Recently, I pulled out the shotgun for some range practice. I prefer the manual shotgun over the semi-auto I got for my wife. I, like most people, can shoot the semi-auto much faster, but I prefer the manual. Both have been reliable guns, but I modified the manual a bit. I added an extended tube magazine and matching spring to carry more rounds.
I like to keep the sling rubber banded until I need it to organize the safe.
Most off-the-rack shotguns marketed
for hunters have a plug that prevents you from loading more than three of the
possible five rounds. This is considered
sporting. But for gun games and
self-defense, I want to carry a few more.
I replaced the magazine follower
with a metal plug; the original was plastic.
I thought the fore-end was too slippery and wide, so it went goodbye,
and a smaller, grooved grenade-style grip replaced it.
The biggest fault with a manual
shotgun is the tendency to short-stroke the action. You fail to pull the fore-end all the way
back before attempting to advance a shell into the chamber. This results in a jam. It's very easy to say, "Well, I don't do
that," but under stress and the adrenaline burn of conflict, things
happen.
Out on the range, I went through 25-30
rounds, shooting a V-shaped arrangement of steel plates in different patterns
of engagement. I did this to remind
myself of how the gun works, practice reloading, and taking the safety off. It was also fun.
It is a basic shotgun. You can see forearm I installed.
I discovered my shotgun doesn't like to load additional shells into the magazine if there is an empty in the chamber. I want to practice firing two and topping off two. I had no success with that until I wigged to the need to eject the spent shell and load a fresh one into the chamber.
If you have been studying the
photos, you realize I shoot a 20-gauge Remington. Years ago, a high speed-low drag shotgun
course had me fire twenty 12-gauge slugs in an hour and left me with a bum
shoulder. I am anticipating a future in
which, if I must fire one slug, I'll have to fire several. I don't need to become injured while dealing
with the situation or developing the yips from shoulder pain.
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| 20 gauge with slug barrel |
I hear shooters claim that a 12-gauge slug has the same energy as an elephant gun. That's not true; it is actually closer to a .308. A 12-g Remington slugger has a muzzle energy of 2,741 ft-lbs. A .577 nitro is twice that at 5400 ft-lbs. .308 is around 3000 ft-lbs. Depending on the ammunition, a 20-gauge slug can deliver 1,500 to 2,000 ft-lbs.
Almost everything you can do with
a 12-gauge, you can do with a 20-gauge.
There is a wide enough range of slugs, double-aught buck, and bird shots
to cover your defense/sporting needs.
The bigger problem was the lack
of accessories for the small frame 20G that was available when I purchased mine
30 years ago. I could not find a side
saddle that fit or a suitable tactical light.
So, are shotguns great? I know some people who think they are.
My biggest grip is cleaning a
shotgun is a pain. I detail strip as I
don't know when I'll shoot it again, and I want it clean and oiled. The receiver is filled with sharp little edges
and is difficult for my fat fingers to reassemble.
During the cleaning process, I
kept finding tiny green specks of material.
My hands were too oily to document them with a camera; trust me, they
were there. I carefully removed everyone
I found. I don't want foreign material
affecting the gun's action.
The bigger question in my mind
was, where was it coming from? Was my
oil clotting? The shells are
yellow. What's going on?
It wasn't until I was
reassembling my extended magazine that I noticed the spring plug I use is a
green plastic.
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| I swap out the original wood, not wanting to trap moisture..... |
That’s a mystery solved.
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