I'm looking for advice from the shotgun experts out there. I have a Mossberg 500 20 gauge with ribbed barrel and choke. If I remove the choke will I be able to safely fire rifled slugs? Or if I replace the barrel with a rifled barrel will I only be able to shoot slugs? I appreciate your guidance.

Replace the choke with a cylinder or improved cylinder choke tube for best results. It likely has a modified tube already in it if it is one of their standard models that only come with just the choke tube already installed- which is safe to shoot slugs through, but likely not as accurate as an improved cylinder tube. Do not shoot it with the choke tube removed, as the threads will fill with debris from burned powder, lead, etc. and it will no longer be able to be reinstalled all the way down to where it mates with the bore. There used to be companies that made paradox (rifled) choke tubes for shotguns, but I've never seen one in 20 bore- doesn't mean that they don't, and some people have had decent results with them.

Secondly, take a large paperclip and straighten it, putting a very small "L" at one end so you can take it and feel where the choke tube mates with the bore to be perfectly certain that it is installed all the way and bottomed out- which helps prevent the threads being filled with debris.

Rifled barrels are pretty much good for slugs only. If you shoot any regular shell through the rifled barrel, it will have no consistency in pattern and be ineffective except at very, very close range. It wouldn't hurt the rifled barrel though.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

When you say choke, what do you mean?

Refers to the removable constriction at the end of the shotgun barrel, different constrictions for different shot patterns.

To the OP, you might like a smooth bore "slug barrel" with rifle sights.

They are available for that gun and will shoot shot rounds as well, but with a rather open pattern due to cylinder bore.

I also wondered what he meant by "choke".

I have several guns with "non-removable" chokes. Mostly Modified. A couple of Full. A couple of Improved Cylinder.

My little brother's shotgun has a poly-choke. Also not removable, but able to have the constriction changed.

And I have one gun with interchangeable, removable, screw-in chokes.

So, in my opinion, before advice can be given, need to know "When you say 'choke', what do you mean?"

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I always take precautions

Actually slugs are made to shoot through any constriction choke, even a full, due to less than knowledgeable people amongst us. If the gun has a removable choke, replace it with a cylinder, skeet, or even a rifled tube.

Thank you all. I looked at the Mossberg site, which I should have done to begin with and they have a smooth bore barrel with rifle sights available. I'll probably get one. Thanks again. BTW the choke is screw in type.

You can shoot slugs, just use one of your more open chokes, such as skeet or improved. Firing shot through a rifled barrel does not work well.

One thing that has been missed is there are 2 styles of slugs, these days.
The old, original style is called a "Foster" style slug. It is all lead, soft, rifled, and intended for smooth shotgun barrels. That's what you can shoot in what you have, effectively.

The newer, more expensive, slugs are Sabot slugs. They have a plastic sabot around a smaller projectile. They are intended for rifled barrels. They need the spin to stabilize and fly correctly. You will be "peeing into the wind" using these in your current barrel. They won't group well and cost a LOT doing it.

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War Eagle! '10 BCS & '13 SEC