New to me 1911sce smooth bore?

[sticknstring]

So, this is my second 1911 my other is a ruger commander and I like it a lot. I just got the s&w this morning and while cleaning it to get it ready for a range trip I notice the bore is smooth with no rifling! How the heck can this work? Do these barrels shoot cast lead bullets well? My first groups were in the 3 inch range at 15 yards, not what I'm used to but it was only 2 loads, my 200 gr cast loads for my other 1911 and hornady 185 xtp zombie loads. I've never seen a pistol barrel with no rifling. Not sure how these barrels can work?

 

[Badquaker]

pic please. No rifling at all? That's one that needs to go back.

My sw1911pd had a defective barrel. The rifling was damaged about 1/3 of the way up the barrel.

mine....S&W replaced it

 

[sticknstring]

Yes, no rifling at all! It looks like a choked .410 barrel! I'm out of town this weekend but I'll get some Monday.

 

[murphydog]

Be sure to have this fixed ASAP and keep it secure and unfired, as I think you now have a short-barreled shotgun. Someone here will correct me if I am wrong.

 

[HCH]

I wouldn't expect that on a $1,400 handgun. Is a smooth bore pistol even legal?

 

[sticknstring]

Here is a new photo of my smooth bore, hope it appears

 

[Badquaker]

yikes..... send a request to s&w, that has to go back.

I can't imagine how something like that gets out the door.

 

[sticknstring]

Me neither, it looks exactly like a shotgun barrel, you can even see what looks like a choke restriction but no rifling whatsoever. Maybe someone at the factory was playing around with a barrel to shoot shot shells?

 

[MichiganScott]

It happens and it slips by inspection. A friend of mine bought an AR that didn't have any of those funny spirally things in the bore either.

 

[sticknstring]

That must be what happened. I'd like to think s&w would just require the barrel be set back in lieu of the whole dang gun. I'm really not angry about it, but I'm sure a rifled barrel would be more accurate.

 

[Autococker07]

I wouldn't expect that on a $1,400 handgun. Is a smooth bore pistol even legal?

No it is not, BUT this is obviously an oversight, yet a rather large one.... chalk a few up for test firing anyone?

 

[KFrameFan]

Good time to buy some .45 ACP shotshells?

Really though that is a bummer...

 

[Rock185]

Were it mine, I would not shoot it. Though not your fault, you are now in possession of an illegal short barreled shotgun. This is not just a technical/mechanical/quality control problem. This is a serious legal problem, as in Federal felony. I would document this in an email to S&W RIGHT NOW and follow up with a phone call. S&W will email you a prepaid shipping label to send the gun back. They will take care of it at N/C to you...

 

[raidersrule]

Were it mine, I would not shoot it. Though not your fault, you are now in possession of an illegal short barreled shotgun. This is not just a technical/mechanical/quality control problem. This is a serious legal problem, as in Federal felony. I would document this in an email to S&W RIGHT NOW and follow up with a phone call. S&W will email you a prepaid shipping label to send the gun back. They will take care of it at N/C to you...

I don't think this falls under SBS regulation because the firearm was neither designed nor redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell....

I would send it back immediately, though.

 

[Rock185]

raiders, good point sir. I guess we could debate whether or not a .45 ACP shotshell is a shotgun shell. For me though, I would not care to debate the issue with representatives of a BATFE under the control of the present Attorney General...ymmv

 

[raidersrule]

raiders, good point sir. I guess we could debate whether or not a .45 ACP shotshell is a shotgun shell. For me though, I would not care to debate the issue with representatives of a BATFE under the control of the present Attorney General...ymmv

Rock, if we agree on one thing it's that meeting someone from the BATFE when they have questions would be a highly unpleasant ordeal.

 

[eveled]

Did you scrub it really well? I have seen lead fouling that made a .22 look like a smooth bore. You bought it used, who knows what the other guy was shooting during the ammo shortage.

 

[HKSmith]

Was there evidence of bullet tumbling on your targets? If there was truly no rifling, I would expect to see some of the bullets going through the target sideways.

A smooth bore pistol is designated as Any Other Weapon, not as a Short Barreled Shotgun (SBS), for NFA purposes. It still requires registration, but the tax is only $5.00 instead of $200.00. A SBS is a shotgun originally manufactured with a buttstock that has a barrel less than 18 inches or an overall length less than 26 inches.

Either way, I'd get on record with S&W ASAP and get this gun back to them and fixed.

 

[Tracer_Bullet]

That must be what happened. I'd like to think s&w would just require the barrel be set back in lieu of the whole dang gun. I'm really not angry about it, but I'm sure a rifled barrel would be more accurate.

They will need the whole gun to properly fit a new barrel.

 

[sticknstring]

Here is one more pic just for clarity, the bullet on the left was fired from my 1911 ruger. the one on the right was fired from my s&w. It will go back to them asap.