slugs & full chokes

[pjuztarizo]

I have just purchased from a friend an 12 ga. o/u Beretta S56E shotgun (manufactured around 1972)and a cousin gave me a box of Winchester XX hollow point rifled slugs. Now, I have been told that I should not use slugs with that shotgun, other people say it is OK...

So I took one of the cartridges and pulled out a slug to measure its diameter agaist the barrel diameter(just to check if the built in choke could be adequate for the slug. This is what I got:

Barrel diameter at muzzle: 1.75mm or 0.689 in
Slug diameter : 1.85 mm or 0.728 in

We are talking about 0.039 inches of difference!

Question: will the slugs deform enough to pass thru the barrels without causing damage????
or should I avoid using slugs in that shotgun??

Regards,

 

[HSMITH]

There is always a chance that the barrel will get a ring bulge in it or even split from shooting the slugs, but odds are that the slug will swage down and all will be fine except accuracy. .040" is not a big deal really when basically pure lead and 10,000 PSI are ready to swage. Slugs and a full choke is not a good choice at all. If it doesn't acutally hurt anything odds are you still can't hit anything with it. Save the slugs, enjoy your new Beretta for years and years and years.

 

[Dave McCracken]

I doubt you'll hit the right Zip Code with this and slugs, and the chance of damaging your fine O/U would stop me from doing so.

Slug guns are neither rare nor expensive. Save this for feathers and clays.

 

[Scout.308]

Were it my shotgun, I'd look up Baretta and Winchester on the Web and ask their tech guys. Give them all of the info that you have, and politely request that they detail the reasoning for their conclusions.

In my experience, these guys enjoy sharing their knowledge with an appreciative audience. More evidence that gun people are good people.

You'll get very conservative answers that may let you play with both of your toys together. 'Till then, though I suspect that the very-soft lead of Win HP slugs would readily and safely swage down (especially in a weapon tough enough to digest steel shot!), I wouldn't do it.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Get used 870 or Mossberg

For Slugs, the best names out there are Remington 870 and Mossberg 500. Both can be found very reasonable used. You can then upgrade to a rifled barrel and scope in the future. After a few years, add synthetic stocks after it has taken a beating.

I don't think you'll have good luck with slugs and a double barrel.

I tried shooting slugs out of a Stevens/Savage SxS, and it was horribly inaccurate. I was 15, and it was my first year trying to hit a paper plate at 50 yards with slugs. I could not do it. Dad then handed me a 20 gauge pump and I put all five shots onto the plate with ease. That was my slug gun until I got my 870 Wingmaster when I earned my Eagle Scout award.

I'm sure African double rifles work fine, but they were designed for a specific purpose.

Use that Beretta for birds.

 

[Marshall]

Avoid, or get another barrel to use use slugs out of. No sense in screwing up your new gun!