Winchester 97 - Lead Shot?

[MI2600]

This may have been asked before but I didn't find anything in the archives.

I was going through YouTube for assembly assistance for my '97 and came upon a comment that only lead shot should be used. I have had this shotgun for years and fired whatever was on the shelf. The barrel looks pristine.

Can anyone clarify for me?

 

[D.B. Cooper]

This may have been asked before but I didn't find anything in the archives.

I was going through YouTube for assembly assistance for my '97 and came upon a comment that only lead shot should be used. I have had this shotgun for years and fired whatever was on the shelf. The barrel looks pristine.

Can anyone clarify for me?

Absolutely. Do NOT shoot steel anything in a vintage shotgun. The steel from that era is not as hard (because the only ammo of that era was lead) as it is in a modern shotgun, which is made for steel shot.

Lead is far softer than steel. When you shoot steel through a vintage choke, the steel shot does not easily deform as lead does. The result is often is a bulged barrel at the choke point.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I have had this shotgun for years and fired whatever was on the shelf. The barrel looks pristine.

Consider yourself lucky. I, too, made this mistake, shooting a round of skeet using number 8 steel in two vintage Winchesters with no apparent impact on the gun. Once I learned the possible outcomes, I abandoned that practice.

 

[Renton83]

the issue isn't usually with steel scoring the barrel but with it bulging it. The pressure is higher will steel especially going through the choke because it doesn't compress like lead, eventually you get a bulge in the barrel before the choke.

 

[MI2600]

I should have mentioned that one of the 97s is a former police riot gun and the other was apparently cut to 19" by some enterprising Wild Bunch wannabe. So, I don't have to worry about a choke.

Does this same "lead only" caveat also pertain to the 12s?

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Does this same "lead only" caveat also pertain to the 12s?

All gauges. And all manufacturers of guns from that era. (Really...probably any guns made before 1990. The federal law requiriNg steel shot for migratory bird hunting passed in 1991.)

 

[George P]

Lead is far softer than steel. When you shoot steel through a vintage choke, the steel shot does not easily deform as lead does. The result is often is a bulged barrel at the choke point

The issue is steel shot doesn't deform AT ALL, which is why it bulges barrels.

 

[Renton83]

If the barrel has no choke I cant see it being a big issue, the shot is inside a plastic cup to protect the barrel.

 

[MI2600]

OK, I have the 97s and some 12s. Where is lead shot shells available?

 

[Barbaroja]

If the barrel has no choke I cant see it being a big issue, the shot is inside a plastic cup to protect the barrel.

In a perfect world yes. It’s still poor advice to tell someone to shoot steel in an older gun.

OP if you like your old shotguns treat them right and don’t use steel.
If you are required to shoot steel where your at I would get a different shotgun. I bet you could find tons of folks who would trade you for a newer model shotgun that is safe to shoot steel.

 

[George P]

OK, I have the 97s and some 12s. Where is lead shot shells available?

Walmart, pretty much any decent gun store

 

[Renton83]

In a perfect world yes. It’s still poor advice to tell someone to shoot steel in an older gun.

OP if you like your old shotguns treat them right and don’t use steel.
If you are required to shoot steel where your at I would get a different shotgun. I bet you could find tons of folks who would trade you for a newer model shotgun that is safe to shoot steel.

I agree with a classic gun like that, no need to shoot steel unless you are duck hunting and that gun wouldn't be suitable anyways. You want a good choke and 3" shells with steel.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

The issue is steel shot doesn't deform AT ALL, which is why it bulges barrels.

You're technically more correct than I am, but our premises are the same: steel shot deforms barrels.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

In a perfect world yes. It’s still poor advice to tell someone to shoot steel in an older gun.

Yep.

If you are required to shoot steel where your at I would get a different shotgun.

Or not go back to that facility.

I bet you could find tons of folks who would trade you for a newer model shotgun that is safe to shoot steel.

Mr for starters. I would go buy a new gun of his choice to trade for his 97.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

OK, I have the 97s and some 12s. Where is lead shot shells available?

When you're shopping for ammo, don't buy anything marked steel, e.g. "Fasteel" (which is a Kent brand marketing device, other brands have similar variations.) You will mostly only find steel in common duck hunting shot sizes, because lead is banned for duck hunting and steel has become the defacto replacement. Most of your upland game shot sizes (6 and higher) are still lead as well as all of your buckshot and slugs. (If it's not marked "steel," it probably isn't.)

If, for some reason, you wanted to legally hunt waterfowl with your 97, or any other vintage shotgun for that matter, you would need to find a "non steel, non-tox" ammo. It wil be very hard to find and very expensive (compared to steel). I've been very happy with Fiocchi Tundra, but ther eis also Bismuth (made by Kent) and Hevi-Shot's "Classic Doubles" (not their Black Cloud or other varieties.) Graf & Sons has been my preferred provider, but I haven't bought any in a few years. It's so expensive that, for a season's worth of ammo, I can just go buy some POS modern shotgun and shoot steel. Pretty much makes guns like a 97 or Model 12 a safe queen.

 

[MI2600]

Thanks for the inputs everyone. It gives me a better idea on what I will need to do, and thanks to DB Cooper, where to look.