Russian Paradox 600 grain slug 18.40mm

[fenman]

Hi all
could a 18.40 mm(0.7244094) slug be fired through 18.30 mm(0.7204724) smooth bore barrel of Saiga 12 is this acceptable ? ,I would rather ask than grow a new head !

[longbow]

While I can't say for certain it is safe, that is only 0.004" over bore diameter (I was brought up with metric but for guns and machining think in thou's) so I bet with the narrow driving bands you'd be okay.

To be sure, you can easily make or have made a simple hammer through sizing die.

I just made on so I can size up my "full bore" slugs that cast at 0.729" exactly (as planned) except the gun I am shooting them in has 0.734" bore! So, I knurled them up to 0.735" then used my newly made hammer sizer to size them back to 0.733". If they still don't shoot well enough I'll hone a thou out of the sizer so they are exactly bore size.

All it is, is a piece or round bar bored to the size you need with an opening to accept the oversize slug then the sizing portion. I use a plastic faced hammer to drive the slugs through with a punch... much like the old Lee sizing dies. You would easily be able to size down 0.004" and have exactly (or slightly under) bore size slugs.

That said, I have shot many 0.735" round balls through my gun (which does have a large bore) and also through a rifled Remington 870 that ran 0.727" groove diameter. No problems. Balls have little bearing area, but still.

I'd suggest the hammer sizer just to be sure. Then you can have any slug custom fit to your bore. I don't think anyone makes 12 ga. sizers commercially. A local machinist could make on for pretty cheap I think if you don't have access to a lathe.

Longbow

[tomme boy]

Tumble lube them in ALOX. It helped my 20ga Saiga. It has a tight bore as well.

[fenman]

cheer's Longbow ,I will look into a sizer ,I have made them in the past so I know what you mean !

[fenman]

Hi Tomme Boy I was going to lube them as the original Kynoch paradox was lubed ,interesting you saiga 20 is on the tight side !(i will check mine ) ,I am also getting a Russian 20g lyman copy ,I will post when have some results from the 20g and 12g

[tomme boy]

I sent my 20ga Saiga out and had screw in chokes installed. I ran a extended rifled tube. Made a huge difference

[fenman]

Nice I cut and threaded my for saiga external chokes ,I would like a paradox choke but they are not legal in UK

[longbow]

Rifled choke tubes are not legal in the UK!?! Why would that be?

Are slugs legal? Round balls?

I guess if the bureaucrats ruled that slugs or balls were illegal then you wouldn't have a "need" for a rifled choke tube. But still, to make it illegal I find odd.

[bikerbeans]

A former CB member told me he fired 0.73" heat treated slugs through a saiga autoloader. He said the slug split the externally threaded choke tube but the barrel was not damaged.

BB

[fenman]

Hi Longbow slugs/balls are only legal for target shooting shot range ! psg ,NRA have target shooting discipline .no hunting with slugs in uk .
rifled chokes ,thats rifle in eyes of our uk law ! yes very odd !

[fenman]

Hi bikerbeans thanks for your input, it would be nice to know what size his choke was?or rifled choke ? would the slugs be heat treated to make them harder ? is that for rifled choke only ? , I purchased an extra choke and cut the taper off just to make a thread protector ,I am taking the safe way and if in doubt size them down ! and make them out of soft lead like Lee recommend for drive key slug !

[tomme boy]

Size them to your bore diameter

[fenman]

Hi Tomme Boy thanks for your input ,makes sense bore diameter ! rather than .004 over ,with soft lead it would size down in forcing cone ,but lead fouling would be high ! ,and that takes the fun out of it !

[tomme boy]

Coat it in alox. It will help to lube the bullet the whole way down the barrel. Your going to get leading no matter what you do. Just need to keep it in check.