porting a shotgun barrell

[CSA again]

Hello neighbors I need some advice...
I got a cheep 20 gage 18" youth model Rossi shot gun from my BIL. the trouble its so ligth it kicks way to hard. I mean this thing will leave a bruse on ya.
So I want to port the barrell in my drill press I was thinking 5-6 inchs back on the top on the barrell. I wonder what size hole I should drill, how far apart, ect.ect. I gess if the holes were to big small bird shot might fly out the hold...but I would never fire anything less that #4 shot.
Do any of you have a factory ported gun you coulld tell me about, or describe it to me...or better yet a good picture is worth a thousand words. I really would be thankfull to ya.
Or if anyone has ported a barrell and would let me in on the dos and don'ts, or how it worked out, that would be helpful too.

thank you so much
Eddie

[Michael Kawalek]

Oh, that is a VERY bad idea! You do NOT port a barrel by drilling holes in it! An EDM machine is used to cut holes that do not leave turnings sticking inside the barrel.

I have two suggestions for you. Since it is a youth model, it's likely to be rather short for you. You can easily add a thick recoil pad to the stock which will both lengthen it, and absorb recoil. It might lessen the recoil in two ways, first by adding the rubber to absorb recoil, and second by altering the recoil characteristics because the gun fits you better.

Secondly, buy lighter loads for it. When you buy shells, look on the side of the box for the shot charge, and the "drams equivelent" of gunpowder. Pick a 2 dram load instead of 2 and 1/2. Select the 7/8 oz shot charge instead of 1 oz. Avoid the load that state "Heavy Game Load" on the box.

Those are the best ways I think that you'll be able to avoid excessive recoil.
Good luck!

[whatrset]

I agree w Michael. Don't try to port the barrel, too dangerous as you will never get it like a factory port and you may destablelize the barrel. If you want to tweak the gun, do it in the stock, not the barrel. I had one w/the same problem, we poured a lead cylinder (1 lb) and drilled a hole for it in the butt of the stock. Not it is a pound heavier, but has a much reduced kick.

[Stephen in SOKY]

I wouldn't tackle it either, but, if you're set on doing it I can post photos/dimensions of the porting on my Citori Trap if you'd like?

[tyusclan]

Very bad idea.

There's more to porting than just drilling holes in the barrel. If the barrel steel isn't thick enough the holes could weaken it and cause bulging or worse when the gun is shot.

[Ed Norman]

There is probably plenty of meat to install choke tubes, then you get some ported tubes and have at it. http://www.colonialarms.com/ct10.html

If you really have to drill holes, you could clean it up inside with a cylinder brake hone. What can I say, I'm an old wildcatter and experimenter and hate to stop someone's fun.

Wear safety goggles in case it lets loose or directs pellets back at you.

Like others have said, drill a big deep hole in the butt. Fill it with lead. You could either drill a matching hole in a hunk of wood and pour it full of lead, then split the hunk and put the lead in your gun, or you could fill the buttstock with lead shot and pour in glue to hold it in place.

Pachmaye Decelerators work good for easing recoil. So does a jacket.

[Stephen in SOKY]

You are aware how loud that short bbl is going to be if you port it I assume? Even on 32" bbls the noise level to the shooter increases considerably. I've shot trap for 30+ years, and like golfers we tend to try anything to improve our scores. Of the modifications I've had done I may well have seen more recoil reduction from lengthening forcing cones than any other alteration. The pattern improvement was dramatic as well. I run a mercury recoil reducer in my stock, decelerator pad, both bbls ported and LFC. The axis of the bore to your shoulder & light weight are probably your biggest problems.

[backwoodsman]

Ported guns are very rough on your hearing. Alot more options out there for a hard kicking gun. Lighter loads, recoil pads etc. With the louder report you may develop flinching habits also? 20ga shouldnt be kicking too hard anyhow unless your shooting heavy loads?

[Cornhusker]

Get a good muzzle break.

[poorboy]

Originally Posted by backwoodsman

Ported guns are very rough on your hearing. Alot more options out there for a hard kicking gun. Lighter loads, recoil pads etc. With the louder report you may develop flinching habits also? 20ga shouldnt be kicking too hard anyhow unless your shooting heavy loads?

Bwahahahahahahahahahhahahahahah!!!ou nd: I had one of these(youth Rossi"s) Best thing to do with it is to find some pilgrim and trade it off..The 20ga. youth will out kick an old 12 single barrel Stevens by a fer peace..Bought it for the wife she fired it once, I fired it once, fella I knew with a reputation fer being tough fired it once an said "The sumb--ch kicks". glared at me letting me know that he wasn't to happy with me fer gittin him to shoot it..Anybody that would buy a Rossi youth has no knowledge of same whatsoever, and anybody that would expect their kid to use one orter be arrested fer child Abuse... O and this was with the 7/8 promotional lightloads..Rather masterbate a bobcat with a handfull 'o cockle burr's than shoot anutherin!..

[CSA again]

well I'm glad I ask you guys...
I think I will weight the stock and get a recoil pad. I'll not try to port it.
Poorboy you know what I'm talking about when I say it kicks way to hard.
I got a mossberg 590A1 and a mossberg 835 ultramag 12ga. I would rather shoot a box of 3 1/2" OO buck In it than shoot a 2 3/4 buck in that Rossi 20ga.
My BIL told me how hard it kicked and I did not beleave him, but I traded him a flash light for it... and thought I might keep it out in the shed, kinda like a disposable cheep gun.
I hope the weight and pad help or I'm go get my flash light back.... LOL

[poorboy]

Mine went to anuther feller, traded it fer a 12ga. Mossberg pump...The Rossie didna kick with the .22 barrel that came with it...