun because i plan on shooting it. I'm not going to buy a gun and leave it in the safe because it's in good condition. This is probably one of the most common shotguns available. It's literally nothing special. It's nice looking and in good condition, but i'm not exactly "tacti-cool"ing a hand-fitted heirloom English SxS. It's going to get cut down to 19 inches, cleaned up nicely and going to be taken out to the range.

These particular models will sell anywhere from $250 up to $600 depending on gauge and condition. It's not uncommon to see them altered though. Many that you find have been altered by having their chokes opened or the barrels lopped.

 

There are some American shotguns that you NEVER want to alter though. It would be blasphemy to modify/alter anything like a pre-war Parker, Lefever, L.C. Smith, A.H. Fox, Baker, Remington, Iver Johnson Skeeter's, some Ithaca's and Win. M21's. And if you plan on refinishing them, there are only certain gunsmiths that the "double aficionados" community bless as bonafide master craftsmen who should do the work on them.

As everyone seems to be very curious as to how much i paid for the gun, it was $0.00. The shotgun was given to me by my father-in-law this weekend (don't worry, we exchanged paperwork for this AND the Yugo Mauser he handed me). I mentioned off-hand that i was looking into grabbing a SxS, and he said, "I've got one lying around. If i can find it, it's yours." He dug through his safe and gave it to me. He said, "Enjoy it!", and then mentioned that it could easily be turned into a coach gun and that it was legal for me to cut the barrels down to do so. Perfect, didn't even need to ask if he would mind me cutting it down; he suggested it!

 

Hence, i will not sell this. Make all the offers you want, i'm turning them down.

 

 

So based on the info you guys are telling me, this is a 28" barrel? I always though it was measured up to the chamber...

These particular models will sell anywhere from $250 up to $600 depending on gauge and condition. It's not uncommon to see them altered though. Many that you find have been altered by having their chokes opened or the barrels lopped.

 

There are some American shotguns that you NEVER want to alter though. It would be blasphemy to modify/alter anything like a pre-war Parker, Lefever, L.C. Smith, A.H. Fox, Baker, Remington, Iver Johnson Skeeter's, some Ithaca's and Win. M21's. And if you plan on refinishing them, there are only certain gunsmiths that the "double aficionados" community bless as bonafide master craftsmen who should do the work on them.

 

Certainly i'm no expert, but i know enough about guns not to irreversibly modify a valuable and/or rare gun. Besides, anything that is valuable and/or rare is definitely out of my price range.

These would be 28" bbls. Great score for $0.00 invested.

 

 

Yours is much nicer than some of the newer ones out there, like those with the blue finish that flaked off.

I know on an AR the measurement is made by dropping a line down the barrel to where the bold face is. (on a closed bolt) This is PER the ATF. NJSP may use some other magical way of measuring it though.

I say chop it off and have fun with it. Not that you seem very affected by the opinions cast forth in this thread anyway