A friend and I were looking around at the selection of firearms available at Wal-Mart at an offhand whim when he asked me a question that I really had no solid answer for. To sum it up a bit more simply it was...
"If I get a shotgun that's made to fire slugs, or a barrel for a shotgun made so I can fire slugs, can I use that same barrel for regular shot, too, or do I have to change the barrels out depending on the need?"
I've seen that you can buy barrels for guns you already own that are made for firing slugs through. I've also seen ones that seem to be made to fire slugs (don't ask specifics because I don't remember and I'm not 100% on it.) The only response I had for my friend on the matter was that the only thing I could imagine would be a problem is the choke of the barrel. I told him that I imagined the choke for a slug barrel and shot barrel would be slightly different and that you might get a negative effect putting shot through a slug barrel or vice-versa.
So I ask what's the score on this matter? Can we feed regular shot shells through a slug barrel, or will you be saving us from a twisted piece of metal and permanent blindness?
"If I get a shotgun that's made to fire slugs, or a barrel for a shotgun made so I can fire slugs, can I use that same barrel for regular shot, too, or do I have to change the barrels out depending on the need?"
I've seen that you can buy barrels for guns you already own that are made for firing slugs through. I've also seen ones that seem to be made to fire slugs (don't ask specifics because I don't remember and I'm not 100% on it.) The only response I had for my friend on the matter was that the only thing I could imagine would be a problem is the choke of the barrel. I told him that I imagined the choke for a slug barrel and shot barrel would be slightly different and that you might get a negative effect putting shot through a slug barrel or vice-versa.
So I ask what's the score on this matter? Can we feed regular shot shells through a slug barrel, or will you be saving us from a twisted piece of metal and permanent blindness?