Steel Shot in Parkers

[Bruce Day]

It might be helpful for people to actually read the current Shooting Sportsman Roster article before saying what it says and doesn't say. I may be wrong , but it just seems to me that is a way to have a more enlightened discussion.

[Opening Day]

Bruce this is what I have said before:

"All that being said, I don't care if anybody wants to shoot steel out of a vintage gun. If you want to do it, more power to you. But don't say it's perfectly fine on a public vintage gun forum where any novice might read it and think you actually knew what you were talking about."


Destry is right, saying this on a public forum where some novice goes to Walmart and buys the cheapest steel shot available (I know you wouldn't) who don't any know better and shoots it and possibly ruins a fine vintage gun. You want to shoot steel fine but don't go out and say it on a public forum

John D I do know of a very nice light framed Lefever 16 ga that got ring bulged shooting number 6's in a light Mod. barrel, it can happen, and yes they were cheap loads but he was told it would be ok .....

[John D.]

Folks can read what they want - and shoot whatever they want in their own Parkers... From my end - and I'm no lawyer nor gun manufacturer.. To John Dallas - I've seen a lot of barrel bulges in vintage firearms where they thought shooting steel was "OK"..

So - sure - shoot whatever you want, read whatever you want, believe whatever you want - it's fine by me and you sure don't need my permission to do so...

If you want enlightened discussion about the effect of steel on barrel erosion - well, then that's another thing.. I could add to that, but frankly - when folks brought in their wreaked vintage shotgun with a bulged barrel where the choke started constriction - I really didn't take the time to notice if steel had eroded that tube in addition to wreaking the gun...

Or - I could tell you about the time someone else walked in - who had a FULL choke in a MODERN gun - and shot a steel load out of it? Stripped the choke right out of the barrel - and bulged what was left of the barrel 1/2" from the muzzle... BUT - what the heck do I know..

Shoot what you want - they are your guns!

John

[ch]

I just bought some nice shot its harder than I expected. I couldn't dent it with my teeth. How do the gamewardens check realoades for lead or no tox?

[MarketHunter]

Calvin,

Really premium magnum lead shot is hard to dent with your teeth too. NiceShot is fine in old guns, been lots of testing on that account.

Wardens use an electronic tool that tests the density of the shot in the shells. They drop the shell in there and it tells them what type of shot it contains. NiceShot is almost exactly the same density as lead and will sometimes read lead with the device. I had a fairly tense discussion with a warden in Canada when I had some of the experimental NiceShot loads from RST out to test them. He was a reasonable man and everything ended up fine, I later ran into him again and he'd actually gone to the trouble to do a little online research. He'd read up on it in case he ran onto the problem again.


Destry

[Bruce Day]

I understand that the possibility of ring bulges exists in any barrels , particularly thinner barrels, if large diameter hard shot is used with tight chokes , regardless of the composition of the shot. I've seen ring bulges from lead and I'm sure they can occur with steel also.

I would not be surprised to learn that many Parker ring bulges resulted from lead buckshot loads.

Bursts and bulges can occur for all sorts of reasons not attributable to the composition of the shot material. I witnessed a barrel burst from a light lead RST load and I have also witnessed barrels not burst or ring bulge even when grossly overpressure loads were used. The issue to look into the issues in a careful and rational manner. I thought the Roster article was interesting, but each to his own.

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

I understand that the possibility of ring bulges exists in any barrels , particularly thinner barrels, if large diameter hard shot is used with tight chokes , regardless of the composition of the shot. I've seen ring bulges from lead and I'm sure they can occur with steel also.

I would not be surprised to learn that many Parker ring bulges resulted from lead buckshot loads.

Did you read my post ?............ I did not refer to large diameter shot or buckshot, it was number 6 shot through a light Mod barrel, yes he was new to vintage guns but was told by a friend that he could shoot steel maybe it was a one in hundred chance, but why take the chance...? And to put it on a public forum.... do what you want to your guns but don't be telling people it's ok and "no problem" and then they go out and buy some cheap steel shot loads the may damage thier gun.... what will you say to them then ?

Man I am tired of this discussion !

[MarketHunter]

Bruce is quick with the edit these days, particularly since Dunkle changed the edit function on here. *chuckles*

I've wished Bruce would actually exit for years now, but he seems to keep coming back. I remember the forum in it's pre-Day days when we actually had fun. Now everything is all Bruce all the time, every post every thread. Guess when you have hunting buddies in high places you get more latitude than others.


Destry

[Bruce Day]

Barrels ring bulge or burst from all sorts of reasons not connected with shot material . I found the Roster article interesting and thought provoking. If people don't want to be thought provoked, don't even look at it.

My own personal experience with shooting steel shot from vintage guns is limited, but it is intriging. I've shot some small shot steel, 7 shot , and about a box of No. 6 from an IC bored 12ga Parker with thick barrels and many boxes of all sizes from my old Mod 1912 12ga with Mod choke and nickle steel barrel. I never noticed any problem, no erosion, no streaking, nothing different. When I heard what Roster was saying about he developed the sturdy shot cups for Remington that fully protected the barrel bore, it became more interesting. That's my experience, others may have different experiences and people will make their own decisions.

If a person is tired of the discussion and their headbone is hurting, well, you know, maybe they don't need to read it? Just saying that there are alternatives.

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

Barrels ring bulge or burst from all sorts of reasons not connected with shot material . I found the Roster article interesting and thought provoking. If people don't want to be thought provoked, don't even look at it.

Very true Bruce but if you had read my post, you may have read that it was #6 steel shot out of a light mod. choke, guess I can't spell it out any better then that.... Was it cheap shells probably with poor shot cup probably, but you come on here and state it is ok to shoot steel through any gun if the chokes are less then full choke and the gun is sound. Bad advice...!