.410 "Handgun" ammo

[Wayne G]

Yesterday I cleaned and lubed a Stevens Model 59A bolt-action .410 shotgun that had been stored for about 20 years. It has no rust, the bore looks fine and it seems to function normally.

When lookiing at shotgun shells to test fire, I saw Federal Premium .410 Handgun ammo in 3" with #4 shot at Wally Mart.

Is there a difference between "Handgun" shells and normal shells?

 

[oneounceload]

Short answer - no, there isn't.

Technically, if you are thinking about the Judge, it is a 45LC handgun, that just happens to also hold and shoot the 410 shotshell. They might have an offering or two you won't find in the standard target or hunting load, but if the gun is 3", it will work

 

[Onmilo]

Short answer, yes there is.
The handgun ammunition uses faster burning powders to maximize velocity in short barrel guns and reduce muzzle flash.

The ammo will work in a long gun but the velocity will be slightly lower than a factory shotgun specific round.

Don't spend the extra money for the proprietary handgun rounds, stick with the standard .410 stuff for best results. HTH

 

[PapaG]

I slightly disagree that the Judge is a 45 Colt that will take .410s. We've sold a bunch and my belief is that they are intended as short range defensive guns using 410 ammo. My reasoning is that if they really intended them for 45 Colt usage they would have built them right. Most come with chamber throats way too big for accuracy with 45s. Many have checked out at .462 to .465 and severly lead the barrel. I've written to Taurus about this but have heard nothing. We did get one in a week or so ago with the proper throat size of .454.
Agree on the wasting of money shooting handgun ammo in the long gun....as well as vice versa. I compared 2 1/2" 410s with shot loads out of a 44 special and the 44 patterned as well and produced deeper penetration, both with #6 shot.
I did buy the properly chambered Judge to see if the proper sized throat solves the horrible leading problem. Will follow up.

 

[oneounceload]

The barrel is rifled, making it a pistol; otherwise, if it was a smoothbore, it would fall under NFA statutes. They are legally, a handgun, not a shotgun, that just so happens to also be able to fire 410 ammo

 

[Onmilo]

Therein lies the major problem with the "Judge".
It is neither fish nor fowl and cannot play either role all that effectively.
But this thread isn't about the shortcomings of ane type of handgun, it is about ammo for a shotgun, which the "Judge" is most certainly not,,,

I happen to favor Winchester Super X 3" loads in #5 and #6 xhot.
They pattern well, are fairly clean burning, and they will feed in every gun I have ever shot them in.
Can't say the same for Federals and Remingtons as well as the European and Russian loads I have tried.

 

[artee]

Wayne, some of those Winchester "Judge" loads, sold as "personal defense" ammunition would give me pause in my 'normal' .410 shotgun. One load has 3 copper disks. I can't believe that they'd produce a load that wouldn't be OK in any 410 "long gun" choke, but I'd want to know if the disks are solid copper or plated lead, and their diameter before I tried them in my choked shotgun barrel. Winchester features it in some product videos and I'm sure someone has disected them and measured, then put it up on youtube, etc.

Many buckshot loads in .410 use normal 00 or 000, not plated or extra hard, buckshot. Since all the pellets are axially aligned, they are squeezed down to disks (short cyclinders) by the setback forces anyway. This may be why Win tried this special design rather than just producting a 3 Ball buck load for it's "personal defense" ammo.

In the last year, I've rekindled my own first love after 30 years of neglect with a Mossberg 410. I note you asked about Federal. I have not bought any of the Winchester or Federal "handgun" 410 type ammo. I have looked over the boxes. None carried a warning AGAINST using in a particular type of 410 firearm. I see no manufacturer direction NOT to use it in a "long gun", except the normal CYA about "chanbered for and good conditions, yada yada". If they are calling the ammo ".410" they are obligated under SAMMI to meet 410 specs. So safety wise, the "410 handgun" ammo looks ok for a longgun. Of interest, the SAMMI specs between 3 in and 2 1/2 in 410 are APPOX 1500 psi apart (with the 3 in having a higher number) and in the ball park of 14,000 and 12,500. This is right in .45 Colt country.