New Slug Gun is being born, LOL

[wink_man]

Well, if you guys remember, I built a 20 gauge Winchester 1300 smootbore sluggun for myself after sighting in my daughters 20 gauge sluggun.

 http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php?topic=135683.0

The plan was to get an additional fully rifled slug barrel for it, however, as I was completing the gun, Winchester stopped making the 1300, and I have been looking for a fully rifled barrel for it to no avail for a year now. Located one, on Auction Arms for $205 plus shipping, used, and seeing how I paid $240 for the gun with 2 barrels, he can keep it, the stuff isn't made of gold now that Winchester stopped making it.

SOOOO, as I was perusing the classifieds of various gunboards, I started getting ornery about it, and found a very nice Hastings 20 gauge fully rifled barrel for a Remington 870 in the classified section of one particular board. Barrel is slightly used, about a year and a half old, 24 inch ported barrel, rifling twist 1 turn in 24.



After a brief PM conversation with the owner of the barrel, it was secured for less than half of what that guy on Auctioin Arms was asking for the 1300 barrel(shipping included), and hence a new slug gun was born, LMAO.

So then I started searching for some wood. I am fond of fancy walnut, and one of the requirements is a Monte carlo comb and cheekpad so I have a good cheek weld when looking through a scope. I started checking out some of the gunstock makers I know on the net, and ran across a very fine set of walnut for a 20 gauge Remington. After calling him and a conversation with him concerning the height of the monte carlo comb  satisfied me, I ordered it, and while I spent a bunch of money on it(prolly more than the gun will cost me, LOL), I felt it was worth it in light of what AAA and Exhibition grade walnut goes for. In the pic, while it's rough cut wood, the wood was wet down with mineral spirits, to give you a rough idea of what the finished product will look like after I get done with it.

 

I have a brand new Bushnell 3200 Elite 2X7 scope for it, rings and bases(I'll be drilling and tapping the receiver) and have a recoil pad in mind, but may just go with a buttplate, depending on how the stock fits me, we shall see.

So now all I need to do is locate a 20 gauge 870 gun(or frame), and I can start putting it all together.
I will add to this thread after I find a 20 gauge frame to build the gun on, as it progresses to completion.

[ZEVON]

  Sir,I'm, looking forward to reading more about your build.Are you going to drill and tap the receiver?What about pinning the barrel to the reciver?The stock is beautiful,you have more guts than I would taking it into the woods.What do you think of Remington's 18 1/2" barrel,20 ga. slug gun?Any ideas what slugs your going to try?

[wink_man]

Yes, I will be drilling and tapping the receiver, while I have one cantilever barrel, I'm not crazy about them, and much prefer a scope mounted on a drilled and tapped receiver. I have no plans at present to pin the barrel, I haven't had to do it yet to get acceptable accuracy, however, if I'm not pleased with the accuracy, I am open to having the barrel pinned, as it will be a dedicated sluggun. But, have to locate a frame first before I can do anything.

As far as short barrels, I like them, and while I don't have any experience with that new Remington 18 1/2 inch barrel, I don't see any problems with it, as most slug powders are faster burning powders than rifle powder, and will burn completely witin that barrel length. My son uses an 18 1/2 inch slug barrel very successfully on his Ithaca 37, and I used it successfully before he did.

[wink_man]

Well, the stock and forend arrived and the wood is SUPERB. However, it appears that the forend pump tube hole is for a 12 gauge. So I got on the phone with the stockmaker and we discussed it, etc. here is the end result, really good people to deal with in my opinion.

I just got off the phone with the owners of Macon gun stocks, the people that supplied me with the wood. Apparently it is for a 12, was their mistake. They offered to take the wood back, or get me a matching forend for a 20 gauge to that stock, they appear to be willing to do whatever it takes to makes me happy, and are excellent people to deal with, and I can say that after having extended phone conversations with them concerning this.

They also make some of the best stocks I've ever seen, despite being rough cut wood, they have a very smooth finish, and outside of fitting wood to the metal(always laborious), it appears very little sanding/prepping will be required to put a final finish on the wood. Very nice to see, considering some of the rough cut stuff I've worked with from other companies.

Well after talking to them, I've decided to keep this wood for a 12 gauge slug gun project, and I'm going to buy another set for the 20 gauge. Macon was nice enough to offer me 10% off of the next stock set because of their mistake.

If you want to see some beautiful wood, and wood thats cut and ground properly, you should visit their site:

http://macongunstocks.net/

Great company to deal with in my opinion, I don't think you'd go wrong buying from them.

[wink_man]

I have the wood for both guns now, and decided to start on the 12 gauge, seeing how I can't find a 20 gauge frame that I'm happy with. I had a good 12 gauge frame laying around the house. It was from an 870 I have purchased in the late 90's. This is an older 870 Wingmaster, standard frame gun, not a magnum. I found it in a gun shop, used, but didn't look like it was even out in the field once or twice, there wasn't even any wear on the slide arms, and it doesn't take many shots to wear the blueing off the slide arms. Problem was, it appeared someone had brought the gun home from a hunting trip on a rainy day, and  stored the gun wet in the case for a couple of years, as the smoothbore slug barrel was BADLY rusted. Fortunately, other than that, the receiver was only slightly freckled with rust, rest of the gun was ok, and had beautiful wood for a standard factory gun. I purchased it for $125, gave the barrel away and used the wood on another project. I especially like this frame because it has a very tight receiver. I've tried a half a dozen different 870 barrels on it, and they are a very snug fit into the receiver, with virtually no slop. So I fit the new stock and forend to the metal, then reblued the receiver to get rid of the rust freckling, and cleaned the whole frame up.



Came out pretty good, and should make for a good slug gun, once I get it all done.

 Incidentally, while fitting the stock to the receiver, I kept throwing it up to my shoulder, and was amazed at how that high comb trap stop with the cheekpiece had my eye well above the top of the receiver, excellent for a cantilever scoped barrel, with good eye alignment to the scope AND a tight cheekweld to the stock at the same time. I am absolutely sold on these high comb trapstocks and I wouldn't consider building another sluggun with out one of these stocks from Macon Gunstocks on it.

[brasskeeper]

Great! I can't wait to see more.

[wink_man]

Here is the wood, fitted to the gun, shaped, sanded, polished, and all interior wood sealed and ready for the 'sealer' coat to seal the exterior of the wood. Wood is dry in the pics, yet even dry the figure shows through pretty good.

[wink_man]

Here is the wood with the 'sealer' coat rubbed in, and then polished to a dull finish smoother than a babys behind with 4/0 steel wool. Now it just needs the finish coats of Tru-Oil for the high gloss and to really bring the grain out. This project has to go on hold now, as I need to find a butt plate I'm happy with and fit it to the stock, then the finish coats can be applied. But it's getting damp and humid, and the heat isn't running much, so may have to wait till the air conditioning is running to pull the moisture out of the air so I can apply the finish coats. And the weakfish are about due in, been watching, and am ready for them.

[SHOOTALL]

nice set up !
i have a factory 20 ga. express with a lam. stock and rifled bbl with rifle sights and love it !
Its no where near as nice as what you are building , but the 20 is a good gun . got a 7 pointer this past season .
looking forward to your finished product !

[brasskeeper]

How about an update?

[Busta]

How about an update?

wink_man was last active on April 20, 2008, I hope all is well with him. Hopefully he checks back in with an update.

[wink_man]

Sorry for not being around and updating, but I have been pretty turned off by the MISmanagement of deer in my home state for the sake of money(ie permits, earn a buck, etc). Seems like we're back to the market hunting era here with the state reducing the deer to the status of woodchucks if you're willing to buy permits, so I refused to support the Division of Fish and Game in ANY way by buying a hunting license this year.

Instead, was busy concentrating on striper fishing right through the late fall:

http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/wink_man/?action=view&current=d87adea0.pbw

Number 1 son has been at it though. He shot a doe with the bow opening day to get past the 'earn a buck' stupidity and be able to legally shoot a buck. He passed about half a dozen bucks after taking the doe, and then took this very nice 8 pointer:


He also took a large doe monday evening with the Ithaca 37 smoothbore at 129 lasered yards, one shot bang flop.

In any event, slug gun project has been on hold, it got to warm and muggy to put the finish coats on the wood for the 12 gauge, and I still need to find a buttplate I'm happy with, other than that, I have everything else, so I plan on finishing it up later this winter, after Christmas, I hope. I'll definitely have some pics to post when I do.

Still need the right frame for the 20 gauge, other than the frame(I guess thats kinda crucial), I have everything else I need, so we'll see where that goes, it certainly needs to go somewhere, and soon.

Garry

[JimFromTN]

I got my stock from macon gun stocks but mine was not nearly as nice looking.  I got a utility grade cherry monte carlo trap stock from them off of ebay.  It worked out perfectly with my setup.  They were very helpful with telling me how to fit and finish the stock.  Check out ebay.  Sometimes you can save some money buying it through them on ebay rather than directly thru their website.

[brasskeeper]

Thanks for the update wink_man. Congrats on your Sons deer. I look forward to seeing your project come together.

PS I Looked at the fish pics, those things are awesome!

[Wareagle]

Yes Winkie - please keep us posted.  I too have embarked on making my mid-eighties Beretta A303 (semi-auto) a dedicated slug gun.  I searched for weeks for a discontinued Hastings rifled barrel for it.  Gander Mountain did a nationwide search and BINGO at Sheboygan Wisconsin store - (I am just South of Flint Mich) - I have not even rec'd it yet but I am anxious.