1936 model 12 question

[stainless plastic]

is it ok to shoot slugs through my 1936 model 12? its a 12 gauge with a 28" barrel....serious answers only please...i dont want to hear other peoples guesses

[bjl333]

is it ok to shoot slugs through my 1936 model 12? its a 12 gauge with a 28" barrel....serious answers only please...i dont want to hear other peoples guesses

If the barrel have a Mod or Full choke than no. If the barrel is IC than yes. Shooting a slug through a tight choke will open the choke pattern of the barrel. Some say it will add pressure because of the tighter exit.

I would probably have someone check the restriction of the barrel to see where it stands. Because over the last 72 years life of the barrel someone might have done the slug thing already.

[Mike A]

Depends on a lot of things. I wouldn't shoot solid copper slugs through a full or modified choke, for sure.

BUT if you are shooting the "old" American Foster-type slugs (introduced in 1936!) like the original Remington "Slugger", those are made to shoot through any normal choke, including full. Shooting those thru tight chokes--that is factory tight, not some custom turkey choke--won't harm the barrel; they are made with a hollow base that will "squish" to conform to the diameter of the choke. When soft lead meets steel, unless it is SOLID lead like the old "punkin ball"load, the lead gives, not the steel. Same goes for the original Brennecke "spool type" German slugs introduced in 1898. With them the "rifled" fins that are supposed to make them spin in flight will just get squashed a little by the tight choke. And the Germans typically make VERY tight full chokes and shoot slugs through them regularly.

That said, blj333 is right in that you almost certainly won't get much accuracy from the full choke, and may not with modified. Too much "squish" and the increased pressure of the slug going though the tighter choked barrel may distort the skirt of the slug and make it not fly very true. Improved cylinder and more open chokes GENERALLY shoot Foster-type slugs better than tighter chokes.

I've never used sabot type slugs and have no experience with how they react to chokes. Since your gun is unrifled, I suspect they won't shoot well.

The biggest problem you'll have with Foster type slugs in your old Model 12 is that it has no sights and without a way to sight the gun in, you will be guessing where the slug will go. That leads to many a missed--and worse, wounded--animal.

Back issues of "Handloader" magazine have articles by the late Don Zutz and others that cover in great detail the accuracy and safety of shooting Foster slugs thru regular shotgun barrels, including all the common chokes.

[BigDogatPlay]

At 28 inches I'd hazard an educated guess that the barrel is choked Full. Should be rollmarked on the barrel just forward of the receiver for you to confirm.

Tighter chokes will not always increase accuracy, as called out above. You can run a lead rifled slug or three through it from time to time and it should be fine. I wouldn't make a habit out of it as there is risk of bulging the barrel a bit, particularly an older one that probably has a fairly narrow profile and which was made in the days before magnum shells.