[Green Lantern]

My old man has asserted more than once that guns are never as accurate after shooting shotshell loads through them.

But I should note that growing up, I never noticed any gun cleaner more potent than "3-in-1" oil around the house.

Am I right in assuming that guns do lose accuracy after firing shotshells - until the barrel is cleaned with a good solvent? Or is there something else to Dad's claim? Getting ready to do some work around a "snaky" area and don't want to risk messing up my main CCW gun. ...Said gun is a snubby revolver (Ruger LCR), but still...

[Salmoneye]

Sorry...Not even sure what you are asking...

Are you referring to Shot Capsule loads like CCI using Speer Shot Capsules?

If so, I have shot many through .22LR, .38spcl, .357 Mag, and .44 Mag, and have never seen a loss of accuracy of bullets following 'shotshell' loads...

[Green Lantern]

Are you referring to Shot Capsule loads like CCI using Speer Shot Capsules?

Yeah. We generally call 'em "ratshot" or "snakeshot" around here, but didn't think that was a widely-used term for the loads either.

[M2 Carbine]

Does firing shotshell loads from pistols harm the barrel?
Absolutely not.

Been shooting "snake loads" since 1960. Killed many Rattlesnakes and Copperheads.
In the summer the first 1 or 2 rounds up in the "house" S&W Model 60 38 is shot loads.

Mostly I load my own shot loads with a gas check over the powder and shot but sometimes I'll use the plastic shot capsules.

[Samari Jack]

unless the shot is something other than lead, I don't see a problem. Some steel shot might be cause for concern. When working in our woods behind our house, the first round and sometimes two rounds of my .38 specials are shot shells. Copperhead (poisonous snakes, 30 lb snapping turtles, get regularly blasted/beheaded with the shot shells.

I've toyed with the idea of the first in two shot burst from one of my short barreled revolves being loaded with the #9 store bought shot shells for CCW. Asumption being any shot I get will be rushed and close up, 10' & closing not at distance like LE. #9s in the face might allow for a more timed second shot if necessary although blind and with you face on fire a fair bet would be the altercation would stop at that point without someone getting killed.

I haven't implimentedthis procedure but may at some point

[Green Lantern]

So as long as Speer does not use steel shot, sounds like I'm good to go...cool. Thanks!

[WardenWolf]

Should be fine. Family friend was wanting a Judge as a snake gun. I told him to get a Ruger Blackhawk and load with .45LC shotshells. Cheaper, lighter weight, and more effective.

[Confederate]

Yep, you've nothin' to fear. If they harmed barrels, there'd be no market for 'em. Snake loads are something I need to pick up. I've got a nice Rossi revolver that will shoot them, plus the first shot in my Ruger Mark II.

[DPris]

If you think about it, it's highly unlikely CCI would have been selling them for over 40 years if they damaged bores.

Except for the .45 ACP, the other CCI calibers encase the lead pellets in a plastic shot cup. The lead never touches the bore as the shot charge travels through the barrel.

Clean well with a bronze (not nylon or stainless) brush and get on with things.
Use a REAL SOLVENT, which 3 in 1 ain't. :)
If it REALLY keeps you up at night, Brownells sells plastic wad residue solvent for regular shotguns that you also try.

Denis

[Lawdawg45]

He poses an interesting question though, I don't know anyone who would shoot 12 gauge buckshot out of their rifled slug barrel.:rolleyes:

LD

[j1]

No.

[303tom]

No.........

[Pyro]

No.
Plastic and lead will not harm a rifled, steel barrel.

[Carl N. Brown]

My old home brew handloaded shotshells (thick cardboard over powder, shot, then light cardboard crimped in place) would lead a barrel like crazy.

I have also used factory CCI shotshells in .22 (and capsules for handloading .38 and .45 shotshells) with plastic capsules that engage the rifling designed to shatter in the barrel but stay together as plastic shards and fall away after the shot charge leaves the barrel.

Neither lead not plastic is harder than steel. But a barrel should be cleaned after grunging it up badly. The grunge will affect accuracy and what happens under grunge over time (corrosion) will affect accuracy.

[Vern Humphrey]

Yes, you can lead the barrel using shot in a rifled barrel. But the damage (if you want to call it that) is not permanent -- all you have to do is clean the barrel afterwards.

[brickeyee]

Lead and plastic are just so hard on steel.

[jhco50]

I wouldn't worry about it. After all, you clean your gun after shooting most of the time. Enjoy your gun and don't worry about the little things.

[rcmodel]

Yes, and NO!

The old time star-crimped .22 shot shells would lead the bore badly in a few shots and firing .22 LR after then would make it worse.

Modern encapsulated shot, like CCI/Speer sells is totally harmless, and will not lead the bore, period.
Because the lead shot never touches it.

rc

[BCRider]

I've got some .22WMR shot shells that use the plastic capsule end. I just assumed that the plastic would blow out and not go down the barrel. You're saying that the casing DOES go down the barrel? If so what causes it to separate from the shot charge it is holding?

[Myles]

25+ years ago, while working summers on a friend's farm throughout junior and senior high school, I used an old Bearcat that had fired thousands upon thousands of mixed shorts, Flobert CB/BB caps, and the old Winchester crimped rat shot rounds. The barrel was essentially a smooth bore from being leaded. However, one simple, but thorough cleaning had the rifling showing through good as new.

From my understanding, the newer CCI capsule shotshells never allow the shot to touch the grooves in the rifling, so it's just fine. Just clean the rifling as needed.

[ColeK]

Nope!!!

[shiftyer1]

I keep and use snakeshot in 4 of my revolvers, i've never had a problem. I tend to try to clean them if thier dirty. First 2 rounds snakeshot then either solids or hollow points depending on the gun.

Pay attention to which way your cylinder spins, I recently wasted 2 hollowpoints on a snake because THAT gun spins backward! lol I had been loading it backwards for a year!

[rcmodel]

If so what causes it to separate from the shot charge it is holding? The rifling cuts it + the pressure breaks it but it stays together in the bore enough to keep it from leading.

rc

[brickeyee]

I never considered leading as "harming" a barrel, just an annoyance at cleaning time.