Industrial 8 Gauge Ammo

[Eldon Goddard]

My cousin has several cases of 8 gauge shells he wants to give me. He found them in power plant, apparently they use them to clean the kilns. Can these be used in a 8 gauge shotgun? Or a vintage gun for that manner? He says the appear to be loaded with buckshot(the cases are clear). Has anyone heard of this type of thing?

[Tom Archer]

I'm not into 8-bores, but it is my understanding that 8-gauge shells marked "industrial" are NOT intended to be fired in a sporting gun; and I also understand that the brass portion of the shell case has been modified so that they will not fit the chamber of a sporting 8-bore guns. But they do have some value; so if they were being offered to me gratis, I'd certainly take them. Don't know what I'd do with 'em; but I'd take 'em.

[edgarspencer]

These shells were used for 'blowing' the plug on open hearth furnaces in steel mills. The plug is what held the molten metal back until tapping time. They are almost always a steel shot charge, akin to 0000 if memory serves. They are loaded to a very high pressure, and I'd venture to say would open up any sporting gun.
Whether the cases can be re-used, I couldn't say. They were also loaded in 4 bore cases.

[George M. Purtill]

I load and shoot 8 bores and the cases cannot be used without modification. all us 8 bore shooters modify these cases as regular sporting case are no longer available. i would gladly use these in my 8 bore- not as is of course!!!

[Richard Flanders]

I have some 10ga industrial ammo that is loaded with 750gr lead slugs. Talk about a bear load!!

[George M. Purtill]

I have some 10ga industrial ammo that is loaded with 750gr lead slugs. Talk about a bear load!!

I bet Charlie Cleveland could figure out a way to shoot those with success!!!

[Harold Lee Pickens]

In a similar vein, I was just given a bag of 100 new, primed Active hulls that are stamped DOOR BREACH LOADS. Anybody know if I can reload these? I would use them in 7/8 oz loads. I assume these must be for the military/police use.

[Eldon Goddard]

Well I am probably going to go see them some time this week and check them out. If they are usable for reloading that is interesting, but how would you get them to that point can you unload a shotgun shell? I have pulled some bullets on rifle rounds is there a shotgun equivalent? He also has 12 gauge would they also not be usable?

[Kevin McCormack]

These shells were traditionally used to blow the cement klinker scale off the walls of cement kilns. The kiln gun is a large device, and resembles the cal. 50 Browning heavy machine gun in size, shape and weight. The Remington museum has an outstanding example of a Remington-built kiln gun in their reference arms collection (not in the museum).

[George M. Purtill]

I agree with Kevin.
My understanding of the reason for the ridge being added to industrial shells was to make it IMPOSSIBLE for someone to accidentally shoot them in a sporting arm.
You know how people ignore clear warnings.
While yours may be loaded with buckshot, some of the industrial shells have outrageous hunks of cast lead- square not spherical- protruding from the case mouth. They are UGLY.
Kiln guns are more like cannons than guns.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

George,

Don't speak too soon on the fact that they won't chamber in a sporting gun. A friend out in the Western Isles of Scotland had a hammer gun they'd fall right into without modification. He didn't shoot them in it of course, but he didn't have to resize the brass on them when he reloaded his goose cartridges.


Destry

[George M. Purtill]

yes good point
the safety ring is not an insurance policy for the foolhardy

[Paul Harm]

One could open the end of the shell and take everything out, then remove the ring. Now you're ready to reload for Parker 8ga's.

[Bill Murphy]

Anyone with an eight gauge gun of little collector value can machine a piece of the chamber to allow the industrial shell to chamber. Industrial shells can be resized by someone who has a resizing die of the correct size.

[Mills Morrison]

Short answer : Don't shoot industrial 8 gauge ammo in your 8 gauge.

The hulls can be resized for our sporting guns and then reloaded with appropriate loads

[charlie cleveland]

you cannot use these shells as they are in a sporting gun....but you can take them apart and use the hull and primer....throw away the powder...if the shot is like no 2 or no 4 lead shot you can use the lead even the buckshot if its lead....if the slug is lead you can melt it down....to take the shell apart i cut about an 1/8 inch below the crimp take pour the shot out or use a srew to screw into a slug to pull it out of the hull then use screw to pull the wad or wads out of the hull pour powder out....you then will have to have a dye made to shrink the band around the brass base....a pipe the size of the brass hull will work if proper size use press to resize it....machine shop can easily do this....my resizer is made out of a piece of real thick pipe looks like a piston pin of a diesal engine...press the sleve onto hull i pull it resizes it turn it over and use a rachet extension or a cut off bolt stick inside of hull and press the hull out of the resizer.....you can push out the primer before doing this...the primer is just a 209 size....you can buy hulls plastic wads and paper wads from ballistic reloading and prescision reloading companys....any questions ask me or any of the other guys that reload 8 ga stuff...charlie