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My wife is awesome

John A.

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I already knew that, but I don't say it enough, so I'm just going to say it again.

My wife is awesome.

I wasn't in the market for another scattergun, but my wife was looking through the classified ads and said there was a shotgun on there if I wanted to see it.

(Pfft, IF I wanted to see it, yeah, that's funny LOL)

Anyway, she read me the specs and told me what it was and I immediately told her I'd take it. She asked do you even want to see it? I said no, and she called the phone number and talked to the guy selling it and I met him this evening to look it over.

Long story short, it was worth the $200 he was asking for it. I didn't even try to talk him down. And he even gave me a box of shells to go with it.

Oh, it's a Winchester 1300 Ranger Deluxe in gloss walnut, 28 inch winchoke vent rib barrel with a Carlson Undertaker choke in it. A few handling rubs on the stock, but otherwise, really good shape.

For giggles, I looked around online and the few that I saw for sale similar to this had a starting price of around $450, and typically not in as good of shape as this one.

Here's what Winchesters website had listed about it: http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/historic-detail.asp?family=012C&mid=512211

I am going to get a standard (non-vent rib) barrel for it to cut down to 18 or 20 inches, tap a hole to put a new bead on it, a +2 mag extension and may get a light and heatshield for the HD barrel setup. That way I'll have both the standard shorter riot barrel, and the hunting barrel that I could swap out too.

I know, pics or it didn't happen

winchester 1300 ranger 001.JPG
winchester 1300 ranger 003.JPG
 
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I cut my teeth learning skeet, sporting clays, and trap with a 1300. Great little shotgun. You can cycle that shotgun faster than most other with or without a lot of practice due to the rotary bolt design. Just pull back on the firearm, fire, the bolt releases and the slide racks back, the shooter then closes the bolt on a live round and repeats. I could run my 1300 faster than my 1400.
 
Great shotgun. A bit trickier to detail strip but a really well designed scattergun. I owned one once and just the act of firing it seemed like I found the action unlocked and the spent shell already ejected without conscious thought. I particularly like the old wood stock set it came with.

Your wife sounds like mine. Great girl you have!
 
Thanks for the compliments Gentlemen.

Yes, I have a great wife.

@nitesite I have another 1300 that I've had for a few years now. Well, I guess you could say I'm in control of it for a while. I gave it to my stepson for Christmas a few years ago. It's one of the early camo painted models.

winchester 1300 pair 001.JPG

I gave my oldest son a Stevens M79 a few years ago that I bought for him the day he was born. When he moved out, I handed it over to him. I guess this newest one will be my youngest sons when he comes of age.

@MikeT I like how the bolt starts to open when you pull the trigger. It's one of my favorite things about this gun.
 
I can do that.

I ordered a 26 inch (standard) barrel that I am going to cut down to 18-20 inches (depending on where the +2 mag extension stops so the mag tube and the muzzle will be the same length).

Then I will drill/tap for a new bead

Then will blue the newly exposed steel, put it together and install the Elzetta light mount, and the heat shield and the limbsaver pad. Pretty basic, except cutting/tapping.

I'm not certain whether I will use a 2" tubing cutter or a metal (band) chop saw to cut to length. I've done both, but to be honest, the tubing cutter always seems to make a nicer (smoother) face.
 
Nice.

I agree a good tubing cutter does a cleaner job.

What are you gonna use for making the crown?

There's a video on you tube where the guy used the brass screw on fitting from the top of a lamp put on a drill and using valve lapping compound.

Came out good.
 
Thanks guys. I hope so.

As long as I can find the center of the barrel to tap for the bead, the rest should fall into place. But drilling is always the part that scares me the most. Nothing more frustrating than sighting down a barrel only to find the bead in the wrong position.

The last time I did this, I used a piece of masking tape to wrap around the area where I was going to cut the barrel (and the tape also helps protect the barrel finish when using a cutter), I unscrewed the factory bead, and ran kite string or dental floss through the hole from the inside and tied a big knot so it won't come out until I want it to) and then run the string to the back of the receiver where I used tape again to hold it in the center of the groove. Much like you would use a chalk line, but without the chalk

The string SHOULD be pretty close to center that way. Then I mark the area over the masking tape where center is, use a center punch where it needs to be, close my eyes and drill baby, drill.

Heck, if I get a wild hair, I may even port the barrel while I'm at it ;)

Any of you guys know an easier or better way to find the center of the barrel for the bead? If you do, I'm all ears. I was serious about that part always scaring me.
 
Try this??? with the barrel in the gun take out the front bead,take a straight edge and lay it on the barrel and with YOUR good eye put a pencil mark where the new bead will go. Eye ball it a few times.

Now drill a small hole about 1" forward of where you are going to cut the barrel. Just place the bead in the over sized hole(no need to tap yet)

Shoulder the gun and make sure the bead is where it should be. If not repeat with the straight edge.

Once you get the sweet spot, measure and drill and tap just behind your final cut.
 
Good advice to drill a few holes in the area forward that will be removed anyway to "test fit".
 
Yes a "test fit".

When I cut the barrel for my friend I did three cuts altogether. First with a hacksaw. Came out like crap. Bought a cheap metal blade for my miter saw,just as bad and a lot of heat. I picked up a tube/pipe cutter and went nice and slow and it came out nice. Finished it off with some filling and emory.
I didn't worry about the bead BC he didn't want one. He finished it with black paint. Nice HD gun, nothing fancy, but goes boom.;)
 
Another way to FIND center of barrel,,,,

Put barrel in vise vertical,
Plumb it up with a level,
Put a string in the old bead hole hanging on the outside with a small weight on it,
String will be STRAIGHT on the barrel,
Mark for new bead hole.
 
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