slug gun education needed

[a4beltfed2000]

ok as I looked through the H&R catalog and the barrel accessory program on the website, I have noticed that there are several barrels available for shotguns.


20 ga slug gun barrel with sights
20 ga slug barrel with scope mount.
12 ga slug barrel with sights
12 ga HEAVY BARREL
 10 ga slug barrel.


so I am assuming that the 12 GA slug HEAVY barrel and the 10 GA barrel both go onto the 10 ga receiver, however does the 20 ga barrel with scope mount (which I am assuming is a thicker wall) go onto the 12 receiver and does it require a different forend than the one that comes with the gun, and do all the barrels have the ultragon rifling in them, or is that just the rifled slug barrels with scopes?


thanks
kevin

[Lonegun1894]

I can help with some of those, but not all the questions.  I have a mid/late 90s NEF receiver that was bought new with a 27.5" modified 12ga barrel, and it fits a 12ga tracker 2 barrel I bought off the classifieds some time back.  I also have a 20ga heavy barreled H&R, and the barrels and forearms are completely interchangeable with these two.  So the receivers and forearms are the same between the 12ga light barrel and the 20ga heavy.  Incidentally, these also fit my .44 mag barrel just as well, so that was a very fortunate surprize for me when I first started this addiction.

[bikerbeans]

beltfeed,
 
The 10ga and 12ga USH (heavy contour) slug barrels only fit a SB2 10ga Frame.
 
The 10ga slug barrel is a smoothbore, the others are rifled.
 
THe 20 ga USH (heavy contour) barrel fits a either an SB1 or standard SB2 frame but takes a special forestock.  You could modify a regular forestock to work.
The remaining 12 & 20 ga slug barrels will work with either an SB1 or SB2 frame.
If you buy your barrel on the secondary market then the fitting is on you.  If you buy a barrel from H&R then your receiver must meet their requirements.
 
BB

[Specklebelly]

Let me hijack and ask some questions too.  What is "better", rifled or smooth bore and why?

[bikerbeans]

Let me hijack and ask some questions too.  What is "better", rifled or smooth bore and why?

To paraphrase Slick Willy, what do you mean by better?  A rifled barrel will impart a spin to stabilize the projectile and should be capable of maintaining accuracy to a much greater distance than a smooth bore barrel that works with a nose heavy bullet.  I said should because you gotta find the "right" round to work with your particular rifled slug barrel and some them are very picky about what they digest.
 
BB

[gcrank1]

Slug loads for the smoothies are typically cheaper (some WAY cheaper) than those intended to be shot in rifled bores; ie, sabot loads.
You kind of need to figure how you hunt and your terrain, if its generally close, say, 50yd, and maybe if you and your smoothbored gun/load are good, out to 75ish, but if you have to stretch out farther the rifled can make some impressive groups, albeit for a price.

[45-70.gov]

i like  the option of buck shot


how does it work out of a rifled barrel

[bikerbeans]

i like  the option of buck shot


how does it work out of a rifled barrel

Shot in plastic cup out of a rifled barrel makes a nice expanding donut pattern.  I don't know how buckshot would pattern from a rifled slug barrel so I guess I need to find out.
 
BB