Free: Contests & Raffles.
Are you saying this particular MGW shotgun is the one with exposed hammers and 20" barrel you shot at the pheasant release site? I looked up photos of the SB530 and I can find no gun with rabbit ears. If it does have exposed hammers then it may be old enough to be damascus barrels and that's a red light, even with modern conventional lead loads. If that is another gun then never mind.I feel your pain as I shoot only ancient guns. I have two LC Smith doubles, a trap gun in 12ga made in 1930, and a 16ga field gun made in 1946. I won't shoot steel in either gun due to concerns about damage to the barrels. And not just because of tighter chokes. It's my understanding the older steel in the barrel was softer than modern shotgun bores which are designed to shoot steel. It could be steel would be work ok, but I just don't want to chance it. As FU as it is it is us guys who shoot older shotguns just have to suck it up and shoot the expensive non-tox stuff. I have a small amount of Bismuth to last me this season in areas that I need to shoot non-tox, or in waterfowl hunting, but next season I'll probably bite the bullet and order a case of Boss non-tox shells.
Quote from: salish on October 24, 2021, 11:07:22 AMAre you saying this particular MGW shotgun is the one with exposed hammers and 20" barrel you shot at the pheasant release site? I looked up photos of the SB530 and I can find no gun with rabbit ears. If it does have exposed hammers then it may be old enough to be damascus barrels and that's a red light, even with modern conventional lead loads. If that is another gun then never mind.I feel your pain as I shoot only ancient guns. I have two LC Smith doubles, a trap gun in 12ga made in 1930, and a 16ga field gun made in 1946. I won't shoot steel in either gun due to concerns about damage to the barrels. And not just because of tighter chokes. It's my understanding the older steel in the barrel was softer than modern shotgun bores which are designed to shoot steel. It could be steel would be work ok, but I just don't want to chance it. As FU as it is it is us guys who shoot older shotguns just have to suck it up and shoot the expensive non-tox stuff. I have a small amount of Bismuth to last me this season in areas that I need to shoot non-tox, or in waterfowl hunting, but next season I'll probably bite the bullet and order a case of Boss non-tox shells.The shotgun in question is a single trigger no exposed hammers.The stage coach gun is is a fun gun that has earned a few birds.It seems like i could shoot steel #4 in the Improved Cylinder and back it with Bismuth. And yes it is 2 3/4" shells.
My guess is “no”. If it has a full choke most definitely “no”. Older shotguns that weren’t designed for steel can develop a bulge just upstream of the choke if fed steel. In a single barrel gun that might not matter much but it can cause the barrels to separate on a double gun.