Legal Slug Gun?

[wildernessbob2063]

Does anyone know what makes a slug gun a slug gun? Is it the shotgun case holding the projectile? I’m thinking of building a “.410 express” and want to know if it’s a legal firearm in the shotgun zone. Basically it will be a modified 410 single shot shotgun with a 41 caliber rifled barrel shooting a 405 Winchester jacketed bullet in a 410 shotgun shell. This is reportedly a 200 yard gun with muzzle velocities around 2500. While most of my shots are within 100 yards, it will be a fun project but want to make sure it will be a legal cartridge for deer in the slug zone.

[walleyehunter80]

wery good question, i would have to say that there are not to many people that could answer that.

I dont have a real answer for this question, but would like to add that if your using a .410 shotgun and only shooting 1 bullet out of it (and its not an arrow) I would have to say with my best judgement that it is legal!!

There is nothing in the rules about loading your own bullets

[Surface Tension]

When the slug zones came about, all that was available were smooth bore barrels and rifled slugs.

Things have changed dramatically over the years with cantilevered rifled barrels, scopes, and ammunition(slugs).

I don't see what your proposing to do any different then what has already been done, all of which are legal.

[MinDak Hunter]

97B.318 ARMS USE AREAS AND RESTRICTIONS; REGULAR FIREARMS SEASON.

Subdivision 1.Shotgun use area.

During the regular firearms season in the shotgun use area, only legal shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzle-loading long guns, and legal handguns may be used for taking deer. Legal shotguns include those with rifled barrels...

[picksbigwagon]

I have no idea, call the DNR in st. Paul and ask them. This project sounds interesting, but there mint be. Few dollars tied up in it, so better to be safe than sorry. Could you make this 410 express in the Winchester lever action shotgun? If so, I might have to look into it.......

[Archerysniper]

If the cartridge is loaded into a shot shell it would be no diffrent then the newer style sabots. My friends are shooting the same lead out of thier 12ga that i shoot out of my .50 blackpowder a 250 grain hornady ballistic tip. The key to it will be the caseing if the slug is held in a normal shot shell it should not be a problem but a brass caseing would be.

[walleyehunter80]

I find AS to be correct with his statement

[wildernessbob2063]

Unfortunately only a single shot will work since the load will be custom and will not cycle through a magazine. I'm hoping to keep the price under $500. Figure I'll re-line the barrel, which is not too terribly expensive and beyond that have some extractor work done and that should be it. H&R single shots are a bit more expensive these days but still not too bad. Figure I'll use the 444Marlin model so it can handle the pressures of the new load.

I called the enforcement side of the DNR and they said it is legal as long as I use a shotgun shell case so I should be good to go. A.S. you are correct.

I'm thinking I'll need to modify a 3" shot shell since they do not make high brass in the 2 3/4 model and I don't want to have a 3" chamber. The Winchester 405 is .411 caliber so it should fit the 410 case but I may need to do a slight crimp on the end to keep the bullet seated.

[Surface Tension]

The low and high brass bases on shotshells are there as a visual on factory loads, nothing more.

You can take a target load, low brass shotshell and load it into a "magnum load".

All that information and formulas are in any shotshell loading manual.

I'm interested in this. What is the load formula?

What is the pressure on this load? Are you using a rolled or folder crimp?

Not sure why your not able to use this load with any action. I reloaded 410 for many years and used them in pumps, and bolts with zero problems.

[jentz]

In my younger days we tried shooting .41Mag cartridge out of a .410 shotgun (only shotgun measured in 10s/100s as Cal.)It works! first few rounds we tied a string to the trigger,stood behind a tree,after a few tests we shouldered it.Not very accurate but it worked.

I have also taken 410 slugs out of the round,They wern't rifled just a chunk of lead 5/8?? 3/4s inch long.They were fairly accurate more so than the .41Mag.That is a problem you may have the accuracy,unless you can get some spin on the projectile

[Gordie]

From what I have read wildernessbob will be rebarreling the 410 action so that he is building a 410 express and that barrel will be rifled should be a sweet deer gun and cant wait to hear or see the results.

Its things like this that always get thinking of what i could build as a gun.