Building the "Hush Puppy" Barrel
Instructions on building a ported "quiet" barrel for hunting crows

For some time now there has been discussion of a modified shotgun barrel that goes by names such as the "Hush Puppy" or "Gas Burner". Basically, this is an extended shotgun barrel that has been specially ported to dampen the sound when firing, and in turn, reducing the chance of flaring unsuspecting birds. This has obvious advantages when hunting heavily hunted crows, but may also be employed in suburban areas where sound disturbance is an issue. What follows are directions on how to easily create one of these barrels. Special thanks to member Mark Rogers for his directions and materials list.

DISCLAIMER
Crow Busters in NO WAY indorses the safety or legality of the design or use of this product. We always recommend using a qualified gunsmith before modifying any firearm. We also recommend checking your local regulations to make sure that it is legal to own and operate a gun with this kind of system attached.

Materials

• pump or single shot shotgun with a barrel that accepts choke tubes
• 1 (one) extended choke tube (must be at least one inch from the end of the barrel)
• length of 3/4" EMT counduit or PVC conduit 24" in length
• tape measure
• POWER DRILL or powerful cordless drill
• 1/8" drill bit for metal, wood, plastic depending on what material you decide on
• red marker or similar marking tool
• access to metal lathe (or good friend who has one) or if no access check for a machine shop
• adhesive or glue for metal and/or plastics
• micrometer or other gauging device
• low recoil, low noise loads of factory or safe hand load variety of about 1,000 fps or less (very important part of the system)

Notes on Materials: This system is ONLY to be used in a pump or single shot shotgun with choke tubes (gas and spring operated shotguns will not cycle with low velocity loads). You will need one choke tube that extends past the end of the muzzle like the kind that you find for turkey or steel shot. Choke type does not matter.

Construction

Step 1 - First you need to take the choke tube and have the outside turned (machined) down to a diameter of .765-.769. Check the inner diameter of the tube you are using. You want it to be just slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the tube so it fits snugly but not too tightly. Test the fitting and insert the choke in your gun and line up the tube to make sure it appears straight when you look down the barrel.

Step 2 - If all is good then remove the choke and tube from the gun and then remove the tube from the choke. Apply a small amount of adhesive to the outer part of the choke and refit the tube to it making sure to seat it as far down the choke as you can, but not so far that it extends where the choke will meet the barrel. Allow the adhesive to dry as long as recommended. We will now refer to this entire thing as the barrel extension.

Step 3 - This next step is to insert the extension into the gun. At the underside of the extension you will need to make a line from one end to the other. You will want this line to be straight and directly at the dead bottom of the extension. Then, at the sides at the 3 and 9 o clock positions you will also need lines that run from one end to the other. Starting at the end where the extension meets the barrel you will mark a spot on the lines at 3" then again at every inch up to 12. You should have 10 marks on each line up to this point. Then marks should go at 15", 18", and 21" and there should be 3" of no markings at the end of the extension. You will now have 39 markings. If you have more or less, or came less than 3" from the end, you didn t measure correctly and you will need to check it and mark again.

Step 4 - For this next part you can remove the extension if you desire. It seems to make it easier. Using the drill and a 1/8" drill bit, begin drilling your holes, one drill hole at each marking on your extension. If you had 39 marks you should have 39 holes.

You are done construction and ready to test your barrel...

Loads

For this device to work, it is important to use sub-sonic ammunition (velocity that is below the speed of sound) around the 1,000 fps range or below. This in itself will quiet the gun down considerably. Various manufacturers such as Winchester make these shells or you can experiment with low velocity handloads.
Notes On Use

The "Hush Puppy" is NOT a silencer, but by dramatically quieting down your shots, incoming birds will not to spook as easily, allowing for more follow ups. Some things to consider are:

• The use of this device does not mean you can forget all of the normal crow techniques advice such as camouflage, movement, etc. If you stand out in the middle of a field and wave the "Hush Puppy" around, don't expect the birds to ignore you.
• Different terrain will generate different results. The "Puppy" works by slowly bleeding the sound downward as the shot charge is expelled. If you are shooting in heavy vegetation and ground cover, the sound will be absorbed much better than shooting over a bare field or water. Plan accordingly.
• Obviously adding a couple of feet to your favorite gun and reducing the velocity of it's shells is going to have a profound effect on how it shoots and feels. Attempt to find practice time at a local skeet range (preferably when it isn't busy) and work on your lead and follow through. With practice, you can become pretty good with this device, but don't expect it to handle like your 26" lightweight upland bird gun. The tradeoff is that you will get more shots at unsuspecting birds.
• Although this barrel ends up with a completely open choke, it shoots a surprisingly tight pattern. This is due to the low velocity load and lack of shot deformation. If you are used to shooting open chokes, it may take some time to adjust.
• If hunting from a stationary location, consider taking along your regular shotgun/shell combination in addition to the "Hush Puppy". In this way, long shots and/or multi-bird shots can still be taken as needed.

To read about another members experience, click here for "Silence" by Steve Rist.