BB's in Handgun Rounds?

[BulletFactory]

Has anyone put any BBs in thier handgun rounds?

I was thinking about putting 2 or 3 in the .40 cartridges, sorta like the Winchester shells designed for the Taurus Judge.

Any cautions? Anybody do any testing? Are they illegal?

[x101airborne]

I would caution against regular BB's in a handgun. BB's are very hard steel and I think would peen the crab cakes out of your rifling. Now in a plastic sabot, I dont know. If you want to make some ratshot, get a set of crimp style blank forming dies from Hornady. Use 10mm brass for the 40 cal pistol. Anneal them, prime, and charge with about 3.5 grains bullseye. Seat a 44 cal felt wad and measure your shot to figure the appropriate amount. Crimp the end and seal with a little elmers school glue. I do something similar in a 9mm and they will penetrate a barn rat AND the old style tin behind it. Ejection is a little hit or miss, though. BRUTAL on copperheads and rattlers. Literally rips em in half at 10 feet.

[DLCTEX]

If you are talking about BB's as in air rifle it's a definite no. They are steel and would be very bad for the barrel. Lead shot BB's on the other hand would be ok, but more than 2 or 3 could be used. Do a search for shot loads as there is a lot of onfo available.

[DLCTEX]

X101airborne posted after I started responding.

[leftiye]

Old trick - swage shot into jackets for peestolaz. Make full cup "soft noses" with ogives, and no exposed lead except on the front end = safety slugs. Don't work with steel shot.

[flounderman]

I loaded 357 using a gas check upside down over the powder and another upside down over the shot. snakes don't even twich. I shot the first one again because it didn't move. had the dies for the 45 acp and you cut off 30-06 cases the right length and it forms a crimp like a blank. we cut plastic lids for wads. done right, they feed thru a 1911

[fatelk]

I would caution against regular BB's in a handgun. BB's are very hard steel and I think would peen the crab cakes out of your rifling.
Anyone remember the Swedish 9mm training rounds, the ones with a black plastic bullet with a steel "BB" in the tip? I have a Hi-Power barrel that looks like a tiny little vandal got inside and beat the daylights out of the rifling with a ball peen hammer.

[Will]

I tried using some big shot in some snake loads but over 3 feet the pattern opens up too much to be sure of a hit and I don't want to get that close to a big diamond back.