870 Shotgun barrel

[Strativarius]

So I recently inherited a couple of old shotguns from my uncle.

One is a Savage Model 720 (I think) from the 40s. Not sure what I'll do with that one.
The other is an 870 Wingmaster with a 30" barrel. The folks at Remington dated the serial number to 1955. I am in love with this shotgun. Its a beautiful old thing, but in decent shape. I've been cleaning them up and making sure they are good to go for a day at the range.

Here's my question though: I would like to possibly put a shorter barrel on the 870 and use it for HD. I don't do alot of bird hunting or clays, and the 30" barrel is just a tad bit unwieldy in la casa.

So where's the best place to find an 18" barrel for a decent price? Do I need to get a Remington barrel, or do one of the off brands work just as well?

Are there compatibility problems with barrels due to it being an old model?

I realize some people will say to just leave it in its current state, and I just might. Just doing some brainstorming

Thanks!

[bensdad]

I think Hastings makes bbls for it. You can always get a Rem. bbl. And an 870 is an 870 AFAIK. Mine is from the mid 70's and my wife's is from the late 90's. Those bbls are interchangeable. Now that I think about it, my Hastings bbl (it's on her 870) is a rifled unit.

[LumberZach]

I have been looking for a used 870 barrel to chop down for HD duties, but I have not been having such great luck. Try ordering I suppose somewhere. Best of luck to you, wingmasters are very cool guns!

[BBeckwith]

best bet I have had for used barrels is Frontiersman. I have picked up 3 used barrels from them in the 18"-21" range. They don't always have one, but if you check on a fairly regular basis you can find them sub $125 and occasionally sub $100. I'm sure other stores are good as well Frontiersman is just my go to place.

[rockcreek]

Mossberg makes an 18" barrel for the 870 for under $100. Won't have a sticky chamber either.

[JustMe]

MidwayUSA sells the Mossberg made barrel at a discount from time to time. They also sell the Remington factory barrels as well, though it is infrequent that they have them on sale.
You may want to check the following sites online:
http://barrelexchange.com/ (I didn't see any barrels at a decent price in the length your looking for).

http://corsonsbarrels.com/ (2-3 barrels, but overpriced IMO).

You may want to check the two sites to see if prices change.