Breeching a Modern Shotgun Barrel

[grabenkater]

I recently found a vendor selling modern 12 gauge shotgun barrel blanks that have already been rifled. I am curious if anyone has shortened the chamber on a modern barrel and breeched it for muzzleloader use? I think the material would be suitable but unsure if there is enough metal for threading and a breech plug.

[DFHicks]

I picked up a modern shotgun barrel at a gun show many years back.  I had just started my first rifle so didn't know much.  My idea was to cut it down to 10 or 12 inches and make a "pirate pistol".  A top notch builder lived over in the next county so I showed him the barrel.  He said definitely not as there was not enough metal to install a safe breech plug.  That recommendation would fit your case as well IMHO.  Always err on the side of caution.  A question comes to mind _ the barrel is already rifled?  Then it is probably not a shotgun barrel ?
Greg

[P.W.Berkuta]

Go buy yourself Bill Brockway's book "Recreating the Double Barrel Muzzleloading Shotgun". In it he goes through the steps on how to breach modern shotgun barrels. Many have done so using this book and it is safe to do .

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

If you cut the entire chamber section off, it is likely you won't have enough barrel wall thickness to cut breech threads.  Brockway, in his book, describes making a custom plug which utilizes most of the chamber of a 12 gauge for the threads, IIRC about 1 3/8" long.  But I agree, buy the book...you won't regret it, and it may save your life.

[JBJ]

I followed Brockway's approach on a double 12 bore using a set of Belguim barrels and it worked nicely. Was also a lot of work! An excellent reference book.
J.B.

[ClaudeH]

J.B.,

Did you make a flint or percussion shotgun?

I am >very slowly< edging my way towards building a flint 16 ga. SxS per Brockway's methods.

[JBJ]

Percussion. Even at that it taxed my sanity! My first and last double barrel!!!! Best of luck.
J.B.

[Daryl]

This SXS flintlock pelter that Taylor built using the methods noted, turned out quite nicely.  I seem to have lost the other pictures of the gun showing closeups of the locks and breeches.
Note: The 12 bore rifled barrels have 34" to 36" rifling twists, with less than smooth bores and grooves and quite shallow rifling as well.  I do not know how they'd work with patched balls, however the rate of twist and depth of rifling might not work well. Just a warning & my opinion on them.

[Daryl]

Found some:


Here's another, built by a friend, CT.