I'm a city boy, have never been bird hunting. It seems interesting but people I know who do it have to drive 90 minutes each way minimum to go to a place for it. I hate driving during my time off because I drive so much for work!!
I'm a prepper at heart and think bird hunting could be a useful skill to learn. I do own a pair of Moss 590s, one is 18.5" and one is 20". Neither have threaded chokes. I saw a post on here a while back where someone discussed threading an existing gun for a choke. From what I've heard, if I had either of my existing shotguns threaded for chokes then the barrel length shouldn't matter.
The barrel length of bird guns tends to be 24" to 28". I used to think it was to keep the pattern tighter, but I've heard using a choke in a 18.5" barrel will result in the same pattern as using the same choke in a 28" barrel. But the main reason bird guns are longer is to help swing them onto target.
So here's my situation. I will probably never get into bird hunting as a hobby as something to do regularly. If I try it and love it, then I'll get a dedicated bird hunting gun for sure. But because of the driving time and distance involved, let's just say I'll probably only do it a few times for purposes of learning the basics and then maybe sporadically to maintain recency of skill.
If TSHTF I'd like to be able to bird hunt. And I'd like to be able to do it with one of my existing guns because I have a small gun safe and simply just do not want to buy another pump action shotgun just for bird hunting during a fantasy survival event that will probably never happen. Also if I need to bug out, I'd rather not have to take a whole nother gun with me just for bird hunting purposes.
I know a lot of what I'm saying is goofy, I admit it. TSHTF is unlikely. The ability for me to successfully hunt birds after only doing it a few times is unlikely. Giving away my position to human threats by shooting at birds is risky. Bugging out is generally stupid. That said, it seems smart if I can have one of my existing shotguns threaded for chokes, go out a few times bird hunting, and for the cost of $100 to $200 to get the shotgun threaded plus a few chokes, I've increased my capability exponentially compared to what I have now with the only added storage requirement of a few small chokes and few boxes of birdshot.
But here's what I don't know:
If I get my 18.5 or 20" barrel threaded for chokes, will it actually pattern as well as a 24" to 28" barrel? What if I eventually pay the tax stamp and get a 14" barrel, could I have that threaded for chokes and get good results or is that too small? A 14" pump threaded for chokes seems like a great secondary long gun to have if TSHTF with slugs, chokes + birdshot and buckshot to pair with a centerfire carbine.
Am I just going to have an awful time tryin to bird hunt recreationally a few times to learn it, using a 590 with 18.5 or 20" barrel because I'm trying to use the wrong tool for the job and just become miserable and disheartened?
Should I just get a longer Moss 835 barrel to pair with my existing 590 receiver and swap barrels for bird hunting? It makes the overall package less useful if "bugging out" since I'd have to take a whole second barrel with me, but bugging out on foot really is a last resort. I have ghost rings rears on both of my 590s so that wouldn't pair well with an 835 barrel. So I'd have to possibly remove my ghost ring rear and put an aimpoint on the receiver I'd use with the 835 barrel or remove the ghost ring rear and have a Remington style rear sight permanently welded onto the rear of my existing 590 barrel to make the sighting system self contained on that barrel itself so the receiver stays clear and I can use a bead sight with the 835 barrel.
What is out of the question right now is buying a dedicated bird pump shotgun. I simply don't have the space to store it and don't want one. I am a bit tempted by the 1301 21" comp models, but realistically it also takes up gun safe space I don't have and is far less useful if TSHTF because it's a specialized gun. Whereas a 14" or 18.5" 590 is far more well rounded for 99% of what I'd need a gun for if TSHTF.