[Deadheadted37]

Tonight I finally got around to cleaning my 870 after hunting a couple of week ago and noticed something interesting. The receiver and the barrel had little greenish square powder flakes in it. It was about 6 degrees out when I was hunting and I was wondering if I wasn't getting full ignition of all the powder in the shell. I was using Brenneke Slugs.

How cold is too cold?

Or did some powder sneak out of a the shell(s) while in the field?

[Ridgerunner665]

No such thing as too cold to shoot as far as powder is concerned...

Were the hulls green plastic???

Thinking maybe instead of unfolding...the crimp sheared off.

[Deadheadted37]

These hulls are clear plastic and you can see the stuff inside.

[Sinixstar]

It could be all sorts of stuff. Anything from certain oxidized metals (which wouldn't be out of the question depending on where you found this), to something off the outside of the shell - to something that just happened to end up on your gun that just happens to be green. I've found some weird seemingly unexplainable stuff on me after bein out in the woods before.

What slugs exactly were you using? Not the Brenneke "Green Lightening" by any chance? :D

[ReadyontheRight]

Frozen oil in your gun or frozen moisture from a gun going from warm/humid to cold could freeze the action of the gun, but it's hard to imagine something similar happening to a shotgun shell.

[PJR]

In extreme cold weather (6 degree F is getting there) single-based powders will not always ignite as reliably. Also the plastic wads can harden up or contract making the barrel seal not as efficient. You sometimes hear an off sounding shot in very cold weather.

[TrapperReady]

As PJR said, single-base powders can have issues in very cold weather. I hadn't thought much about the cold wads not sealing, but it does make sense.

When it gets into single digits, sometimes sporting clay shooters will put a couple hand-warmers into their vest or jacket pockets in an effort to keep the shells a little warmer.

In cold weather (below 20 degrees F), I normally shoot reloads. When I use Clays or International Clays powder, I don't have issues with shots sounding 'off'.

[Mike U.]

Which Brenneke's were you using?
Just a curiosity question. Not really related to OP's query. ;)

[Virginian]

It sounds like powder flakes all right, but how many do you get at 60 degrees? With Blue Dot you always got some of this. But, it also worked at minus 11 F one Xmas Eve morning a few years ago. Amazingly, we even saw a couple of ducks and I did get off one shot, but my joints needed some synthetic lube or something.

[sbarkowski]

We were shooting clays the other day it was -26C (-15F) using cheap winchester value pack ammo and I noticed a few shots sounded "off" enough for me to check the barrel and make sure all was well. It sounded like the firing pin hitting hard steel and bouncing back right before the round fired. I actually thought the firing pin had broke so i took it apart and all was well. This is the only time I've noticed this. Had me worried for a bit. The shells were in a box uncovered and were just as cold as the air around them. We were out for about an hour and a half. Other than the off sound a few made they seemed to function like normal.

[10X]

I've hunted ducks and geese in -20 to -30 degree weather. With good Winchester or Remington shells, I noticed no difference in the shells sound or performance versus any other temperature.

[tsidorus]

Did a round of skeet at -40F something in Fairbanks. The certificate is at home so I dont know the exact temp. Everything worked just fine and others have done it to -60F. Of course we went out of the Ski Lodge shot as fast as we could and went right back in... Dont remember what I shot, that honestly wasnt really a consern at the time but is was more than 50%.
-Tsi

[ArmedBear]

I just about froze my toes off shooting skeet this afternoon. The gun, however, shot as well as it ever has in desert heat.:)

[f4t9r]

Mine shoots fine in cold temps. I have had the safety freeze a couple times when snowing.

[ArmedBear]

I have had the safety freeze a couple times when snowing.


That's why the 870 Express has the finely-crafted plastic safety button in the precision plastic trigger guard, tucked away under the receiver where you can't easily tell if the gun is on or off safe. Fewer problems with freezing.:neener:

[max199]

- Principally, you can fire guns well below -40 degrees using quality ammo. thats what germans & russians used to do all night long :/ (thanks to the gods, thats now 64 years in the past)
- but, the guns must be greased with a grease thats still somewhat flexible at those temps, otherwise moving parts could freeze together.
- those green stains, well ... how often do you clean your gun after shooting :) ?