Shotguns

gajinoz

gajinoz

Joined
Sep 2, 2003
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I've been seriously considering getting myself a 410 shotgun, mostly for discouraging the snakes around the place.

Anyone care to suggest some good quality makers of these things?

Thanks.
 
I love my Rossi .22/.410 shotgun, It's small In size and can do the job. Not to mention 2 guns In 1 and reasonably priced.
 
A lot is going to depend on the cost you wish to incur. The big makers (Browing, Beretta) make .410's but they tend to be a bit more than the average person wants to spend just to kill snakes.

Cost is going to determine (to a large extent) the action you're going to get. A simple, single barreled, break action shotgun (the old Iver Johnson/HR pattern) can be had in the $100-$150 range. .410's are fairly uncommon in these though, and you may have to spend some time looking for one.

Pump action guns are available, but not as common as they used to be. Remington still offers the 870 in .410, but it's usually sold with a skeet choke in a fancy grade. Browning too has made .410 pumps, but not on a regular basis. Costs for these tend to be over $500. The very best of the pump actions (the Winchester M42) has become very collectable and is rarely seen under $1000, even for very used guns.

There are a fair number of used SxS guns, usually of Spanish or Russian/Turkish make, available also. These will be fairly simple and rough, but fairly reliable. Unfortunately the biggest drawback is that the cost of ANY repair is likely to set you back more than the gun itself. Look in the $300 - $1000 range. Stevens guns can be had here too, but the better makers (LC Smith, Parker, etc) are collectable and demand a price that puts them out of the running for your application.

The O/U's available are going to run you over $1000 unless you're very lucky. Mainly because (for some strange reason) there are more SxS double guns in .410, and the O/U's tend to be held by target shooters who use them (a lot).

I hate to recommend a type of gun to anyone without knowing what their preferences are, but I expect cost is going to be more of an issue for you than style, fit, or balance. I would suggest that a pump gun may be what you want, simply because of the cost and the ability to have that second shot available quickly (nothing like an upset snake to make you want another go); otherwise I'd look for a used Spanish SxS. The biggest advantage to the used gun is the devaluation is long over, and you'll get back whatever you put into it, should you decide to sell. If you want to make money at this, buy a Winchester 42; use it lightly and you'll actually gain equity.
 
You can buy 'snake' or 'rat' shot ammo in 22, 38, 357, and probably other calibers. If you reload ammo, shot rounds are easy to fabricate. BTW, an old cowboy trick, sometimes used to impress tenderfeet, is to shoot at a rattlesnake with an old, slow cartridge like the 45 Colt or even a 38 Spl. The snake will strike at the incoming bullet which blows its head off and the shooter gets a rep as a top-notch marksman. Of course, stay well out of the snake's striking distance regardless. As for makers, just about any company that makes shotguns makes 410s. If you buy one, make sure you get a 3 inch chamber so you can shoot both those and anything shorter.
 
Keep in mind that gajinoz is in Australia. He may be somewhat restricted as to what firearms are available.

Gaj, if you are not a sport shooter, a Savage or Rossi combination gun as mentioned by Turk.919 may be your most practical choice. Personally, I would go with the Savage. By the way, for really close range shots, there are .22 rimfire shot shells. They are not good for over 3 or 4m, but they won't splatter you with snake goo.

Take a look at this site. They even have pictures. :D

http://usedguns.com.au/used_shotguns.html#combinations
 
If i were you, i would look for a used break-open H&R shotgun, i got one in 20 gauge very cheap and i love the gun. that is, if you want a single shot.
Good luck!
 
20 gauge ammo is cheaper for me then .410 or 28 gauge. If that's true for you as well, you might want to consider a 20 gauge which will be much easier to find with cheaper ammo. With screw in chokes, you can shoot a skeet or improved cylinder choke from a good stand off distance and avoid back splatter.

The Taurus Judge comes in a rifle configuration so, you might find this to be a good solution if they are available in your part of the world. The Judge pistol might be handy but, is is also a large handfull to put in a hip holster.
 
as Sid Post commented, .410 ammo is a lot harder to find where I live than 12ga... unless you are limited by law or have an outstanding source of the .410 there is much more utility with the larger bore stuff...any of the older single shot break open guns from Savage, Harrington and Richardson or those made by them for the US retail stores would be the most inexpensive..... second the break open Savage 24 O/U with .22lr over 20ga for overall utility
 
Old CW4 said:
You can buy 'snake' or 'rat' shot ammo in 22, 38, 357, and probably other calibers. If you reload ammo, shot rounds are easy to fabricate. As for makers, just about any company that makes shotguns makes 410s. If you buy one, make sure you get a 3 inch chamber so you can shoot both those and anything shorter.

Old CW4, we have some property here in Ohio, & I started carrying my .357 w/ the snake shot with me a few years ago when mowing grass or working around the sheds & barns because of the snakes, mostly copperheads. A neighbor got bit in his barn moving some hay bales, hospital time & spent a few very uncomfortable nights afterwards. The .357 allows me to holster it & keep it with me no matter where I am instead of having to move a shotgun continually where I go. Good luck with your seach.
Be safe.
Click to expand...
 
I was going to say leave the poor critters alone, but then someone mentioned Australia..... Seriously nasty serpents over there...

I don't know how many reports of a "snake in the yard" I took. Usually, there would be some proud fellow there with his shovel or hoe and a thoroughly-mangled garter snake....
"Copperhead, ain't it?"
"Yeah...Sure, buddy. Good job."
 
turk.919 said:
I love my Rossi .22/.410 shotgun, It's small In size and can do the job. Not to mention 2 guns In 1 and reasonably priced.
Click to expand...

+1

I also have one of these, and it's a great "survival" or SHTF gun. It seems perfectly adequate for snakes.

The Taurus Judge might be a good idea if you don't want to carry a rifle.
 
410 is usually easier to find in Australia than 20g. The 20 can be found but it really never caught on here. There are several brands of single and double 410s around, mostly South American or Russian in origin. For farm work they are fine. Pump guns are out. Marlin and Winchester lever action 410s were imported for a while and while not common, they crop up from time to time. They are the only legal repeating option.

The 410 is effective on snakes and less destructive around sheds etc than the 12g.

I once killed a big Brown snake with a 22 shot cartridge (the Winchester rat shot style). The shot size is very small but works up close. I shot the snake inside my house and didn't want to use a 12g for obvious reasons (they make a mess of the furniture). The snake was aggressive and about 12inches from the muzzle when I fired the shot. It suffered no observable damage but the shot stopped it and I gave it another one in the head to make sure. The snake was was a good five feet long and thick across the body. I was amazed at the weight of the thing when I carried the dead snake outside. I lived on a farm at the time and calling the snake catcher wasn't an option.

Generally I would leave a snake alone but Browns in paticular can be aggressive and territorial. If a removal service isn't available, then you don't have many options.

A basic 410 double is a good choice. Buy a copy of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia magazine ( sort of Australia's version of the NRA - most of the larger gun retailers advertise in it and they also have a classified section.
 
Gaj, check out the Brazilian made "Boito" brand shotguns in .410.
Readily available, pretty cheap at around $400, and although not pretty, are tough and reliable. I think these are marketed as "Stoeger" in the US and are very popular with the cowboy shooter mob.

.410 ammo is expensive in Oz for some obscure reason, you might care to look at a Russian Baikal SxS DB in either 20 0r 12 gauge. Used with fine birdshot it will take care of any aggro snakes quick smart, and has the advantage of being usable for bunnies, foxes etc with a change of shot. (also tough and cheap, IMO an ideal farm gun)
 
Yeah Bluey, I was thinking the same a 12Ga would be easier to source and the ammo load more precise.

I reckon you only need a .22 Lr and a 12ga here, there isn't that much around that warrants a heavier load. If there is, well the old .303's are around $400 ;)
 
Thanks for the info guys.

I'm thinking .410 mainly because it will be around the house and sheds that it will get used mostly and possibly by the wife. We also have horses relatively close to the house at times and I want fairly low power loads so I'm not spraying lead into places I don't want it to go.

Not too concerned about ammo prices for this as I don't forsee using it that much, it really is just for that aggressive brown that decides to set up residence too close to mine.


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i dunno if its available in your area or of the price but iv been looking at this Bond Arms for alil bit thinking about the use of a .410 handgun or a medium sized revolver with shotshells for snakes.... its crazy that you posted this thread, my mom has a couple horses and works for a small stable, her boss was biten by a pygmy rattlesnake hiding under hay bales in their storage room. altho i gotta say it wouldnt of helped to much because he didnt even see the snake until it bit him



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it even called the Snake Slayer lol
 
Whatever is the cheapest 12 ga single shot with LOW Brass 7.5 or 9 shot will make good snakes out of bad snakes..every time.

Would be hard for me to justify a snake specific shooter here in Central FL however have plenty of firearms that could double duty.

Brown snakes, huh..sound bad..be careful.
 
well you can put any .410 or .45 Long Colt you wanted thru it so you could shoot small game, targets, and people if you wanted to

and i think its easyer to carry around
 
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