Extra light shotgun with alloy barrel?

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paulsj

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Found 20ga Noble 652J excellent condition. It must weigh about 4.5 lb. The barrel is some kind of light aluminum alloy. Is it safe to hunt with using light 3/4oz loads? Thanks
 
You can fire any lead shot 20ga shell of the type and length stamped on the gun barrel or other location, Like with any light weight firearm you will find the recoil to be stouter than a heavier shotgun with the same shell.
 
I no longer have photobucket account, sorry. It looks like Mossberg 500. Walnut stock w/pressed checkering tang safety alloy receiver alloy barrel with select choke bulb device on end Jostam recoil pad. It will come handy as hunting gun when I get older.
 
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paulsj

Never heard of an aluminum shotgun barrel. I seem to recall Winchester many years ago made a semi-auto with fiberglass spun over a real thin steel barrel. Don't know if any manufacturer ever tried making one with an aluminum barrel though.
 
bannockburn said:
paulsj

Never heard of an aluminum shotgun barrel. I seem to recall Winchester many years ago made a semi-auto with fiberglass spun over a real thin steel barrel. Don't know if any manufacturer ever tried making one with an aluminum barrel though.
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Winchester model 59. I have one. My grandfather's Quail gun.
 
Whatever alloy the barrel is, I would bet it is not aluminum. Maybe austenitic stainless steel. State of the art for aluminum manufacturing back then would have required a very thick barrel, and even today aluminum would still have to be thick; it just isn't that strong, not even Ford's "military grade" whatever that is. Allowable shotshell pressures have not changed in forever so it should be safe to shoot with any 2-3/4" shells, although as noted it will likely have a kick. Receiver is aluminum if I remember right, because the bolt locks into the barrel, not the receiver. I vaguely remember these.
Is that a semi auto, or a pump? The semi autos were recoil operated if I remember right, and I don't know how you would need to set the mechanism for light or heavy loads.
 
Virginian said:
Is that a semi auto, or a pump? The semi autos were recoil operated if I remember right, and I don't know how you would need to set the mechanism for light or heavy loads.
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The 80 series semi auto had a friction ring, similar to the A5. I've only seen the semi in .410, however. Never seen a Noble semi auto in any other gauge. I had one of the .410's about 25 years ago, picked it up at a gun show for $50. It was a fun little squirrel gun. I always see the pumps in 12 &20 at shows, never seen one with an aluminum barrel. As Virginian said, not possible with the metallurgy then, or now. Non-ferrous, certainly, but not aluminum.

Why would Noble, an 'economy' gun maker, use austenitic stainless, and no one else?


The Win. 59 was a warmed-over Model 50 with the aforementioned thin steel fiberglass-wrapped barrel, It was touted as the ultimate pheasant gun, but never really caught on.
 
Virginian said:
Whatever alloy the barrel is, I would bet it is not aluminum. Maybe austenitic stainless steel. State of the art for aluminum manufacturing back then would have required a very thick barrel, and even today aluminum would still have to be thick; it just isn't that strong, not even Ford's "military grade" whatever that is. Allowable shotshell pressures have not changed in forever so it should be safe to shoot with any 2-3/4" shells, although as noted it will likely have a kick. Receiver is aluminum if I remember right, because the bolt locks into the barrel, not the receiver. I vaguely remember these.
Is that a semi auto, or a pump? The semi autos were recoil operated if I remember right, and I don't know how you would need to set the mechanism for light or heavy loads.
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It is 20ga pump that feels like a toy gun when picked up. The barrel is very light with same shiny black finish as the receiver. The finish is not traditional bluing but looks like shiny paint job. The bolt does not lock into the barrel. It is lighter than 25" 20GA Ithaca 37 Ultrafeatherweight with straight grip stock that I used to own.
 
My 22nd and 23rd editions of the Gun Digest list the Noble with the alloy barrel.

Also listed in the 2015 Std Catalog of Firearms, Model 662 with plain aluminum barrel (page 803).
 
I sold a couple of the pumps but they had steel ( or stainless steel) barrels. Don't remember the models. Long time ago. They were definitely light. Does Gun Digest say "aluminum" barrel, or alloy ?
 
The 69 and 70 Gun Digest's say alloy, but the 68 has a small write up about the Noble guns by George Nonte and staff.

The review says barrel and receiver and many other parts are of Reynolds aluminum alloys. The 20 gauge pump is listed at a bare 4 1/2 pounds.

I to have seen the Noble pumps, but with the steel barrels.
 
Neat. I had not before heard of an aluminum barrel Noble, all I knew of were the Baby Bretton and the AR17.

I think "alloy" is the gun industry euphemism for "aluminum" so you won't think their stuff is cheaply made.
 
jaguarxk120 said:
The 69 and 70 Gun Digest's say alloy, but the 68 has a small write up about the Noble guns by George Nonte and staff.

The review says barrel and receiver and many other parts are of Reynolds aluminum alloys. The 20 gauge pump is listed at a bare 4 1/2 pounds.

I to have seen the Noble pumps, but with the steel barrels.
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Jaguar, my brother and I both have one of these shotguns. They were given to us by our grandfather who was a CPA in the corporate office of Reynolds Metals in Richmond, VA. We remember him telling us something about them being made especially for Nobel with aluminum. Yes they weigh about 4 lbs. and have aluminum barrels. Would love to have a copy of the article you mentioned from Gun digest.
 
The proof marks will tell you if it is safe to shoot by the pressure rating on the barrel. All Euro guns are proof tested before going to customers.
 
paulsj said:
I no longer have photobucket account, sorry. It looks like Mossberg 500. Walnut stock w/pressed checkering tang safety alloy receiver alloy barrel with select choke bulb device on end Jostam recoil pad. It will come handy as hunting gun when I get older.
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Don’t need photobucket anymore. At the bottom of the text window click upload a file, then select the file(s) andhit done. Let them upload fully (you will see little bars showing progress) and your done. If you want full size pics you pick that option right before you submit your response.
 
WestKentucky said:
Don’t need photobucket anymore. At the bottom of the text window click upload a file, then select the file(s) andhit done. Let them upload fully (you will see little bars showing progress) and your done. If you want full size pics you pick that option right before you submit your response.
Click to expand...

Suprised to see this topic still active. Sold the gun months ago because I did not feel comfortable pulling the trigger. The barrel was nicely polished and was not overly thick. The action functioning was rough and of sufficient size for 12ga. It was the only one I have ever sen. Neat gun.
 
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