870 deer barrel question...
 

I got this 870 several years ago for christmas. I can't find any of the info on it. Im curious if the barrel is rifled or not. Should I be able to see the rifling if I look down the barrel? I took the barrel off and held it up to the light and I couldnt see any rifling. But im just not sure that i should be able to or not.

Thanks

RE: 870 deer barrel question...
 

Yes, you should be able to see the rifling. You should be able to feel it as well if you put your finger in the end and feal around. Actually the rifling should extend all the way to the crown.

It should say somewhere on the barrel any way. Or it will say what size choke it has. If it has screw in chokes it is not rifled. I would also think it would have rifle sights on it if it was rifled. That is not a for sure thing, but in most cases it is true.

Paul

RE: 870 deer barrel question...
 

Yeah, the only shotguns I have seen rifle sights on them but aren't rifled barrels are the police shotguns.

In most cases, if there is a cantilever scope mount on the barrel it is rifled. An exception to that is I have a Remington 11-87 with a smooth bore barrel and a cantilever scope mount. That barrel was intended to be used with a rifled choke, which it has. I was thinking about using it for turkeys because bird shot has been shot out of it and has patterned extremely well.

It does say "FULLY RIFLED" on rifled shotgun barrels.

There is a reason behind the name "smooth bore" if anyone hasn't noticed. It is because the bore of the barrel is...well smooth, no rifling. How is a bullet or slug going to get the spin it needs from a rifled barrel if there is no rifling/grooving to get it from?

Was the gun intended for slugs or you don't know? Did the person know exactly what they were buying you andyes I know a shotgun, but did they know what it was designed to do?

RE: 870 deer barrel question...
 

Well, the barrel doesnt say Rifled on it that I can find. The barrel, looks and feels smooth. It does have sights on it. It is called "Deer barrel" It was bought probably 10 years ago or so.

But I didnt know if 10 years ago the deer barrels were smooth and they didnt start rifling them till recently.

RE: 870 deer barrel question...
 

Many years ago "lots" of bbls were made with sights, but were "smooth bores". I've seen them, sold them ect....

Drilling Man

RE: 870 deer barrel question...
 

I have an 870 smoothbore deer bbl with rifled sights. Accurate to 2 inches out to 100 yds. with Federal 2 3/4" rifled slugs. Bgt it about 1989.

RE: 870 deer barrel question...
 

thanks for the replies. I think Im gonna try the federal tru ball slugs.

RE: 870 deer barrel question...
 

Yep, some of those older deer barrels had smooth bores with no choke and sights.