My Remchester 8700

[jmr40]

This started out as a pawnshop find a couple of years ago. A Winchester 1300, probably from the 80's or 90's. It was cheap and I decided to bring it home. I fired it a few times to ensure function and almost forgot about it in the back of the safe.

I decided to take it squirrel hunting a couple of weeks ago and in bright light I could detect a slight bulge in the barrel. It appears the aftermarket choke tube was defective. There was a slight lip where the tube ended, and it was pushing the shot to one side. A different tube looked fine, but the damage was already done.

So much for my cheap knock around gun. My initial thought was to just cut the barrel myself and make a HD shotgun out of it. But decided to talk to a gunsmith. For $150 he cut and re-threaded the barrel. And since I have a box full of Remington factory tubes and it was just as easy to thread it for Remington as Winchester that is the way I went.

Since it was being cut I went for 22". They made some that length designed for turkey. I have longer barreled guns for wing and clay shooting. This is going to be a good turkey, squirrel, rabbit and even HD shotgun at that length. Weight is 6 3/4 lbs. Thats close to a lot of 20 gauges.

It ended up not being as cheap as I'd hoped, but I still have only $350 in my "Custom" shotgun.

 

[Cvans]

Being a lover of shorter barreled guns I think your going to really like that combination.

 

[lemaymiami]

That's a good looking weapon... In my case most of my duty years I was using a standard riot gun (either Mossberg or Remington - long before "police" models came along.. ). All of them had standard 18" barrels. My favorite shotgun for police work only came along a few years later as I moved up in rank above patrolman... It was a standard Wingmaster - but with a 20" barrel. My point is that yes, there are standards -- but what fits your usage best will be the shotgun you won't part with if at all possible. In my case an offer to buy that weapon when I retired out... just wasn't allowed (although I was allowed to purchase the original sidearm I was issued, the last week of 1973, a model ten heavy barrel S&W...

 

[e rex]

Don't count it out for pheasant hunting until you try it. That is a good weight to carry through the fields and 22" will work just fine.

 

[jmr40]

The "standard" length of 28" has always seemed too long for me. I've always sought out guns with 26" barrels and have an older Benelli M1 with a 24" barrel. For long range passing shots when waterfowl or dove hunting a longer barrel is an asset. I get that.

But I rarely hunt that way. Even when I was into duck hunting pretty seriously it was on beaver ponds. Shots were close, fast, and often coming right at me. A light, quick handling gun is better suited for what I do.

And while a shotgun is part of my HD plan I've never cared much for the traditional fighting guns. For years I had a 20" slug barrel with iron sights on my 870. But I swapped it for one of the 21" turkey barrels that takes choke tubes. I can still keep slugs on a paper plate at 50 yards with just the bead and having the ability to use different tubes tightened up buckshot patterns.

I don't have a photo of it, but my 21" barreled 870 is very similar looking to this Winchester. The steel 870 is a full pound heavier though.

 

[Riomouse911]

Great way to rescue the gun and give it a new lease on life.

I am starting to like the 22-24 inch semi or pump as a regular field shotgun idea. I have a 22” BPS 20 ga and it carries like a dream. I guess that since they’re about as long as a 28” O/U, the shorter barrel swings ok enough for me (I do admit that I follow through better with a 28” ). Your 1300 will be a dream to carry in the quail or pheasant meadows.

(Center BPS is the 22” 20 ga, sandwiched between a 28” 16 and 28” 28 ga.)



Again, nice job with the rescue .

Stay safe.

 

[DustyGmt]

This started out as a pawnshop find a couple of years ago. A Winchester 1300, probably from the 80's or 90's. It was cheap and I decided to bring it home. I fired it a few times to ensure function and almost forgot about it in the back of the safe.

I decided to take it squirrel hunting a couple of weeks ago and in bright light I could detect a slight bulge in the barrel. It appears the aftermarket choke tube was defective. There was a slight lip where the tube ended, and it was pushing the shot to one side. A different tube looked fine, but the damage was already done.

So much for my cheap knock around gun. My initial thought was to just cut the barrel myself and make a HD shotgun out of it. But decided to talk to a gunsmith. For $150 he cut and re-threaded the barrel. And since I have a box full of Remington factory tubes and it was just as easy to thread it for Remington as Winchester that is the way I went.
View attachment 1130821
Since it was being cut I went for 22". They made some that length designed for turkey. I have longer barreled guns for wing and clay shooting. This is going to be a good turkey, squirrel, rabbit and even HD shotgun at that length. Weight is 6 3/4 lbs. Thats close to a lot of 20 gauges.

It ended up not being as cheap as I'd hoped, but I still have only $350 in my "Custom" shotgun.

$150, ouch. Not saying you got taken or anything like that, skilled labor is costly it just hurts when you consider you can buy a nice used shotgun for around that price is all. I was curious about approximate cost to have a barrel threaded for a choke and expected around $100 or so.

 

[jmr40]

There aren't any $150 used shotguns around here I'd want. Maybe an old break action single shot. I could have gotten it done for $125, but would have had to ship the gun off. It was well worth $150 to get it done locally.

 

[DustyGmt]

Sharp looking gun.

 

[lemaymiami]

Noted that someone pointed out that an 870 was a pound heavier than the shotgun they preferred and that’s a fair point. HD usage though is not the same as carrying a shotgun in the field all day… That home defense weapon will mostly sit unless you’re training with it or actually needing it for its intended purpose.. Kept where it’s handy, loaded up and ready to go with the chamber empty and locked - then say a prayer that it’s never needed.

 

[jmr40]

I have a very similarly equipped 870 that is one of my HD shotguns. The Winchester is a full pound lighter and you know it when you pull the trigger with heavy loads. I envision it as more of a hunting gun where weight is a concern. Of course it is versatile enough to fill a HD role if necessary.