Help with older shotguns and steel?

[TurkeyHunter]

Just how strong is a Model 1200 Winchester? I have a 3" mag , 30" 12GA. I'm currently using it for Duck and Goose hunting but as I'm learning more about older shotguns, I'm curious.

Is my 1200 safe with magnum steel loads? It's custom fit with extended steel chokes but I've recently learned about the forcing cones in older guns. This thing was built in 1971.

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Also, I have a 10 ga AyA Matador. I wrote AyA and asked them about steel in the classic side by side.

This is their reply....

"Dear Sir,

SORRY but we can´t give any advise on shoot steel as our guns has never been tested with shoot steel.

Guns at that time were tested at 900 bars and nowaday at 1200/1300 bars.

best regards. AYA-AGUIRRE Y ARANZABAL, S.A.L."

What is "900 bars?"

I have already shot #6 steel out of it... is this dangerous?

Thanks in advance to you "pros"

Bill

 

[Jim Watson]

900 bars is the chamber pressure. One bar is approximately one atmosphere, 14.7 psi, so 900 bars = 13230 psi. I don't know what 10 ga chamber pressure is but 12 ga runs up around 11000, so that is not any great big safety margin.
Still, I doubt the gun will blow up, the risk is that steel shot will damage the choke. Spanish steel is notoriously soft in the standard grade guns.

 

[Jim K]

That Model 1200 may have been made before the advent of steel shot, but the barrel should be hard enough that there will be no problem. A call to Winchester should get a proper answer.

I definitely would not fire steel shot loads in the AYA. They are not "dangerous" in the sense that the gun will blow up, but you can score the barrel and damage the choke.

Jim