A friend has an Beretta O/U 28 ga with a bulge at the base of the screwin chock tube, top barrel, about 1 3/4" from the muzzle. It has a vent rib and is 26". He has already received replacement barrels from the manufacturer so these are extras at this point. I've suggested he get the barrels cut back beyond the bulge and the rib reset then either leave it cyl chocked or rethreaded for chock tubes. There are no good gunsmiths in town so we're looking for suggestions, does this make sense and who to do it?
Thanks.

Couple of points; I guess whatever issue caused the bulge has been sorted?
What does your friend use the 28g for.

Shortening the barrels (have to come back to at least 24" I guess) and leaving them either cylinder bored or having new chokes fitted is a possibility but I imagine some of the guns swing-ability will be lost with such short barrels, depending on what it is used for.

Usually longer barrels are used on shotguns not to get more velocity or hitting power but to provide better swing-ability so it is not a matter of losing velocity by trimming to 24" or less, that doesn't really come into play here.

Always thought about doing a slug over under with scope mount instead of a rib (or irons). May be a terrible idea. Never mentioned that or out loud before. Or, send to aaron little and build a double rifle from them!

Brileys' in Houston... headed there Monday myself with a new-to-me Perazzi....

If it was mine, I'd have the barrels cut way back and threaded for choke tubes. Then I would have rifle sights put on it, insert some good rifled chokes, and shoot Brenneke 28 gauge slugs. The ribs will have to be relaid anyway so maybe someone could be found to regulate the barrels to the slugs at that point.

Send it to Aaron Little and have him turn them into a set of .30-30 barrels?

Thanks for the thoughts. The owner hunts quail and shoots skeet and trap weekly. He does not hunt big game. The lower barrel is OK so I had suggested slipping a 30-30 barrel into the upper after both had been shortened. I think he just wants it to remain 28 ga. in both barrels.
Thanks again.

Just out of interest what caused the bulge?

He thinks a wad or portion of one lodged in the choke. The choke itself is jammed in the barrel currently.
Thanks

24" (or less) is pretty short for clay games and hunting. I suppose they could be nice in super thick cover, but I still would go to 26" at least. Unless he is excited about having a set short barrels, I would recommend doing something else with them.

Keith Merrington in Kerrville Texas can repair the bulge as new. Since your friend already bought a new set it may not be worth the $600 it costs to have it done, but you're going to pay almost that much for a good job of what you are considering. He repaired a bad bulge in my Browning Superposed and you cannot tell it was ever damaged.