the other day a friend of mine shot a sabot slug out of my browning auto-5. it has a smoothbore barrel... i just recently discovered that sabot slugs are for rifled barrels only... did i harm my gun in anyway? is it safe to shoot sabot slugs out of a smooth bore? thanks in advance.
sabot slugs in a smooth bore?
- Thread starter uki
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Badger Arms
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Sabot slugs are DESIGNED for rifled barrels or rifled choke tubes. As long as you didn't have a full-choked Damascus steel barrel, you're fine. In other words, modern shotguns can shoot any slugs without harming the bore. Accuracy is going to be mediocre, but it'll go bang and hit somewhere near where you want it to.
For a cheap solution, buy a rifled choke tube. What type of shotgun do you have? Does it have screw-in chokes?
For a cheap solution, buy a rifled choke tube. What type of shotgun do you have? Does it have screw-in chokes?
i have an older model "browning auto-5". it was my grandfathers... he died over 20 years ago at near 80... i don't know what year it is, but it's obviously an old one. i know jack-squat about chokes or what-not, i just shoot the thing. 
Badger Arms
Member
You're fine. Don't sweat it. If you'd like to shoot slugs, shoot one designed for smooth bores. A Brenneke or what they call a "rifled slug" will do fine. Slugs shoot best from Cylinder or Improved cylinder guns but are safe to shoot through full-choke barrels.
On the barrel of your shotgun, close to the receiver you will see the choke listed something like this:
CYL = Cylinder bore, no constriction.
IMP = Improved Cylinder, slight constriction.
MOD = Modified Cylinder, medium constriction.
FULL = Full Choke, tight constriction.
The tighter the constriction, the bigger your pattern at any given range. If you're shooting skeet or stuff up close, you'd do better with less constriction. Also good for slugs. What's your gun?
On the barrel of your shotgun, close to the receiver you will see the choke listed something like this:
CYL = Cylinder bore, no constriction.
IMP = Improved Cylinder, slight constriction.
MOD = Modified Cylinder, medium constriction.
FULL = Full Choke, tight constriction.
The tighter the constriction, the bigger your pattern at any given range. If you're shooting skeet or stuff up close, you'd do better with less constriction. Also good for slugs. What's your gun?
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Not on an Auto-5 he won't.
Browning A-5 choke markings are:
* = Full
*- = Improved Modified
** = Modified
**- = Improved Cylinder
**$ = Skeet
*** = Cylinder Bore
See page 12 of the owners manual:
http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/auto5_light_om_s.pdf
rc
Browning A-5 choke markings are:
* = Full
*- = Improved Modified
** = Modified
**- = Improved Cylinder
**$ = Skeet
*** = Cylinder Bore
Well, it's time you learn how to set the friction rings for the power of loads you are using before you break something.
See page 12 of the owners manual:
http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/auto5_light_om_s.pdf
rc
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Kingcreek
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That right there is some very good advice.
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