The Term : RING a (Paper) shotshell ??

[old benn]

A "Ridger" from The Snow Shoe region of Central PA showed me how to do it back in the "50's".
He put a sweet 12 gauge hole in a fence post at 20 yards by cutting into a paper shot shell just south of the
No. 6 shot load completely around the case deep enough so it would break loose on ignition a go forward with the shot
as a complete unit and stay together until impact without opening up the shot wad. Nice way to substitute
for a "Punkin Ball" when you needed some quick venison in the larder.

Do you oldies remember the "fragrance" of the Remington Kleanbore 22 shells right of the box and how the
lube on the outside of the bullet made the pocket fuzz stick to them ? A friend of mine purchased a box at a gun show several years ago to give me the treat of that wonderful memory, . . . but the smell was all gone !

[GhostHawk]

I have never done that. Have you ever considered, that chamber is cut to hold the loaded hull. But after the crimp opens the barrel is reduced.

What happens if you try to "ring" a shell and it gets partway down the bore and sticks? Or runs into a full choke and sticks? Or just blows the end of the barrel off like a Road Runner cartoon?

Maybe small odds it would ever happen in a modern gun.
But me, I never saw enough advantage to be worth taking the chance.

Now a wax slug load, that goes inside the wad, inside the hull. Would in theory do much of the same thing with lowered danger. At least IMO. And no I have not pulled the trigger on one of those either. Have not had the need.

You guys want to play with Ringed or cut shells, you'all be careful now.

[farmerjim]

I did it with plastic shells back in the 60's. They were as accurate as slugs.

[w5pv]

I have ringed a few shot shells for the purpose of it taking the place of buckshot when the price of buckshot was too great for me to manage when I was younger.Quarters wasn't laying around everywhere so you did with what you had.

[frkelly74]

The Michigan hunting regs used to mention cut shells as being prohibited unless it was deer season and you had a valid license. I have found short empties at the range occasionally from someone trying them out.

[William Yanda]

I remember an article in some sporting magazine or another, how a small game hunter found himself trapped in a cave with a large cat of uncertain temprament. Having only shot shells, paper of course, he treated one like that so that he could kill rather than enrage the cat. Way the story went, he was successful. Your friend's demonstration is more believable. Tough operation today with plastic shells.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

The Michigan hunting regs used to mention cut shells as being prohibited unless it was deer season and you had a valid license. I have found short empties at the range occasionally from someone trying them out.

No blood or pieces of gun? That's good. This really is a dangerous thing to do.atwhere it will happen most. It is a lot more solidly clenched together than a bowl of shot you can stick your finger in. It is highly likely that the shot will sometimes be blown out of the tube, most likely at the forcing cone, producing an even greater constriction for the next one, or at the choke. Firing two of those things is a lot more than twice as bad as firing one.

If it does leave the muzzle in one piece, the best you can hope for is that it will tumble, and perhaps hit a fence rather than a fence-post. It is at least as likely to spill shot in flight, and inflict something like a small and irregular birdshot pattern on that luckless deer. Pouring wax into it to bind it together would intensify the likely pressure problem. That could be mighty expensive money you would be saving.

[Outpost75]

Full description of this dubious procedure and summary test results of various cutting methods, on p. 68 the British 1941 Home Guard Manual. Often leaves a portion of case or a wad lodged in barrel. Unless you check bore as clear after EVERY shot, is a good way to burst a barrel!

Don't waste your time.

[old benn]

Hey GhostHawk: Not recommending it, . . . . . but it came off fine. From a very old 12 ga. single barrel from Mass. Arms Co. too old to have a serial number! 30inch, full choke. worked like a charm.

Not arguing with all the probabilities you expound, . . . . . thought it might fit in this forum with old stuff.

[old benn]

Hey GhostHawk: Not recommending it, . . . . . but it came off fine. From a very old 12 ga. single barrel from Mass. Arms Co. too old to have a serial number! 30inch, full choke. worked like a charm.

Not arguing with all the probabilities you expound, . . . . . thought it might fit in this forum with old stuff.

[GhostHawk]

Sir, glad to hear you still have all your parts.

Don't get me wrong, if you want to do it, and your gun lets you do it and get away with it, that's fine. Just please don't do it within 50 yards of me or anyone I care about.

And bear in mind, it can be a bit like russian roulette. How many times can you do that before something goes wrong? Who knows.

IF I was to do something like that, at need, like I would choose a good solid single shot break open design. For one much easier to check the bore after each shot.

For another if I am going to take a chance on blowing up a shotgun I would prefer an old single shot to my rather cherry Remington 870 Wingmaster special trap with the 30 inch barrel, extra high rib, double beads, and high stock. Just me being fussy I reckon.

There are IMO much better choices to be made. Like the Lee 7/8ths oz slug mold. Pour the birdshot out, melt, make into slug. (Or save, use pure for the slug) put the slug in, recrimp with a piece of broomstick and write "slug" on it with a sharpie. Or do a roll crimp so you can see that slug in there.

I love to tinker, but when it comes to firearms I am pretty careful with what I actually pull the trigger on.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Most things that can go wrong with a firearm don't go wrong first shot. That doesn't mean that if you get away with something for a while, it isn't that bad. It means it isn't that good.

There are two kinds of mechanical failure. One is due to causes that happen all the time, and in firearms that would include too much powder or bullet metal, or a bullet of grossly excessive diameter. This one is due to causes that may happen eventually, like leaving the piece of cartridge case behind (or the projectile disintegrating in flight, though only a little thing like humane treatment of the deer depends on that.) Getting away with that for half a lifetime doesn't mean you are only half blown-up.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Most things that can go wrong with a firearm don't go wrong first shot. That doesn't mean that if you get away with something for a while, it isn't that bad. It means it isn't that good.

There are two kinds of mechanical failure. One is due to causes that happen all the time, and in firearms that would include too much powder or bullet metal, or a bullet of grossly excessive diameter. This one is due to causes that may happen eventually, like leaving the piece of cartridge case behind (or the projectile disintegrating in flight, though only a little thing like humane treatment of the deer depends on that.) Getting away with that for half a lifetime doesn't mean you are only half blown-up.

[BK7saum]

If it does leave the muzzle in one piece, the best you can hope for is that it will tumble, and perhaps hit a fence rather than a fence-post. It is at least as likely to spill shot in flight, and inflict something like a small and irregular birdshot pattern on that luckless deer. Pouring wax into it to bind it together would intensify the likely pressure problem. That could be mighty expensive money you would be saving.

Have you shot any? The few that I shot (plastic hulls were also as accurate as foster slugs. Ringed at or below the wad, they are weight forward just like the foster slugs or a shuttlecock and so fly true without tumbling. They were always a 12ga hole in and did not spill any shot.