C-More M26 Shotgun

[Keith]

My new shotgun arrived in the mail yesterday. I want to cast slugs and use in it. I have ordered a red dot sight, the Vortex SPARC AR for it. It only has a modified choke tube fitted and I cant find out if one can get a rifled choke.
If not I will chop the barrel and sweat on an adapter to take Invector chokes so I can fit a rifled choke that way.
Anyone had experience with these?
Its nearly impossible for us in OZ to get stuff out of the USA.

C-More mag03 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/141809689@N05/

[bikerbeans]

No experience with that scattergun but I have found box feed semiautomatics can be quite picky about what ammo they will cycle correctly.

;BB

[smithnframe]

Good luck!

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Very nice looking shotgun how long is the barrel and its OD at the muzzle ?
Wonder if they also make it in 20 ga
Can you please tell us as to how much it cost ?
Thanks for sharing it.

Best regards,
Ajay K. Madan
Super Blazing Sabots

[Keith]

It is an 18 inch barrel. All made in the USA originally for the Military
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M26_Mo...Shotgun_System
I thought you guys (Stateside) would know all about them
Its 12 gauge with a modified choke but they must use their own thread as its a very fine one and I cant find a commercial choke to fit
It will take Saiga mags and they dont seem to have feed problems.
They dont make a 20 gge. Only this model for civilian use.
However would this choke be OK for slugs as is before I chop the barrel and sweat on an adapter? I could try bought slug loads but really want to cast my own.

[skrapyard628]

Thats an interesting scattergun. First time I have heard of it and I tend to gravitate toward semi-auto mag fed shotguns so it surprised me. Then I saw that it is manually operated.

I would think that they werent too popular here in the USA because they are manually operated and we are able to easily pick up a semi-auto mag fed shotgun if we want one. It is kinda neat that they made a short barrel version that you can attach to your AR15. But also kinda pointless since it seems like it would be really bulky hanging off the front of an AR, and since there was already the Masterkey (a short-barrel rail attached 870).

You should be fine shooting slugs through that modified choke. I have a Saiga 12 with a modified choke that has eaten boatloads of foster slugs, remington sluggers, and some soft round balls.

I would say to keep away from sabot slugs though. To my recollection the sabot slugs are designed to be fired through rifled barrels, not smoothbore.

[CastingFool]

Any way you could ream out the modified choke to improved cylinder? That is what my factory slug barrel was choked. I could get 2-3/4" groups at 50 yrds all day long, as long as I did my part.

[Keith]

Thanks for that. Might be worth a try as is then before I do anything drastic.
Did our weekly trip to town today and our gun shop had some rifled slug loads so I bought a box of 5 to try when my red dot arrives.
I ordered a Lyman slug mould as well. Looks like an airgun pellet shape and goes in a plastic wad . so will try them as well.
If I could keep them in a 6 inch gong at 50 yds that would do.

[Keith]

Any way you could ream out the modified choke to improved cylinder? That is what my factory slug barrel was choked. I could get 2-3/4" groups at 50 yrds all day long, as long as I did my part.

Sorry , it is an IC choke not modified. Just about to test these four loads I have.

[Keith]

Just to test it I tried my home grown Lyman slug. It did not do too well. All these are 50 yards.
Its the 3 holes with a circle around them. One near the centre the rest going higher..
Next was the S&B special slug. Up near the top. One keyholed.
Next the Federal Power Shok FPS, not much good either.
Next the Federal Vital Shok. I had nearly given up but these proved the gun can shoot slugs anyway. The FVS, one above the other, three shots.
May have been the way I was holding. Its a light gun so one has to hang on to it.
slug 01 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/141809689@N05/]


Put up a new target and shot the last two from the 5 round box. after bringing the sight down 6 clicks.
Two touching. That will do me. Now to get that Lyman slug doing that.
slug 02 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/141809689@N05/]

[Montana Slim]

The M26 is a straight pull bolt action. The unlocking action is in essence the same as a pump action. Be sure not to pull rearward on the handle when firing. Not a problem, other than it may click rather than go bang. Also, don't hold the trigger back when cycling... otherwise the hammer will follow the bolt (will not stay cocked) No danger with that either, although always keep muzzle in safe direction as you always would anyway.. Sorry, I don't recall the choke threads, but at one time Mossberg was making some of the parts, so I'd try an invector. In any case slugs should be fine at 50 yds. A red dot is a perfect match for that & I suspect that it'll shoot up to your expectations at 100 yds. I'm somewhat familiar with the US military M26, which has a few different features than yours. I retired before getting the opportunity to personally test fire one.

[Keith]

One thing I find disturbing but may not matter is that the breech bolt unlocks on firing. Seems to be mainly those factory slug loads, they have a bit of grunt. It unlocks and stops with about half an inch of case showing. One has to pull the bolt to finish it off and eject.
I thought it may be capable of slam firing like the old Winchester but as you say , it wont.
I tried Invector chokes but completely different.

[Montana Slim]

It tended to self unlock a bit when firing mil buckshot. Not a problem, but i suspect a stiffer spring on the unlocking mechanism would counter it. All a trade-off since that makes action stiffer to cycle. I had extensively "meddled" with gun's design including extractors & ejector, but cut me off on the unlocking and disconnect features. Best add was the recoil absorbing stock. Prevents deep regret after pulling the trigger

[Keith]

It wont shoot the Lyman 525 in any of the home loads I have tried but they work great in my old Break action I cut off and threaded for an Invector rifled choke.
I bought a double .678 RB mould and I am getting a bit frustrated getting it to shoot those. Try out some more today.with a heap of Farex baby formula under the ball and see how it goes with that. I cant find COW down here so this might work but its fairly finely ground.

[Keith]

Previously I have tried 28 grains of WSF under a Federal 12S3 with a card wad under the ball, then different combos of cork and felt etc and none grouped better that about 12 inches at 25 metres.
Today I used some new white hulls with straight sides. Win 209 primer. Bush 155 in the Lee which gives me 28.2 grains of WSF.
A Lee 3.2 cc scoop of Farex in the cup and the ball over then a fold crimp.
Best group to date so far. 3 shots into 6 inches at 25 meters.
So now I have loaded more for later. 5 at 28.9 grns ( bush 163.) Then 5 at 30 grns (bush 171) Then 5 at 31.7 grns (bush 180)
These last two loads have two 1.3 scoops of Farex under the ball.
How high a WSF charge can I go? Not any data for round balls and these shells around.
Recovered wads look good.
Thats one in the photo Could almost reuse them

I just found some data using Federal Gold Medal plastic shells which seem to be close to these white ones.
Using CCI 209 primers 29.5 grns of WSF give 10,600PSI and 1330 FPS for 1 1/4 oz shot
Using Win 209 primers 31.5 grains WSF give 9.500 PSI and 1330 FPS for 1 1/4 oz shot

These balls are lighter than that so maybe I can go higher, although I dont know what it will do to accuracy.
That ball in the red wad is a nice firm push through the choke.

[megasupermagnum]

You may use any 1 1/8 ounce shot data for these in-wad ball loads. If that pictured wad is a fired wad, I'm thinking your fit in the bore is too loose. I know it is often said on this site that only a gentle push through the bore is ideal. In my experience, wad slugs shoot better the tighter you can get them. It is a very thin line between tight and ruined wad (which ruins accuracy). This is one of the reason I do not like wad slugs. Some of my best shooting loads when measured with wad and slug together were almost .010" over bore diameter, and were very tough to push through by hand.

If you can push that through by hand through a modified choke, you are certainly too loose of a fit. Try the Lee .690" ball.

[Keith]

Yes its a fired wad. I corrected myself in post 9 above. Its got an Improved cylinder choke not Modified.
I cast some .690 balls a few years ago for another project. I put one in that Federal wad and it seemed too tight in the hull. But I will try again, load one up and see if it will chamber.

[centershot]

You may use any 1 1/8 ounce shot data for these in-wad ball loads. If that pictured wad is a fired wad, I'm thinking your fit in the bore is too loose. I know it is often said on this site that only a gentle push through the bore is ideal. In my experience, wad slugs shoot better the tighter you can get them. It is a very thin line between tight and ruined wad (which ruins accuracy). This is one of the reason I do not like wad slugs. Some of my best shooting loads when measured with wad and slug together were almost .010" over bore diameter, and were very tough to push through by hand.

If you can push that through by hand through a modified choke, you are certainly too loose of a fit. Try the Lee .690" ball.

My findings also, but, my oh my, they group so nicely for me! Attachment 259066

[Keith]

Well I unscrewed the IC choke and tried to push the .690 ball and wad combo through. No go.
Anyway loaded some up with 30 grains of WSF full wad and ball on some Farex.
3 shots in 8 inches at 25 yds.
Next load was with the wad trimmed back a 1/4 inch so the ball opened the crimp. No difference.
Dropped the charge back to 25 grains with both combinations. No difference.
These wads are not damaged at all even going through that choke. Very disapointing.
These wads are going a full 25 yds down range. Is that normal?
I thought they might have dropped off sooner.
Bit lost what to try next.


Keith

[centershot]

Keith, your wads look great, they are doing their job! I normally find mine about 25 yds downrange also, so no worries there. If you're not using a 16 or 20 gauge card in the bottom of the shotcup, you should try that next. You might want to try a faster powder such as Red Dot or Green Dot. Which ball did you load on your last trial?