My Christmas present this year was a JC Higgins Model 20 pump-shotgun, which we got specifically to shorten as a slug/defensive shotgun. So- tonight's project- shortening the barrel to 18.5 inches, fabricate and mount a front sight.
The ATF measures shotgun barrel length from the breech-face, so I inserted a dowel until it was in contact with the breech-face and marked the end of the barrel on it. Removing the dowel I measured just over 18.5 inches and marked the barrel by matching the OAL mark to the muzzle and then transferring the mark at 18.5 inches to the barrel. I checked about three times before I actually cut metal.
I stuffed a tightly rolled paper towel wetted with gun oil into the barrel to approximately where I would be cutting to catch any metal fragments. I carefully sawed the barrel off on the bandsaw, then squared it up on the Bader belt grinder using a machinists angle. I polished the crown, then removed the paper towel.
Next I got a piece of 1/2-inch mild steel, marked the centerline and the height I wanted (.6 inches) and ground each side on a 5/8-inch contact wheel to produce the sight-blade. I cut it off the bar, trued-up the bottom then mounted it in the vice and using a large round-file matched the bottom of the sight to the contour of the barrel. Then I ground the profile I wanted for the sight-blade and polished the finished sight.
Placing the shotgun in a padded vice I attached a large, powerful magnet to the end of the barrel and the vice- this held the sight in position for me to silver-solder it in place. I roughed up the surface of the barrel slightly where the sight would be placed, coated it in flux, coated the bottom of the sight with flux and placed a very thin piece of solder between them. I carefully heated the barrel and sight until the solder flowed. The magnetic field pulled it tight to the barrel, and I just had to brush away the excess. I let it cool then cleaned the sight and muzzle thoroughly with acetone to remove the residue of the flux.
I carefully removed the excess soldier with needle files, then blued the sight and muzzle crown. I finished by thoroughly cleaning the gun. Elapsed time- approx. 2 hours.
Now I have to figure out the adjustable rear sight, but that's a project for another evening... or two.
JC Higgins conversion project begins
1"Aim for their foil beanies! It's the only way to be sure..."
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