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

Cowboy- no need to be sarcastic. I ask straighforward questions and you march in like the museum curator. Its my gun andd Id rather use it for intended purpose than sit in a nursing home years from now and wish I did. You make it sound like I aught to preserve the orig copy of Dec of Independence. The gun is worth may be $1,000 or so- not a big deal.

If money is no big deal to you, then buy shells with Bismuth shot and use it for it's intended purpose. Someone down the road will be glad that you did, not that you apparently care.

Haven't Brits been shooting steel loads thru thin barreled double guns for years now? I thought that Gamebore and Eley have made 2 1/2" steel loads for a long time now that are recommended for use in older doubles across the pond??? If the choke is opened up enough (I would say IC being the tightest), I dont see a problem with shooting steel in that old model 12, they are built like tanks, Winchester always used good steel in their barrels and the shot cup on steel loads today are amazingly thick. And as a general rule, yes, opening the choke up should alleviate/eliminate the barrel/choke bulge problem.

I have a hunting buddy that has a old beat up model 24, 30" barrels that were once choked full and full, had them opened up to cylinder and IC and has shot 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz. steel loads in it for the past 10+ years, no bulges, no blown barrels, no loose ribs, the gun is still tight and the only thing to show for it is about 150+ dead ducks and geese a season.

Dustin

Joe,I don't believe you will hurt the bore with steel shot. The modern wads are that good,but you will hammer the choke out of it. I would have the barrel threaded for screw in chokes if you must use it with steel shot. I had an early 1100 magnum done by Carlsons. Since choking takes place outside the barrel in the extended choke tubes,any damage to the choke won't affect the barrel. Just replace the choke. I got a Carlson stainless sporting clays choke in Modified and it shoots very tight with steel. I agree with you about using your gun. It is obsolete in it's present configuration for ducking. If they end up banning lead for all hunting then there is going to be millions of guns that will be obsolete for hunting unless they are really open choked.

Joe: Now go light a cigar with a couple of hundred dollar bills ... that'll show him how you roll, and it won't cost you (or your heirs) any more than altering your Heavy Duck as you propose.

Seriously, of course it's your gun and of course you can do whatever you want with it, but you need to cut Don some slack. You're the one who asked for advice, and now you're getting it, right?

Many here put a lot of time and sweat into preserving fine old guns, and get kind of worked up over things like choke-opening. What Don says of the Winchester Full Choke from that era is true ... it is very highly regarded and guys hate to see them destroyed, when so many already have been. Early on, I opened the chokes on several great old guns, only to regret it later. That's not to say that you will, but you might.

The Heavy Duck is much less common than the standard 12-gauge; George Madis suggests that less one percent of all Model 12s was a HD, and as they say, they're not making any more of them. Anyway, do what you want, but go slow and give some thought to your options. Happy hunting. TT

I still wouldn't take the chance. I remember Andy from Andy's Custom Shop saying he used to get Model 12s and 21s in all the time and the barrels were shreaded from using steel shot. If money isn't an object, go out and buy a nice used 870 and you won't have to do anything to the gun.

You picked the wrong board Joe, most people on this board are into preserving these old guns unless it is absolutely necessary to alter them. Shooting steel out of a classic pump is not absolutely necessary.

Pls read my first posrting again. I asked for advice from any one using steel shot loads in a heavy Duck. Not from apprentice curators & theorists and certianly not from them thinking my Heavy Duck is R.E. Lee's pistol or Eisenhower's Mod 21. I can sure shoot bismuthh or other cnon gtox shot but try to fly to far way places whikle limited to 5 kg of shells? And then the xray operators still give you a hard time. You gotta shoot whats available locally and that is steel. As far as buying a S/B 2 or a 870 you can do that if you want to, I will shoot my Mode 12. Again I ask from any one who has done this, not them that keep guns stacking in safe and take them out with white gloves on only for vanity to impress friends. Joe

Just be bull headed, your arrogance speaks volumes, so do what the hell ever you want. Your going to anyway despite good advice.
A "hard time" for a high roller like you is likely deserved.

What Ole' Grumpster is trying to tell you is only 1 out of about 100 model 12s is the "Heavy Duck" magnum gun. Steel shot is actually iron and softer then modern gun barrel, but large shot size and tightly choked older barrels don't make for a happy combo.
Don't mind Don Moody if he smiled his face would crack!