# Firearms and Shooting > Shotgunning >  This week we test a old shot gun for steel shot

## dskd

This week we test a old shot gun for steel shot and show you why you should get your gun test and buy the right ammo.

Why you have your shot gun tested for steel Shot | The Man Cave.TV

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## gsp follower

holy crap

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## mikee

> holy crap


yep you would if you were hanging on to it

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## JoshC

Nice vid man. Pity not all the people that need to see it will see it. Have you put it on Facebook??


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## dskd

its on the man cave tv page and you tube and my web site , but feel free to post it any where you like the more that see it the better

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## faregame

how much of that was the 3inch in 2 3/4 vs the steel?

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## dskd

all that did was speed it up , 2 3/4 steel in a full choke old gun will do the same one day may be 1 round may be 100 but there is a reason guns have proofs and its that they are proofed to a pressure and have a built in safety level ,  new steel shot is  way over the pressure that some old guns can handle .

the 3 inch is more likely to corse it to split at the chamber . as the crimp opens there is no room for it and you get a spike and split the chamber in your face ( what i was hopping would happen)
but this gun held and bulged  at its weakest point , then fully failed next round

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## jim160

It probably would have done close to that with 3"magnum lead in a 2 3/4 inch chamber.

But as you say, holy shit.  
A mate did that back in the day by scooping up some mud.  Blew 6 inches off the barrel.  Now its just 6in shorter.

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## dskd

ive see a few over the years best one was split like in the cartoons from front to chamber and I know someone that shot modern lead loads in a dismacus steel gun and nearly lost two fingers and a eye

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## gsp follower

> ive see a few over the years best one was split like in the cartoons from front to chamber and I know someone that shot modern lead loads in a dismacus steel gun and nearly lost two fingers and a eye


you,d hope people wouldnt just go buy a gun like that and ,make the same mistakes. 
makes the responciblity on gunshops much clearer and importanT. Ours to if you see anything like or even otherwise dangerous say something. bugger embarassment or reserve the person may just not simply know any better. .Sad as that is given they must have a gun licence.
stuff that i got off lightly with diminished hearing in my right lughole  from a russian 20 gauge semi exploding open at the breach as it fired :O O:  bieng a lefty im probaBLY LUCKY NOT TO HAVE LOST AN EYE AS WELL.

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## lophortyx

the test did not fairly represent the merits of the shotgun. the video was designed to exaggerate and alarm. steel does not condense,those russian/bakails are very tightly choked,the load was probably magnum.no attempt was made to secure the forearm etc.this video may have impressed idiots and the simple minded,but i'll still be safely shooting 32 gm steel,2 3/4 chambered loads through mod.chokes in my old shottie without any problems.

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## Gibo

I think you missed the gist of it

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## lophortyx

re.damascus.some modern guns are being made with damascus barrels,including purdeys. i shoot lead through damascus barrels without a problem.they are as strong or stronger than many steel barrels.however there may be unsound damascus barrels,unsound for a variety of reasons. if unsure don't use before getting an expert to have a look.and no,not many of these can be found at gunshops. best bet is a gunsmith who specialises in shotguns.

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## lophortyx

gibo - no i don't think i missed the 'gist' of it. i just object to people misrepresenting facts to make at point.it does everyone a disservice. look if you want to shoot heavy steel loads go and buy a semi-auto designed for it. thats what they are made for and do it well. don't shoot heavy loads through guns,ie most u/o's and sxs are only proofed for 32 grms or 36gms.further more as steel shot does not compress,the maximum choke should be no tighter than half choke(modified).and check your cartridges are not more than your chamber size. what damages shotguns most is firing a heavier load than what they were designed for,not damascus barrels or hammer guns- (gee they are dangerous), well any gun can be.but a damascus barreled hammer gun can be perfectly safe to shoot. i like to deal with facts not endlessly repeated stories that in their telling assume the status of fact. i am on guard for that.

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## dskd

> gibo - no i don't think i missed the 'gist' of it. i just object to people misrepresenting facts to make at point.it does everyone a disservice. look if you want to shoot heavy steel loads go and buy a semi-auto designed for it. thats what they are made for and do it well. don't shoot heavy loads through guns,ie most u/o's and sxs are only proofed for 32 grms or 36gms.further more as steel shot does not compress,the maximum choke should be no tighter than half choke(modified).and check your cartridges are not more than your chamber size. what damages shotguns most is firing a heavier load than what they were designed for,not damascus barrels or hammer guns- (gee they are dangerous), well any gun can be.but a damascus barreled hammer gun can be perfectly safe to shoot. i like to deal with facts not endlessly repeated stories that in their telling assume the status of fact. i am on guard for that.



where did i say you cant shoot steel in a ou that is proofed and choked for it ?  all I said is get you gun checked and use the right ammo , and showed what can happen when you get it wrong 

there is no way I'm going to tech people on a internet video how to chose the right ammo and test there gun at home with no advice thats just asking for someone to get it wrong and blame me

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## lophortyx

dskd.i think you would agree that the video was set up for a spectacular result.ok it is a visual world these days,but must our standards always be detirmined by idiots and the impressionable? if you had put a beretta A400 in that set up and fired a shot it still would have launched itself into the air and the gun would have been damaged on impact. in my opinion there should be a lot more awareness about ammo,the effectiveness of various loads etc.many novices think that big loads means more birds,no not necessary,it will damage gun and shoulder more and blow patterns apart.i would recommend that novices never shoot more than 35gms or steel that goes faster than 1450 ft/sec. i never have and i shoot my share and when i miss its never because of the ammo or gun,although i have used every other excuse.

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## JoshC

Lophortyx. There are many many people using shotguns at duckshooting who simply don't have the knowledge or experience you or I may have about what ammo you can use safely. I've seen (and stopped) guys from putting 3 inch steel into older shotguns, they simply didn't know what could happen if they fired it. I've stood beside a friend who split a barrel doing exactly this, 3 inch steel in an old o/u, shooting hares off a ute, he'd done a lot of shooting and didn't even know . All dskd is trying to show is what could happen and to get your gun checked if you aren't certain. I think it gives an excellent example of what could happen, as the video is pretty self explanatory. Wrong ammo, blown up gun. 


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## dskd

> dskd.i think you would agree that the video was set up for a spectacular result.ok it is a visual world these days,but must our standards always be detirmined by idiots and the impressionable? if you had put a beretta A400 in that set up and fired a shot it still would have launched itself into the air and the gun would have been damaged on impact. in my opinion there should be a lot more awareness about ammo,the effectiveness of various loads etc.many novices think that big loads means more birds,no not necessary,it will damage gun and shoulder more and blow patterns apart.i would recommend that novices never shoot more than 35gms or steel that goes faster than 1450 ft/sec. i never have and i shoot my share and when i miss its never because of the ammo or gun,although i have used every other excuse.


I'm going to test that i think , ill put 3 inch in my versa max and see if it jumps out or stays

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## gsp follower

i think it illustrates a point nicely.
there are people who think because a 3 inch shell fits into a 2 3/4 inch chamber ''its ok''
ive run into some guys who were told thier 18 inch barrelled riot gun with buckshot was fine for geese.
 kotuku was there that day and was incredulous as well as highly offended at their ignorance.
no permits either :Grin:

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## jakesae101

> i think it illustrates a point nicely.
> there are people who think because a 3 inch shell fits into a 2 3/4 inch chamber ''its ok''
> ive run into some guys who were told thier 18 inch barrelled riot gun with buckshot was fine for geese.
>  kotuku was there that day and was incredulous as well as highly offended at their ignorance.
> no permits either


have actually seen that guy went into a gun shop with a side by side (he didn't speak much English eastern European) they tested the chokes they were very tight and the guy at the shop told him that it cant shoot steel without the chokes being reamed and that they didn't have any 2 3/4 steel only 3 and that wont fit he dropped one in and goes see it fits the sales guy begged him not to buy the ammo and shoot it through the gun but he still walked out the door with some 3 inch steel

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## lophortyx

i do not have a great deal of sympathy for absolute idiots.yes there is a lot of ignorance around firearms,especially shotguns.shops that sell ammo have an obligation(in my opinion) to provide education to the people who buy it.i sold a shotgun,an italian u/o to a young shooter i explained to him and his father the maximum loads it could fire,the chamber size,chokes etc.three years later he rings me up and says the gun has a crack in the metal. i said what have you been firing in it? Oh,42gm goose loads,( bought for him by his father!). his father is otherwise an intelligent man.        yes i don't like things tarted to exaggerate,nor do i like, you must buy the latest and greatest, without critical examination.nor do i like perfectly good shotguns however old, trashed because of their vintage. the russian bakail, is a very strong gun,tightly choked though it may be. i accept that it is difficult to relate to idiots,if they cannot process facts,but this should not determine where we set the bar.

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## dskd

> i do not have a great deal of sympathy for absolute idiots.yes there is a lot of ignorance around firearms,especially shotguns.shops that sell ammo have an obligation(in my opinion) to provide education to the people who buy it.i sold a shotgun,an italian u/o to a young shooter i explained to him and his father the maximum loads it could fire,the chamber size,chokes etc.three years later he rings me up and says the gun has a crack in the metal. i said what have you been firing in it? Oh,42gm goose loads,( bought for him by his father!). his father is otherwise an intelligent man.        yes i don't like things tarted to exaggerate,nor do i like, you must buy the latest and greatest, without critical examination.nor do i like perfectly good shotguns however old, trashed because of their vintage. the russian bakail, is a very strong gun,tightly choked though it may be. i accept that it is difficult to relate to idiots,if they cannot process facts,but this should not determine where we set the bar.


I don't know why you keep call it a russian bakail as its not is made in Spain and Im sorry if it up sets you trashing old guns that ant real fit for much , but i thought it was a good use for it and if it stops one person doing it was worth it

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## lophortyx

ok dskd i only viewed the video once,however the fact that its not a bakail doesn't suprise me,a bakail would have withstood that onslaught for more than two shots. i accept that you are doing it to educate/promote,but i have been around long enough to remember the scaremongering over damascus barrels which led to the demise of many a good gun.also gunshops seem happy to sell ammo which is unsuitable for various shotguns, i don't see that they take on any responsibility there? just my thoughts.

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## kotuku

> i think it illustrates a point nicely.
> there are people who think because a 3 inch shell fits into a 2 3/4 inch chamber ''its ok''
> ive run into some guys who were told thier 18 inch barrelled riot gun with buckshot was fine for geese.
>  kotuku was there that day and was incredulous as well as highly offended at their ignorance.
> no permits either


 incredulous ,read fucking angry.these frigging clowns had no bloody idea what they were doing. they boasted of going down to "blow parries away ,for fun man dont need a license" FFS Id just watched them try and tow a Quad bike out of a hole with a trail bike ,before all of them had to manhandle both out!
weapons safety -no existent shotgun tossed by one caught by another.GSPF timely arrival prevented me from really doing my scone!
ringleader "-use buckshot for everything this wee beauty(excuse me whilst i chunder)handles em all!!!!!!!"
   ""Im a pighunter ,got mates on a farm down south heaps of pigs ......blah blah blah"(do pigs die of laughter??????)
   Now wait for it
 GSPF-"is it loaded??????"

 "HOW DO YOU UNLOAD IT-" yes you heard it me the dick heads response.
 I took off around the offside of my truck to give myself a bloody good talking to .I honestly felt an overwhelming urge to whip in grab the fucking thing ,drop it down the close by longdrop shitter ,the grab my trusty escort and play the idiots 2step as I serenaded the wankers with FUCK off !!
 whoever supplied that weapon&ammo to those imbeciles should be courtmartialled for negligence!
 sorry for hijacking the thread folks but this was so dangerous i had to enlarge on it!

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## kotuku

actually on the original subject iremember in the mid 1970s doing a duckshooting preseason clay shoot at the kokatahi gun club.the bought a DOL inspector in who gave us a bloody excellent presentation on firearms safety .this guy really knew his stuff ,so much so I can still recall it even today.the photos of what happens if a 20g is put into a 12g chamber then a 12g is dropped on top ,were definitely ball grabbing.likewise his detonating of ye old .303 with a crescent tap on the cocking piece.!
 My late father confiscated his great grandfathers gun off my cousin in the mid 1960s,due to smokeless 23/4"ammo being used .Dad was adamant then that this was not on.
I have the said gun(clan heirloom)and the damascus bores are akin to a very severe case of adolescent acne.I removed the firing pins(buggered both)and thus it will remain.

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## Toby

At the end of the day just get your old shotguns checked. My granddad went in to get his chopped but the gun smith wouldn't do it because it would ruin the gun. He instead bored out the barrels. Works fine too pop went out to retrieve a duck I shot and this drake came shooting in just as he got out of the mai mai so I picked up pops gun dropping my empty gun shitty pump action and dropped the hua with number #2 steel. Was pretty cool

Just to add, my dad and uncle never had to cut or bore out the barrels on their old side by sides to shoot steel so it is worth getting the old guns checked as they could be very usable still. It'd be a shame to turn your old shotty into a safe queen because you're too lazy to get it checked. 

On the note of blowing barrels also be very careful of reloads you are given. My first shotgun was a old as SxS and I loved it until I got given some handloads and they ended up swelling my barrels up. Lucky it didn't go bang instead but cant have been far off splitting open you could make out a small fracture

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## gsp follower

> *i do not have a great deal of sympathy for absolute idiots*.yes there is a lot of ignorance around firearms,especially shotguns.shops that sell ammo have an obligation(in my opinion) to provide education to the people who buy it.i sold a shotgun,an italian u/o to a young shooter i explained to him and his father the maximum loads it could fire,the chamber size,chokes etc.three years later he rings me up and says the gun has a crack in the metal. i said what have you been firing in it? Oh,42gm goose loads,( bought for him by his father!). his father is otherwise an intelligent man.        yes i don't like things tarted to exaggerate,nor do i like, you must buy the latest and greatest, without critical examination.nor do i like perfectly good shotguns however old, trashed because of their vintage. the russian bakail, is a very strong gun,tightly choked though it may be. i accept that it is difficult to relate to idiots,if they cannot process facts,but this should not determine where we set the bar.


i do have some sympathy for a keen newbie without the rellies or aquaintaNCES TO DO THINGS RIGHT.
but yes there is enormous responcibility on sellers to see that what they sell is well explained and if any stupidity is present dont sell.
i dont know if its todays generation or what but the dont seem to like asking questions or bieng asked either.??
kotuku id forgotten about the ''loaded'' bit they were a revelation those boys. :O O:  :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:

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