Making a smooth bore 22 rifle

[getitdone1]

Have a relative whose in the market for a smooth bore 22 rifle. I've helped him search the internet and most are pricey and some very expensive.

I suggested he might consider buying a cheap but good single shot 22 rifle and ream-out the bore.

How would you go about this without spending a lot of money on tools and machinery? Or, is that the catch?

Don McCullough

[jdad]

These are affordable and very reliable.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =184824139

[wecsoger]

Not trying to be a smart-aleck, but I'd look at one of those bolt action pawn shop specials for $80 and spend a couple bucks on a stainless (not copper) cleaning brush. Put some mild abrasive on that brush and scrub away. Won't remove all the rifling, but a lot of it.

At worst you're out say, $85 and hour or two of your time.

Alternative, same deal with the stainless brush but there are thousands of folks that have replaced the barrels in their Ruger 10/22's and you can pick up one cheap. Easy to swap barrels on the Ruger. Again, scrub it out.

Curious, he's going to be shooting shot shells?

[JB]

Keep an eye for a used Marlin Garden Gun. I've picked up two mint ones within the last year for around $150.00 each. I've taken a number of sparrows and chipmunks at spitting range with shot shells.

[adirondakjack]

Ya ain't getting mine Model 1894 Stevens Favorite ".22 Shot", actually meant for BB caps, a round ball propelled by a primer only, but does fairly well with modern shot cartridges.

[iceman]

Just a thought. With a pawn shop special, a brick of LR, some valve grinding compound and a safe back stop a fellow could have fun trying to shoot out a barrel. Dip the bullets in the compound, load, shoot, and repeat as necessary. Think it would work?

[Lastmohecken]

I use shot shells in my Ruger single six, to shoot wood bees, around the house. It works pretty good, but I have been thinking that I would like to have a smooth barrel on a single six for this chore, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out to ream one out. Has anyone tried it?

[Kansas Ed]

Just a thought. With a pawn shop special, a brick of LR, some valve grinding compound and a safe back stop a fellow could have fun trying to shoot out a barrel. Dip the bullets in the compound, load, shoot, and repeat as necessary. Think it would work?

I think what would happen is you would end up with a tapered bore. I think all of the lapping compound would work it's way off in the first couple of inches of bore...and subsequent shots would ever so slightly work their way forward. Until you were way oversized at the throat, and eventually still tight at the muzzle. Until the muzzle was clear of rifling, it would react the same way on the shot pattern even with an inch or two left of mild rifling.

Ed

[awp101]

I use shot shells in my Ruger single six, to shoot wood bees, around the house. It works pretty good, but I have been thinking that I would like to have a smooth barrel on a single six for this chore, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out to ream one out. Has anyone tried it?

That would fall under the definition of a short barreled shotgun (SBS) in the ATFs eyes...

[getitdone1]

What's the effective range for 22 shot cartridges for small birds, snakes and rats? Believe this cartridge is loaded with #12 shot. Of course not much range or penetration with shot that small.

That Remington 572 pump looks like a fun gun. Thanks for the link. 289 I believe was the starting price (auction). I've seen 22 shot repeaters with asking price of 1600 dollars!

Don McCullough

[adirondakjack]

a .22 shot cartridge is a fairly short range deal. I mistakenly thought they were really weak once, popped a couple of layers of cardboard at 15 feet. "Nailed" the lace curtain to the panelled wall behind em....

Snake, bird, barn rat woulda been swiss cheese.

[86er]

The more common and more readily available .22 Shotshells with the plastic shot cup rely on rifling to cut into the plastic jacket and allow it to peel apart upon exiting the barrel. The less common crimped .22 shotshells pattern much more evenly and consistently without rifling. I have a small rifle cut down for my kids. When I remove the back sight (1 screw) they use CCI Shotshells and reference the front bead when pointing and shooting. They can hit hand-thrown soda cans and clay targets up to 10 yds. Once in a while they can hit one at 15 yds but the #12 shot isn't strong enough to break a clay target at that range, it just puffs some dust off of it. Have killed starling out to 15 yards. Generally, it won't take out a rabbit, the rabbit will run after being hit unless it is a very close shot and to the head. We quit shooting it at rabbits. Good Luck!

[colo native]

Look for a Mossberg Targo.. it is a smooth bore with an adapter for solids as well..

[Rusty]

Remington used to make a pump .22 that had interchangeable barrels you could switch between smoothbore and rifled. I forget the model number but the name "speedmaster" seems to come to mind. In the early 60's IIRC Remington had a whole plan layed out where people who lived in northern climates could go to indoor shooting ranges and shoot .22 shotshell skeet. I guess it never got done.

[encore4me]

Do you have an Encore or Contender? I bet Fox Ridge Outfitters would make a barrel for about $300 any length you want.


Matt

[KCSO]

No emery or a brush wont do the job, any rifiling left will spin the shot charge. I just finished a rifle attachement for a Mossberg smoothbore and have had to shoot a lot of smooth vrs rifled shot loads lately. What you ned to do is get a 224 reamer and using a lot of cutting fluid ream the bore smooth. I'ts not that tough a job, take your time and clean the reamer often reaming 1/2" at a time clean and ream some more.

[2520WHV]

No emery or a brush wont do the job, any rifiling left will spin the shot charge. I just finished a rifle attachement for a Mossberg smoothbore and have had to shoot a lot of smooth vrs rifled shot loads lately. What you ned to do is get a 224 reamer and using a lot of cutting fluid ream the bore smooth. I'ts not that tough a job, take your time and clean the reamer often reaming 1/2" at a time clean and ream some more.

Here fellas......... is your correct answer.

Putting a Rutledge bore in a .22 (after reaming) will probably improves patterns even more and not too difficult although it should be done on a lathe.
I reamed an old military Mossberg one time and killed a lot of Starlings with it hiding behind the haystack when I was crippled up one time years ago.... Patterns were/are vastly improved!

[AmBraCol]

I use shot shells in my Ruger single six, to shoot wood bees, around the house. It works pretty good, but I have been thinking that I would like to have a smooth barrel on a single six for this chore, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out to ream one out. Has anyone tried it?

As mentioned - smoothing out the barrel on a Single Six would be VERY bad from an ATF regulatory point of view. It would matter not to them that it was "just a .22" - it'd be one of those nasty "sawed off shotguns" and worse, it'd be a repeater!!! The Judge series from Taurus and the 45/410 from Thompson Center are "OK" since they have rifled barrels. Do the same thing with a smooth, properly backbored and choked barrel for optimum use with shot and they'd be all over you like stink on a skunk.

[AJMD429]

As mentioned - smoothing out the barrel on a Single Six would be VERY bad from an ATF regulatory point of view. It would matter not to them that it was "just a .22" - it'd be one of those nasty "sawed off shotguns" and worse, it'd be a repeater!!! The Judge series from Taurus and the 45/410 from Thompson Center are "OK" since they have rifled barrels. Do the same thing with a smooth, properly backbored and choked barrel for optimum use with shot and they'd be all over you like stink on a skunk.

If I wanted a 'bee-shooter' pistol, I think I'd just try a 1" barreled revolver like the little 9-shot Taurus DA's, and use the 'capsule' type shot cartridges in .22 LR - You'd not get a 'skeet' pattern, but I'm sure you'd be able to nail bees with it. (just watch your backstop - those little pellets will go right through house siding, or garden hoses )

If you have a .45 Colt, you could try these; I think the shot wouldn't be much affected by the rifling in the larger barrel:

.22 LR/.45 Colt adapters - http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=471503

45 colt to 22 LR.jpg

Of course if you don't have a .45 Colt, you'd have to buy one ("...but Honey, I really need that .45 Colt, to protect the house from carpenter bees..." ). The set of six is a bit pricey though.

Or if you have a .410, and want a longer reach, how about .22 LR/.410 ga adapters - you could reach out a bit more than with the revolver, but not make holes in stuff like a regular .410 would.

.22 LR/.410 adapters - http://www.mcace.com/adapters.htm

(picture shows .30-06 ones I guess, but they DO have .410 ones for $20 including shipping.)