Be Careful Buying or Swapping Shotgun Ammo

Sorry to be a grinch, but i have mixed feelings about the OP's advice. If an adult is dumb enough to shoot .357 in a .38, etc... maybe you should just let some excess stupidity be purged from the gene pool. Just sayin...;)
 
moonwilson said:
Do they even make shotguns with less than 3" chambers anymore?
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Hi,

Yes they do. Dedicated clays guns, like trap or skeet are 2 3/4". You can get also still get British guns in 2 1/2" chambers.

Interestingly way back in the day, when 2 1/2" chambers were standard. There were some dedicated live pigeon guns with up to 3 1/2" chambers. They were made not for more shot or powder, but more cushion wads. The idea was to improve patterns with less deformed shot. I've seen one 1920's L.C. Smith Pigeon Grade with 3" chambers.

dalee
 
not to steer this one off topic again, but i most certainly get those black rings in my ruger GP100 .357 cylinders. i shot (a lot) of .38SPL through it, lead wadcutter bullets, and "bullseye" powder, all rounds i reloaded myself.

the rings were a real PITA to clean, and i still somewhat have the residue in the cylinders, no matter how much i scrub w/ a copper wire brush. i used a dental pick tool to scrape most of it loose.

i do clean all my weapons regularly following a range session.


i attribute the fouling to:

1) cheap (bulk packed) lead wadcutter bullets
2) dirty burning powder (bullseye)
3) LOTS of rounds downrange in a given range session (400-500 each time).

my last batch of reloads were with slightly pricier FMJ bullets from rainier. i noticed they tend to leave little to no buildup around the rings. probably b/c no lead. makes sense.

the lesson? it's ok to shoot 38SPL through 357MAG, as everyone has mentioned. lead buildup much less an issue if you shell out 1-3 cents more per bullet for FMJ.
 
Last year I saw some foreign made 3 inch shells that would not cycle in a pump shotgun made for 3 inch shells. A quick check against a Remington shell showed that the foreign made shell was longer. Just a reminder to see what your gun likes before you stock up.
 
My method to clean revolver, auto pistol, and shotgun chambers:

1. Revolvers and autos. I chuck up a brass brush in my electric hand drill, wet the brush with Hoppes, and get with it. I run the revolving brush in/out from each end of the cylinder. Of course, support the cylinder with your other hand while you're doing this; never with the cylinder just 'hanging out there' from the cylinder crane. To clean a revolver 'forcing cone,' the funnel or tapered cone shaped area at the rear of the barrel, I bend a right angle in a larger caliber bore brush that's a snug fit, use some lead/copper remover, and do it by hand. If you're tricky, you can also go down the bore from the muzzle with a short length of brass ramrod, screw on the brush with lead/copper remover added at the breech end, chuck the ramrod in your drill at the muzzle end, then pull the brush into the forcing cone and work it in and out.

2. Shotgun chambers. These occasionally need a thorough cleaning too. They get fouled with both powder and plastic shell and wadding residue. I wrap a brass bore brush on the end of a ramrod with OOO steel wool, add a bit of Hoppes, chuck up the drill and let 'er rip. You won't remove any metal with OOO steel wool but it will remove the flouling and also 'burnish' the chamber/cone area mirror bright. Remember, I did say occasionally. Usually a routine cleaning will do the trick but sometimes, after a lot of shooting, you can get fouled chambers. Also, remember, no coarser steel wool than OOO. (The more 'O's' the finer the wool.)
 
Ed Ricketts said:
Sorry to be a grinch, but i have mixed feelings about the OP's advice. If an adult is dumb enough to shoot .357 in a .38, etc... maybe you should just let some excess stupidity be purged from the gene pool. Just sayin...;)
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awww come on. not everyone is a big knife nut, gun nut, ______ nut. some people are just learning, some people are curious. some people just don't know better until someone shows them the way.

all things considered, anyone shooting or interested in shooting in a step in the right direction for our "cause." it should be yours/my/ours personal responsibility to point them in the right direction.



when everyone practices good safety, responsibility, and firearm awareness, then we win.
 
PS thanks for the advice on cleaning the cylinder/shotgun lead fouling. i believe you, or someone on these forums, passed that tip about using the brush in an electric drill.


i gave my 357 a pass with the drill the other day and it worked reasonably well. not all of the fouling is out, but next time i'll remove the cylinder from the frame entirely to give me some more room to work, and i'm confident it'll get it all touched up.
 
one thing you can do that will clean a revolver until it looks like its never been fired. is to shoot a couple cylinders full of blackpowder cartridges, then clean it with soap and water and windex. even the front of the cylinder will be clean.

take it easy
cricket
 
Midget said:
not to steer this one off topic again, but i most certainly get those black rings in my ruger GP100 .357 cylinders. i shot (a lot) of .38SPL through it, lead wadcutter bullets, and "bullseye" powder, all rounds i reloaded myself.

the rings were a real PITA to clean, and i still somewhat have the residue in the cylinders, no matter how much i scrub w/ a copper wire brush. i used a dental pick tool to scrape most of it loose.
Click to expand...

You could try a Lewis Lead Remover. It uses brass screens on a rod to scrape out the lead. Brass won't scratch steel.
 
cricketdave said:
one thing you can do that will clean a revolver until it looks like its never been fired. is to shoot a couple cylinders full of blackpowder cartridges, then clean it with soap and water and windex. even the front of the cylinder will be clean.
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Interesting. I've never heard that. Personally, I'd rather use modern chemistry.

Of course, if you shoot black powder cartridges, wash the gun with hot soapy water promptly after shooting. Black powder residue will absorb water from the air and start rusting the metal pronto.
 
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