Filing Down Vented Rib

[sledge]

I bought a new 870 Express a while back with the 26" vented barrel. The rib ends about 2mm back from the tip of the barrel, and it ends abruptly. It is cut square, and those edges catch on everything from gun socks to cleaning rags to gun cases, and have even scraped me a few times too. I want to file it down so it is rounded and doesn't catch on anything. What am I looking at in terms of total effort? Will I have to re-blue the gun, and is that a consuming process? Am I endangering the efficacy and durability of my barrel by filing down the rib? Thanks ahead of time.

[jkingrph]

I just got a new barrel for a Rem 1100 LT20 with vent rib. My rib does not come flush to the end of the barrel, maybe 1-2mm back like you described. The corners and edges of the front end of the rib are slightly rounded and broken, so are not sharp and the corner not pointed.

What I would do is take a fine needle file, or Arkansas stone and break the edges and corners, If you use a file get a tiny piece of very fine w/d sandpaper, like 1500 grit and polish the edges and then degrease and reblue with some touch up cold blue such as Brownells 44-40 or Oxpho.

I think rebluing a barrel with a vent rib is a major job so I would be careful not to scratch or mar the bluing on the actual barrel and only go with touch up. I have done similar things on other guns with good results.

Doing the above would not in any way endanger the durability or efficacy or your barrel.

[sledge]

Very delayed reply from me, but thanks for the info!