shotguns

[impact5]

is it true that certain calibre shotguns can't be kept in the same cabinet...something to do with size of barrels/cartridges, small cartridge could drop down barrel of large barrel?????????

[scotgal]

I've never heard of this before as all guns should be unloaded before being locked in the cabinet.

[Toureman]

No it's not true !

[Clanad]

Well...if you changed the word can't to shouldn't, it might have some truth to it. Here in the western U.S., like most of us living in the ranch areas, I've a large number of firearms. I have, probably 12 shotguns of various gauges (rather than caliber). The larger the number of gauge, the smaller the sixe of the barrel/firing chamber. So, I have all of my larger gauges segregated from the next, nearby gauge. For example, the most common shotgun gauge for ducks and geese as well as upland game birds is the venerable 12 gauge. However I have maybe three 10 gauge hand me downs from a grandfather who liked the gun for geese at slightly oonger distances. The 12 gauge (.725 inches) shell will fit very nicely into the 10 gauge (.775 inches) (not the reverse, of course) and I wouldn't want anyone else to mix up the two. My firearms are all locked in a gun safe, but it's still just an additional safety habit. I have several .410 gauge shotguns (some over and under with a rifle) used for smaller birds, such as doves and quail, but these have a barrel not much larger than a pencil in diameter, so there's little chance of mixing up any ammunition... By the way for shotguns, gauge is the number of lead balls, each the diameter of the gun's bore, that it would take to weigh one pound...

[Toureman]

Hi Clanad,

Here in the UK The police will not issue a Shotgun licence until they have been to your house and and inspected your steel gun cabinet .

[Panic Button]

Clanad, why do you feel the need to slaughter such beautiful creatures?

[Clanad]

Because they taste really good Panic Button... living, as I do, in the western U.S., we know that the life expectancy of most game birds is slighlty less than one year, and that many do not survive the winter. A quick clean shot to a ring necked pheasant exploding from the thicket with number 10 bird shot from an 80 year old magnum loaded 16 gauge and retrieved by an eager and faithful Golden Retriever on an October day with the sky so blue it hurts your eyes and the air so clear one can see, literally for a hundred miles... doesn't get any better, unless it's standing at your youngest son's side at the edge of a Quaking Aspen meadow in mid November when he downs his first bull elk with a clean head shot from 150 yards (just as he's been taught) with his venerable Winchester .270 handed down from his grandfather... unless it's elk steak on the campfire with fried potatos and onions on the side... black coffee... all on the side of Cloud Peak... 9,500 feet above sea level...

[mibn2cweus]

Clanad, I believe the phrase you're looking for is, "It's a family tradition" . . . but hey . . . you'll get no argument from me!

[tanorak]

In the UK there is no law about storing guns of different gauges or bores. (The term calibre in general refers to rifles,pistols and associated ammunition) The term gauge is universal but the term bore is mostly used in the UK. The lower the bore number the larger the bore, this is due to the origin of the term bore, which was the number of leads balls required to make up a pound in weight. Hence a 12 bore being 12 balls and an 8 bore being 8 larger balls. Shot guns are all called by a gauge or a bore except the .410, if it was it would actually be a 67.5 gauge!!

[Panic Button]

So Clanad, you do it out of kindness to the bird then, to save it from dying that winter?

I am so pleased to read that you and your son are such good shots that all these wonderful animals are killed cleanly with a perfect shot. Thank goodness you are so kind, so that none are wounded and struggle off to a lingering and horrible death.

[Clanad]

So, do you eat beef, pork, chicken, rabbit or any other meat, Panic? They die too, you know? Game animals here in the U.S. were nearly hunted to extinction by the turn of the 20th century. At about that time, Game and Fish organizations were established by legislation in every State. and at the National level for migratory waterfowl. The first thing that happened, after a census of the game animals, was to license and restrict the numbers hunted of the various species. Within a very short time, the management saw the doubling and tripling of numbers across the board. To the point, that many areas issue multiple licenses to anyone that is a resident of that State for deer and other such medium sized game. The funding has come entirely from the sales of the licenses purchased by degenerate souls like me. Fact is, thousands of game animals starve to death in bad winters. Many develop diseases due to overpopulation and of course, nature takes care of the balance in most cases. What I'm saying is that without the hunter there would be little or no game except in sterile zoos viewed through a cage of bars.
The ability to hunt, with respect shown to the animals is as old as humanity itself. It's a good thing that it's passed on from father to sons and daughters, not a bad thing. You're well intentioned concern for the wild animals is not well thought out and is misplaced in my opinion...
By the way, I've witnessed the death of a game animal by a mountain lion at a distance. It's not a pretty thing and never is.

Your point is well taken concerning wounded animals. However, I've trailed a wounded animal through snow and temperatures of -20F for hours to assure it was dispatched and the meat saved... and it wasn't even my animal but a friends.

Your welcome to your opinon and I expect the best way for you to honor your belief system is to not hunt.