doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT - steel shot in Heavy Duck Model 12?

May be this has been covered before. Would like to hear from any one using steel shot factory loads in a M 12 Heavy Duck gun. Barrel wall is very heavy on these. Any problem with bulging with or without tight choke opened up? Thanks for repliies. Joe

Joe: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I think most here will agree that it's not a good idea to shoot steel through any Model 12 you care about. As I understand it, damage is possible in two ways. First, the steel in the shot is harder than the steel in the barrel, so the shot column will score the bore as it travels to the muzzle. Second, the tighter the choke (Full in an original Duck gun), the more likely the steel shot will jam up at the choke and cause a muzzle bulge or worse. Steel shot has no "give" to it, whereas the lead the Model 12 was designed for is softer than the barrel steel and will "rearrange" itself as it passes the choke. Shooting steel, at best, you'll much more quickly wear our a classic, high-quality, carefully choked Winchester barrel ... and the scenarios get uglier from there.

That leaves you with three choices: 1) Find another gun to shoot waterfowl with. 2) Open up the choke to IC or Mod, which would avoid the chance of bulging and probably work even better ballistically. 3) Shoot a non-toxic lead substitute like bismuth, which kills like lead and works in a Full choke. The problem with #1 is you want to shoot ducks with your Winchester, and I don't blame you. The problem with #2 is that it costs money and ruins the gun for guys who prefer original guns and option #3. The problem with #3 is that the new shells cost a small fortune. One other option occurs to me ... you could save the original barrel for special occasions and the trap range, and find a spare barrel that some other guy already paid to open up. Good luck, whatever you do. TT

I agree. It will eventually damage the barrel. Good luck.

Can any one say that he has actually seen a barrel bulged by use of duck-sized steel shot? I haven't found anyone. Lots of stories about "a friend of my wife's brother-in-law", etc. Those don't count.

Yes. I have seen a barrel bulged by using steel shot. Circa 1980, Browning A5, less than five rounds fired, Lac Que Parle wildlife management area, MN. What folks often don't understand, is that large sizes of lead shot fired through tightly choked thin barreled guns can and will cause bluges, as will stuck base wads.
Best,
Ted

Ted - Did you mean "Lead shot" or "Steel Shot"? Was it "duck sized" or something like BB or T shot?

I agree that it will probably damage your nise old gun. I have been shooting steel no larger than #1 through one of my 97's but then again before I did I opened the choke up from full to modified. Has been no damage so far but again I am pushing 73 and have health problems so I won't be freezing my ass of in any duck blinds despite my love of waterfowling. Maybe a goose or two in a nice heated pit blind. Good luck and please don't ruin your great of H.D. Model 12. Chopperlump

The steel shot that bulged the A5 was #2s, in a 2 3/4 inch loading, that may or may not have been magnums, that were popular in the era. Wisdom (at the time) stated that if you used a number 4 for ducks, steel 2s were the choice.
Lead buckshot has bulged plenty of thin barreled doubles in the past 100 years.
Also steel shot has come a long ways, especially wads, since 1980. Models 12s, have not, however. I'd get a less valuable piece for steel.
Best,
Ted

Thank you all for replies. I don't understand how steel shot will score or scratch the barrel,modern steel shot loads are full enclosed in the shot cup. I do understand about the full choke and how the steel wont compress. Opening the choke should take caare of that. Yes?

Oh yeah, run out and have it done as soon as possible before some one talks you out of destroying one more of the finest Full Chokes ever cut in a shotgun barrel!