Will "snake shot" pistol ammo cycle a semi-auto OK?

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Recently I was at Bass Pro in Grapevine, looking over the ammo aisle,
when I spotted some pistol ammo that I will call "snake shot" for want of a
more precise term. It was pistol ammo but loaded with something akin to
a shotgun shell.

They seemed to have it in 9MM, .40, and .45, but I can't recall if the grains
were 115/124, 180, 230 respectively, like regular ammo in those sizes.

This seemed like a good idea if you had to walk through the woods and protect
yourself from sidewinders.

I asked the clerk if it worked well and he replied something to the effect of
"Yes, but I'm not sure they would have enough power to properly cycle a
semi-auto for the next round." Fact or fiction?

Has anyone used these kinds of rounds?
For this kind of use, would it just make more sense to get a Taurus Judge,
if one didn't want to go for a shotgun?

The floor is open.

SIA

[srothstein]

I used to carry a spare magazine of these (CCI brand, aluminum case) when I was on duty. They were great for the calls from people about snakes in their yard/on their porch/etc. They work very well on snakes out to about 10 feet. The spread is too great and the shot too small to be effective much beyond that.

At the time, it was .40 caliber in a Glock and I never had a problem with them feeding or cycling it. I can't guarantee it will work in all pistols though. They are a fairly light load.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

10 feet of effectiveness, eh?

If I was within 10 feet of a poisonous snake, I'm not sure whether it would
be faster to draw and shoot, or just run in the opposite direction!

SIA

[A-R]

Will firing any kind of shotshell (either these little CCI pistol cartridge shot shells, or firing a .410 down the barrel of a Taurus Judge) harm the rifling of a pistol in any way? What about firing 12-gauge buckshot or birdshot down a rifled shotgun barrel?

Just something I'd never before thought to ask.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

austinrealtor:
I don't really know the answer to your question.
But my understanding is that pistols and rifles have "rifling" in their barrels,
while shotgun barrels are smooth.

It does make me wonder how a Taurus Judge handles both .45 and .410's.

SIA

[HighVelocity]

I've tried the aluminum blazer shotshells in 40 and 45 acp. Had to cycle the slide by hand but they fed and ejected fine.

[texasparamedic]

I have used this in a Springfield Xd 40. Nothing but problems. I have a few that I keep for those single shot occurrences, but past that it fails. At least for me.

[dicion]

I've shot it in my 1911's, cycles fine. Bought and carried it when I knew I would be walking in a dried up lakebed

I echo the 10 foot effective range... on snakes. For people, I wouldn't call it effective at all, except maybe point-blank.

[gmckinl]

the 45 ACP cycled fine in my GLOCK 30

[Mike1951]

Will firing any kind of shotshell (either these little CCI pistol cartridge shot shells, or firing a .410 down the barrel of a Taurus Judge) harm the rifling of a pistol in any way? What about firing 12-gauge buckshot or birdshot down a rifled shotgun barrel?

Just something I'd never before thought to ask.

Harm, no. You may, over time, build up lead deposits in the rifling that will need to be removed. Lewis makes a lead remover that uses a disc on a cleaning rod for handguns. Also, the "Chore Boy" scrubbers that are sold in your grocery store can be used on a cleaning rod. I recommend buying the brass over the stainless steel scrubbers.

austinrealtor:
I don't really know the answer to your question.
But my understanding is that pistols and rifles have "rifling" in their barrels,
while shotgun barrels are smooth.

It does make me wonder how a Taurus Judge handles both .45 and .410's.

SIA

You see, without rifling, you have what amounts to a short barreled shotgun SBS or maybe BATFE regards it as an AOW. Anyway, without rifling it is big time illegal. Decades ago, when Thompson Center first offered a .410/.45 Colt barrel for their Contender, it was smoothbore. The Feds required them to add rifling and so any firearm that uses an actual shotgun shell must have a rifled barrel.

I know of no official ruling considering the specialty shot cartridges as shotgun rounds.

[mr.72]

i dig the box o' truth...

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot30.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dunno if this answers the original question about cycling a semi-auto. Also note that the BOT guys say that these reloader's shotshells tear the plastic in the rifling so you might find plastic stuck in the rifling as well as lead if you use this type.

I kind of think this might be a good application of a "snake specific" gun, a cheap .38 that you only use with shotshells.

[A-R]

Harm, no. You may, over time, build up lead deposits in the rifling that will need to be removed. Lewis makes a lead remover that uses a disc on a cleaning rod for handguns. Also, the "Chore Boy" scrubbers that are sold in your grocery store can be used on a cleaning rod. I recommend buying the brass over the stainless steel scrubbers.

Mike, do you have a link to the Lewis items?

[Mike1951]

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=2158 ... AD_REMOVER" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/inde ... 25939.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; discussion

http://www.ammoland.com/2009/03/26/lewi ... d-remover/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; product review

[Greybeard]

I've found the only way to know if the handgun caliber shotshells will cycle semis is to shoot them and see. Some will, some won't. The ones I recall that have cycled for me are 2 Kahrs and any of the various Glocks over the years. On the other hand, attempting to use .22 shotshells in any semi-automatic rifle or pistol I've ever tested turns them into a single shot.

[mr surveyor]

I carry CCI shotshells in my "daily duty gun" in the field, which is a 637 Airweight, or an onl junk RG14 .22 cal, and my son had been occassionally carrying my Dad's old S&W Model 10 in the field with shotshells. He recently decided to try a few rounds of CCI shotshells in his Kimber Custom. About every other round would FTF, but we figure a lighter recoil spring might solve that. I think I'll stick with the revo for "field duty".


surv