May I have some help......Please.

Bob Mc Alice · Post by **Bob Mc Alice** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:40 pm

I know this has nothing to do with silhouette, but I know there is enough experiance, knowledge and talent in this group to figure this out.

A friend of mine (he is 84 years old) decided to make a home (apartment) defence weapon for himself. He took his JC Higgens Model 60 semi auto 12 gauge shotgun and crudely cut the barrel to 18 1/4 inches. He gave it to me to look at because it would not work any more. It was made by Hi Standard in 1953. What a shame, the condition was too good to butcher like he did.
I tore it down for a good cleaning, reassembled and grabbed a fist full of Winchester field loads to test it . Sure enough , it would not eject on firing. A cleaning rod easily pushed out the empty. The extractor is sharp, it can be manually cycled to feed and eject rounds.

The barrel ends only nine inches past the gas bleed ports. My thoughts are there is not enough barrel left to generate the needed pressure to actuate the piston movement.

I think he made himself a fine single shot bad guy blaster.

Any thoughts ??

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:40 pm

Sounds like you called it right, but let one of the resident gunsmiths answer. Should have traded it for an 870 Express...

Fick_2141 · Post by **Fick_2141** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:16 am

He has altered a gas opperated shotgun. There is not enough port pressure to opperate. You should be able to enlarge the gas port in the barrel until it functions. This had to be done on M1 Garands when they were converted to 7.62 NATO by the italians.
I would go up in size very small amounts, until it cycles.

Bob Mc Alice · Post by **Bob Mc Alice** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:36 pm

Thanks Fick. There are three .050 diameter holes with about a .100 C/C spacing in a radial pattern in the piston cup. Not much to work with in an attempt to open them. I might be able to add more.....but.

I can see me down at the gravel pit with a cordless and a selection of drills trying to make it function. I found a replacement barrel at Gunparts for $88.00 and will install and return it to him.

I suggested he spring for a coach gun double or a short barrel pump.

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:21 pm

Bob,
What we can do with a hack saw and little knowledge, but lots of thoughts.
Good luck.
Mary

mordecai · Post by **mordecai** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:47 pm

Assuming this is a gas-actuated shotgun, the only two things you can do are enlarge the gas port(s)/add gas ports OR increase the dwell time (add barrel back with some sort of attachment, like a door breacher or similar hangy-offy device).

I suspect one "could" try heavier loads as well to increase the port pressure but that's a longer shot.

Bob Mc Alice · Post by **Bob Mc Alice** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:35 pm

How about a grenade launcher. That would be a messy burglar clean up.

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:22 pm

That would be a messy burglar clean up.

Yes, but there would be only one side to the story told to law enforcement.

Innocent

Eric-WD · Post by **Eric-WD** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:10 pm

Innocent wrote:
That would be a messy burglar clean up.
Yes, but there would be only one side to the story told to law enforcement.

Innocent

Thats what I like about buckshot and a 12 guage, generaly only one story no matter what. (either he hears it rack and leaves the area or its one of the last things he hears)

Eric

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:47 pm

Eric-WD wrote: Thats what I like about buckshot and a 12 guage, generaly only one story no matter what. (either he hears it rack and leaves the area or its one of the last things he hears)

Eric

Pump shot guns and semi-auto pistols. Even if you've never heard one load, people instantly know it's time to do something else, somewhere else.