Old Shotguns

LUCKYDOG

LUCKYDOG

Active member
If you buy an old shotgun side by side, from the 50's or 60's and it has permanent chokes of improved and modified can you shoot steel or double ought buck out of it? Thank you for your input!
 
Some guys will say you can shoot #4 and smaller steel through fixed IC and M chokes, I wouldn't though. Especially if it's an old classic like a Win Model 21 or somethng like that. If you wanted to hunt waterfowl with it Bismuth shot is a better option.
 
I won't be hunting with it at all. It has a 20" barrel. I have a ton of double ought buck and more steel than you can shake a stick at. I just don't know if its safe to shoot out of it. I have a great gunsmith! I'll take it to him next Tuesday and he will tell me for sure! Thank you!
 
I shot a SKB 100 12ga IC/M with #4 steel for many years. Lead buck shouldn't hurt it. I shoot NP BBs out of a 150 yr old Damascus barreled 10ga I don't think I'd shoot large buckshot out of it, I do load my own and keep pressures around 6000 psi.

A lot depends on barrel wall thickness and chamber length, lots of post war European guns still had 2.5" chambers. So what I'm saying is a lot depends on the shotgun itself. Quality of manufacture, quality of steel, type of lockup, have the barrels been honed to clean up pits thinning the barrel walls, chambers lengthened to use modern ammo and the list goes on. Even hot blueing sxs barrels can cause deterioration in the solder holding the barrels together. Unbeknown to me one of my favorite duck guns was hot blued before I got it and is now 20 yrs later starting to have the barrel ribs separate.

Good luck with your shotgun
 
I don't think you should shoot ANY steel or tungsten in an old set of barrels; they are not hard steel. You will bulge the chokes and score the barrel. I have an old Marlin Goose gun to prove it.
 
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