Today I received my APPROVED Form 1 from the ATF for the 10" 1100. 17 days after submission.
The 2nd quickest approval I have received with 14 days being the quickest just over a month ago.
This is an ambitious project going well beyond what is considered a really short 1100 Remington.
There is some serious gun altering changes coming at me, if I can even make them all happen.
One of those changes will require a talanted gunsmith to achieve.

The candidate is a Sportsman, black polymer, vent rib, 2 3/4 inch only, chambered gun. No 3" chamber.
I acquired 3 SpeedFeed youth 1100 buttstocks and one will be utilized on this project. No factory buttpads for this stock available.
The SpeedFeed youth stocks are a good deal shorter than a standard 1100 buttstock coming in at 11.25 inches, just for the stock, no buttpad
Overall LOP will be around 12.5 inches when complete, pretty short, but that is the theme of this project.
The furniture may remain polymer or, it could be a nice modified Remington wood, or even something else I create.
I welcome any comments, suggestions, advice, or?

Here is the candidate with the short stock for comparison.


This pic showing where the barrel length will end up. Blue tape marking the 10" barrel length.

Why are you going so short?  Why not just cut it off flush with the magazine tube end cap?  Get ready for some cycling issues...

A grind-to-fit pad from KickEez can solve your recoil pad issue.

Does the 1100 depend on backpressure to run the action or is it all recoil?

What is the point of going shorter than the magazine or does that get cut down also?

IM curious too.

Why not go flush with the tube and try that out? See if it scratches your itch and less money spent on smithing.

The 1100 is gas operated, and needs some dwell time to build enough gas pressure to cycle the action.  Cutting the barrel dramatically short will massively decrease the dwell time, which will decrease the gas pressure significantly.   Unless the OP plans on having the gas ports drilled out and increased in size, he is going to have cycling issues.  It will most likely never run bird shot, and even heavier 00 loads will likely have issues.  


If it were my SBS, I'd start chopping the barrel an inch or more above flush with the mag tube cap, and then see how it runs.  Then chop it flush, see how it runs.  But I don't think I'd go shorter than that.  Unless his plan is to thread the barrel for a choke tube standoff device, like the Carlson's Breacher choke, I don't see a good reason to go shorter than flush with the mag tube cap.

It's easy to amend a Form 1...just send a letter to ATF when you're done with the modifications to update the final OAL and barrel length.

Look forward to seeing it. Don’t think I’ve seen a 1100 cut that short.

Attached File

1100s are my Jam!!

I’m excited for your project can’t wait to see how she turns out. If you have to adjust gas take her easy. I cut mine for chokes seems to run alright unless running something super soft.

When you short barrel with atf,  is it just "shorter than 16/18," or do you have to give them an exact length?

See if I can cover most of the questions and comments.
I did a 14" 1100 about 10 years ago. That gun was intended to run 3 dram loads.
That equates to 1200 FPS, 1 1/8oz shot load. It runs them with great reliability.
I run 1oz slugs of the same 3 dram powder charge thru it most every time out, again without issue
I did not drill out the factory ports. The barrel on the gun was a magnum barrel which came with a single port.
I added the second port of the same size which makes it a standard barrel. Same size ports.
All I did was hand file the rough edges and polish and smoothe the ports with a fine needle file.
The polishing of the ports really extends any port cleaning interval. Running clean burning shells helps as well
So here it is in current form.



So why an extreme short barreled 1100? Because it might be the only one on the planet and I like the challange.
This project involves a lot more than just opening up the ports and cutting off the barrel.
I will go into those steps as the project moves forward.
I have more SBS's than I can count on my fingers and toes. Some are simple to do, some are not.
Like the 8.5 inch VR80 and the now in process 7" VR80 that I have on this forum. More than fun to build, fun to shoot, and even better, the challange to make them run reliably.
The cost of this project will be a little bit higher because of relying on a talanted experienced gunsmith to perform one of the tasks. Yet to be found.
I've not done this before and I don't want to spoil a very nice barrel if I don't succeed.
As you can see in the pictures, there will be cosmetics and the function to work together.
Hand guard, way too long, will be too narrow because of barrel taper. Easy to solve in polymer, more dificult in wood, and then the last option.
My passion is short barreled 12 gauge shotguns. Semi autos. I don't own a pump. I have 1 over/under, 8.5" long, and I have a nice unsingle combo trap gun. 34" barrel.
I want to learn from what I do. I will share info on this forum as I move on with this project.
This forum has a ton of beautiful short barreled shotguns on it and I have been inspired by the creativity and ideas I've seen. Kudos to all.
I don't have the finished design as to how this will end up looking but I will tell you that I intend it to be a functioning and reliable firearm.
On another note. I gave this project a lot of thought about what the 1100 owners would think of cutting up, modifying, completely changing, what the 1100 is and has been.
So stay tuned folks as I push on thru this fun and challanging project. Keep the comments coming, ideas as well.

My 1100 eats everything with an 18” barrel.  The mag tube is just as long.
I guess a SBS is fun but…

Definitely sexy op. Looks great.

Let us know how it shoots.

@Gunnie357
You don't see the straight stocked 1100 very often. They are so unique. Don't think Remington made very many of them. Quite rare I'd say
I like it. I'm an 1100 fan as well. I own 7 of them and love them all. They never fail. Just keep them reasonably clean and a drop or two of oil and your done.
I have one that is quite different. Its pistol gripped. Well aren't they all (except yours). Mine has no buttstock either! Very unique and different 1100.
Now that I brought it up, I better post a pic or two so members don't think I'm smoking something.
I'm in the process of doing some kind of re-finish as I worked it to the function/reliability level and jumped on something else. She deserves to be completed.
I'll come back in a bit with some pics and a detail or two.

They didn’t make many at all they were intended to get a jump into the upland bird market were most wanted an English double. I kept my 23”? Factory barrel as standard.

A pistol grip only 1100? I thought from memory the 1100 used a spring and tube in the stock how does it work? For instance a SGa won’t work because of the recoil assembly.

@Gunnie357
My 1100 pistol gripped shotty. 22.5" barrel, 32" overall, 8 rounds, and nearly 8 lbs. Fun, soft shooting, 1100 Remington rarity.
Personally, I think the KooL factor is up there with this one.
A 12" version would put the muzzle about a 1/2 inch in front of the handguard. About 22" overall.
If you look at the tail of the pistol grip, you can see the hole for the grip mounting screw, in the action spring mounting boss.

So where is the recoil assembly very intriguing

Did the 1100’s ever have a short tube like the 870’s? Special Field maybe? I always thought it was a much better length for the short barreled guns. I think Scattergun Technologies did some Witness Protection guns in that configuration.

This Remington started out as a regular 1100 that was not very well taken care of.
Lots of scratches on the receiver sides and some also on the top/sides.
I picked up the gun at a pawn shop for a pretty reasonable price. (think low)
I bought it because of my passion for the 1100. Really didn't need another one.
She had a standard length action spring and tube.
My desire to have something not everyone could have took me down this path.
This is actually one of my first 1100 projects. Also it was quite difficult.
There is a lot of hours in this one. Sleepless or short sleep nights littered in the process.
My field of choice was Aerospace. I started my machinist career in 1975. Seems like forever ago.
I retired from another Aerospace field, (same company) of 23 years, March 31, 2023. 49 years with the same company.
Now I have the time to follow my passion. Make/change/modify shotguns to one of a kind firearms that excite me just a little.

Special fields hold 3, standard hold 4

@ AT-ST83
I'm sure I will get that same question a lot. Why so short?
This one is really short. Really can't make it any shorter.
The overall design of the carrier assembly and its stroke limits what I can do.
Oh, I might be able to go to a 9" barrel, that makes things a lot more difficult.
So here's the limit IMO. It's a passion, the desire to achieve something.
Like a dog with a bone, I just really like the bone.
I don't think this will be done by another. Ridiculous I know. Who would want to?
There may be a misstep or two along the way, but I am motivated by desire.
Hope you stay tuned.

@nhsport
Yes, the Remington 1100 is a gas gun. Gas ports are in the barrel ring and drives the piston, driving the carrier assembly and bolt.
And yes, the plan is to cut the mag tube as well, or let me re-phrase.
I'm going to remove the mag tube (if possible), shorten it by a specific amount, recut the O-ring grove in another location, and reassemble.
If it comes out, the rest is easy. If it doesn't come out, relocate and recut the O-ring grove, cut off the magazine tube to desired length, re-cut the square threads on the end.
All of this will have to be done with the receiver still attached.
None of this will be easy if the mag tube can't be removed. Difficulty level grows IMMENSELY.
All of this work brings on another list of things to do to the designed handguard. More fun.

@Cooper1
Anything with a barrel less than 18 inches, if a shotgun, requires a $200 tax stamp, Form1. Key word here is shotgun.
Shotgun means it has a buttstock, was shipped with a buttstock, sold with a buttstock, and a smooth bore over .5 inch, over 26 inch in length.
The Remington TAC 13 never had a buttstock, it's over 26 inches in length, the minimum length, it's classified as a FIREARM!
Mossberg has one, Black Aces Tactical has one, Remington TAC 14 is another, etc.
The ATF also wants to know the overall length. If it has a collapsible buttstock, extended length is whats needed.
If your gun measures exactly 28.5 inches extended(if that applies) put 28 inches on the form. Shorter is better on the form.
So if the ATF ever shows up, you will be longer instead of shorter than whats on the form.
On the barrel, make sure your barrel is longer that what you put on the form.
Thats measured with an empty gun, bolt closed, tape measure or rod down the barrel to the bolt face. Longer keeps you out of jail.

I want to SBS a 1100, but no shorter than flush with mag tube. I'd run it suppressed as well.

@Rangetoy
The 1100 runs pretty well at roughly 12"s. You might be able to use a needle file to polish the ports to get it to run. If not, drill out the two ports to the next size.
Still use the needle file to clean them up/polish a bit. Smooth transition for high velocity gas is advantagous for sure.
Not all shells are equal. One brand 1200 FPS, 1 1/8 load may run just fine. The next brand may not. They are inconsistant for sure.
I shot a suppressed 12ga semi auto about a month ago at CanCon at Ben Avery (Phoenix). Hearing safe for sure and a blast to shoot.
Post some pics and share with us what your doing or at least, the finished product.

Appreciate the reply. My range only allows slugs so I hope that would help my case. My Mossberg 500 barrel is out for cut & thread so have not tried my VersaX can yet, but would be nice to have a semi-auto SBS too.
Just have to find a 1100 priced right. Not trying to have a ton of money into.

Update:
I stopped off at the machine shop this afternoon to check on the progress on my parts. Pleased with what they have done so far. Nice machine work.
They were about to start on the reworking of the 1100 parts. Said I should have them this week. That would excite me just a bit.
I'm ready to cut the barrel to the first length and get it ready for some of the other work needed in the first step.
There is a process I have to follow to make this happen accurately. That is a must on this one.
I'm also having two pieces of tooling made at this shop. Both for the 1100 project. Gotta have them to make this all come together.
What I saw today made me smile because the work was really good. Couldn't have looked better.
Maybe som pics when I get some of this work done.
Stay tuned.

We need more pic's of these crazy Shottys!