Question on first side by side

was selling a side-by side 16 gauge for a friend, when i decided it was too cool to not keep.
I tried some slugs at the range and at 20 yards the right barrel would hit a foot left and the left barrel would hit a foot right. It did this consistently and would hit pretty much the same point of impact. The chokes are full and modified. I am aware that these are not ideal for shooting slugs. I have not tried to pattern the shotgun with traditional shot shells yet. My question is can I have these chokes regulated to be able to shoot slugs reliably and still be able to use the gun as an upland bird gun. Thanks for your time

Does this shotgun have screw in chokes?

Oldschool280 said:

was selling a side-by side 16 gauge for a friend, when i decided it was too cool to not keep.
I tried some slugs at the range and at 20 yards the right barrel would hit a foot left and the left barrel would hit a foot right. It did this consistently and would hit pretty much the same point of impact. The chokes are full and modified. I am aware that these are not ideal for shooting slugs. I have not tried to pattern the shotgun with traditional shot shells yet. My question is can I have these chokes regulated to be able to shoot slugs reliably and still be able to use the gun as an upland bird gun. Thanks for your time

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Slow down, @Oldschool280 before you get yourself hurt or destroy the gun.

Question 1: Who made the gun?

Question 2: What do the proof marks indicate is the correct chamber length?

Question 3: How do you know how it is choked?

Question 4: What slug did you use? How did you decide that was not going to result in the destruction of the gun or your own demise?

Question 5: Have you checked the wall thickness of the gun?

Question 6: Was the gun in America where it can be sold "out of proof" or was it bought recently in Europe where modification without re-proof results in prison sentence for the offender?

I’m no expert on this. But if you want to shoot slugs, buy a dedicated built for shooting slugs gun and immediately stop shooting slugs in this side by side.

Take the side by side out and pattern it with say some 6 shot. If it shoots well and you like it, but it yourself and forget about working on it to shoot slugs. Use it for its intended purpose as a bird gun.

rookhawk said:

Slow down, @Oldschool280 before you get yourself hurt or destroy the gun.

Question 1: Who made the gun?

Question 2: What do the proof marks indicate is the correct chamber length?

Question 3: How do you know how it is choked?

Question 4: What slug did you use? How did you decide that was not going to result in the destruction of the gun or your own demise?

Question 5: Have you checked the wall thickness of the gun?

Question 6: Was the gun in America where it can be sold "out of proof" or was it bought recently in Europe where modification without re-proof results in prison sentence for the offender?

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First and foremost thanx for you interest in safety and reply, the gun is a stevens 530, the chokes on them are typical to barrel length, and easily measured to confirm. Using foster slugs as far as i have researched have never blown up a shotgun with full and modified chokes The gun is clearly marked what it takes regarding shell size. It has proof marks. I make take the advice of another here and use it as was designed. But part of me wants to open the chokes up to improved cylinder.[/QUOTE]

Good to hear you used fosters and are aware of the risks, most are not.

I still don’t know if we can prove how that are choked...a drop in gauge won’t tell you if it was back bored or honed deep.

How about install chokes and have a rifled choke as an option? You could use it as a buck and ball gun? I don’t think you’re going to get two barrel shotgun to regulate those slugs in both barrels easily. Best to focus on success with one barrel.

My interest in SxS shotguns is more along the line of Parkers and Winchesters, so I'm not familiar with Stevens, however if you want to have the barrels modified, the best information is available on the website forums for the "16 gauge society". A gunsmith that the posters refer to as highly qualified is Mike and last name Orlens or something similar to that. A 16 ga is the queen of upland gauges, and is at its best in an open choked SxS, so such a gun as you describe would be very useful, although if I wanted to hunt deer, I'd get a pump shotgun for the slugs.

Ray B said:

My interest in SxS shotguns is more along the line of Parkers and Winchesters, so I'm not familiar with Stevens, however if you want to have the barrels modified, the best information is available on the website forums for the "16 gauge society". A gunsmith that the posters refer to as highly qualified is Mike and last name Orlens or something similar to that. A 16 ga is the queen of upland gauges, and is at its best in an open choked SxS, so such a gun as you describe would be very useful, although if I wanted to hunt deer, I'd get a pump shotgun for the slugs.

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Mike Orlen is indeed a good contact. Mike is a barrel mechanic. He lengthens forcing cones. He opens chambers. He threads muzzles to accept removable chokes. He is a wholesale to the trade guy. You won't get a lot of chit-chat out of him and you'll wait forever to get work done that isn't in his "barrel mechanic" business model. (for barrel mechanic stuff, he can turn it around in a week)

So bottom line, if you're trying to re-regulate the ribs on a double to make it a double-slug-rifle, Mike isn't your guy.

Add to that, the work would exceed the cost of ten stevens shotguns. But if you want a buck-and-ball shotgun with removable chokes where one of the chokes is rifled and you want to drift in a folding rifle sight into the rib so you have one-barrel accurate for slugs, that's a doable situation for a few hundred bucks.

It would be harder to get chokes for 16 ga compared to a 20 or a 12 ga.
I would save the 16 for birds and rabbits and get a 12 or 20 for your slug gun idea.

any work you do to regulate a Stevens 530 to shoot slugs is going to cost much more than the value of the gun itself. I'd suggest patterning your gun with the type of shotshell you plan to use for upland birds. if it patterns OK and the patterns hit where you were aiming, you're doing as well as this gun will ever do for you.