cutting a shotgun barrel with a pipe cuter

[DAVE BEVENS]

What do you guys think I have a saiga to cut down. any tricks. As always any help would be great.

Thanks Dave

[Gunny71]

I don't see why it would not work, just make sure you have good cutting wheels on it and go really, really slow. If you crank down on the cutter much it will deform the end of the barrel. Pipe cutters do not really remove much metal, they kinda compress it out of the way and most of the time leave a slight deformation or lip on both the ID and OD of the pipe. Nothing a good file won't fix.

[Para Driver]

IMHO this is a big NO-NO.. as mentioned the pipe cutters can squeeze the barrel and create a restriction.. and possible a KB.. hacksaw or dremel wheel would probably be better.. you're still going to have to clean up the cut and reblue the end anyway..

[ggiilliiee]

hacksaw or sawzall would be your best bet ..then square it with a file and a t square ...abrasive cuts are usually hot and turn blue tempering goes away at that point ...
remember depending on the gas system on a semi auto ...it may seriously affect cycling (not enough gas supply

[renaissance_warrior]

A pipe cutter cuts by compression. You will be giving yourself a choke of indeterminate opening. Not a good idea at all. I would suggest The finest cut hacksaw with a mitre box and call it good. Just deburr the cuts witn a generous application first of steel wool, then some 220 grit wet sanding paper with water, then crocus cloth. Blue as desired. That would be my route.

Chokes are engineered devices. A pipe cutter would and will give you a 'curl' that you really don't want at the end of barrel. HTH,

Mark

[Conju]

THE #1 thing you MUST remember before cutting the barrel on your saiga is that you will almost assuredly need to adjust your gas system, if you are unsure on how to do this, i would suggest either contracting the work to someone who knows the gun (tony at tromix does great work) or reading over at the saiga-12 forum.

[dougjones31]

You can add a Rem-choke and see if it adds gas pressure instead of taking the gas block off and opening up the gas ports.

But it you have to take the gas port off...... Just remove the two pins from the gas block and press it off. Add a fourth gas port if possible (.076) then press the block back on and drive in the two pins. Then tap the block left/right to align it at top dead center. The two cross pins don't provide much, if any, rotational control, so you will need to align the block even if the cross pins go in fine.


The gas port sizes are the same on the 3(22" barrel) and 4(18" barrel) port guns. The early ones were all .073", but the ones I am seeing now are .076". On an 18" gun, I would use 4ea .076" holes and rock them back at a angle a bit more then the factory angle.

There are two different hole patterns on the 3 port guns. If you are lucky, your gun will have the 4 port pattern, but be missing the top hole. If you have 3 ports spaced pefectly centered around the gas block hole, then there is really no room to add a 4th hole.


If that is the case.....then 4 x .076 = .304 / 3 = .101

Just open up the 3 holes that are there to .101" and angle them back a little more.

BUUUUUUT don't cut the barrel with a pipe cutter. Use a hack saw.

[Dark Horse]

Don't do it. Pipe cutters are displacement cutters, the Burr they leave will be a royal pain to remove evenly. Go with a fine hacksaw as a previous poster mentioned

Jim

[DAVE BEVENS]

Thank you guys for all your input this helps. I looked at my gas ports I have the 3 hole v pattern looks like room for the 4th hole. Any tricks for pressing of the gas block. Like driving the pins LT to RT or RT to LT ??? The barrel is the last thing to do. I've got the stock done. Working on PG and trigger guard. I was thinking of putting HK sights on it. I was also thinking something like a krink cover and make it pivot where the rear sight dove tail is??? Also does the BHO work well when you put a PG on. I worry my big hands will bump it when shooting???

Thanks so much guys Dave

[dougjones31]

Nothing special...pretty straight forward. Big hands might cause a problem with the BHO, but you will have to test it for yourself. You can remove,move, or redesign the button if it does give you a problem. BHO is not needed anyway.

[LRRP-87]

Originally posted by DAVE BEVENS
Thank you guys for all your input this helps. I looked at my gas ports I have the 3 hole v pattern looks like room for the 4th hole. Any tricks for pressing of the gas block. Like driving the pins LT to RT or RT to LT ??? The barrel is the last thing to do. I've got the stock done. Working on PG and trigger guard. I was thinking of putting HK sights on it. I was also thinking something like a krink cover and make it pivot where the rear sight dove tail is??? Also does the BHO work well when you put a PG on. I worry my big hands will bump it when shooting???

Thanks so much guys Dave

I'm 6'4"and1/2 with giant hands, and have a pistol grip with the BHO; I've had no problems whatsoever with it.

[DAVE BEVENS]

Thanks for the input I think I will use it I'm about half way done.

Thanks Dave

[rdixiemiller]

I hate to disagree with many of you, but I have cut dozens of shotgun barrels with a pipe cutter. It leaves a burr, so I remove it it with a scraper type deburring tool. I also have a pipe cutter that is modified with 3 rollers instead of 2 rollers and a cutter. I use it to swage in some choke when shortening a barrel. I mike the ID, then swage the barrel down in .010" increments until I get the pattern I need. I have done this on piles of single shots, and quite a few repeaters that do not have the barrel wall thickness to install Tru-Chokes or Rem-Chokes. I can also do it this way much cheaper than machining the barrel for tubes, which for some people is a critical thing.
If you are careful, you don't have anything to worry about.
Just my $.02 worth, your mileage may vary.