Shot in a pistol

[Durango Kelly]

Hello new to the forum , I’m starting In muzzleloaders and I have a 50 cal rifle navy arms and a 1970s build your own kit that I come across still in the box for a 45 pistol and my friend he’s an old timer and gunsmith said .. I could take a 12 gauge shell of skeet shot and put powder, patch , the shot and a wad but I’m limited in my town for anything muzzleloading and don’t have any wads can I use another patch or something to else ? Any muzzleloading gear I’d have to order and then I’m still kind of new.

 

[Sam squanch]

The only way firing shot from a pistol will be effective is to have a long barrel and use 4 f powder. If the pistol is rifled, you will get a doughnut pattern. And it will be only lethal up to a few feet. Don’t bother.

 

[Sam squanch]

Now,I’ve seen pictures of Underhammer pistols that were called” shot pistols “. They all had 12” to even 15” barrels on them. Smoothbore. So a pistol with a barrel that long and no rifling may work up to 25 yards, I don’t know. Probably made that way to not get in the way while doing farm work or traveling, see a rabbit- draw and bang… supper!

 

[Sam squanch]

I had a flint Charleville pistol , it had a 7” or 8” barrel, .69 caliber smooth. I tried shot loads, didn’t penetrate anything at all except up close. Loading heavier just spread the pattern and hurt my hand! A good snake gun for a few feet, that was about all it was good for. Just remembered this…

 

[Durango Kelly]

Now,I’ve seen pictures of Underhammer pistols that were called” shot pistols “. They all had 12” to even 15” barrels on them. Smoothbore. So a pistol with a barrel that long and no rifling may work up to 25 yards, I don’t know. Probably made that way to not get in the way while doing farm work or traveling, see a rabbit- draw and bang… supper!

Thanks , it’s a smooth bore this pistol but my thinking was for partridge on the trail if possible wouldn’t be more that 20 or 30 away.

 

[russellshaffer]

You said "powder, patch, shot and wad". You aren't intending to use the shotgun shell powder are you? The rest of it won't hurt anything even if it doesn't work well.

 

[Durango Kelly]

You said "powder, patch, shot and wad". You aren't intending to use the shotgun shell powder are you? The rest of it won't hurt anything even if it doesn't work well.

No I wouldn’t use the powder outta the shell just the shot

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

A picture of the pistol you have will go a long way to our being able to guide you.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Hermit Tim]

Hello new to the forum , I’m starting In muzzleloaders and I have a 50 cal rifle navy arms and a 1970s build your own kit that I come across still in the box for a 45 pistol and my friend he’s an old timer and gunsmith said .. I could take a 12 gauge shell of skeet shot and put powder, patch , the shot and a wad but I’m limited in my town for anything muzzleloading and don’t have any wads can I use another patch or something to else ? Any muzzleloading gear I’d have to order and then I’m still kind of new.

Don't use modern powder no matter what else you choose to do. I mean never. Your gunsmith friend shouldn't be telling folks that. That's how you lose fingers and faces...

 

[M. De Land]

Hello new to the forum , I’m starting In muzzleloaders and I have a 50 cal rifle navy arms and a 1970s build your own kit that I come across still in the box for a 45 pistol and my friend he’s an old timer and gunsmith said .. I could take a 12 gauge shell of skeet shot and put powder, patch , the shot and a wad but I’m limited in my town for anything muzzleloading and don’t have any wads can I use another patch or something to else ? Any muzzleloading gear I’d have to order and then I’m still kind of new.

You might try a Speer shot cup if you can still find them in .45 cal as they keep the shot off the barrel steel and come apart after leaving the muzzle. I use them in my .44 Mag revolver for potting grouse or rabbits while out and about. They work well out to about 20 feet on grouse.
Interestingly they hold better patters out of my 4 inch revolver than they do out of my 7and 8 inch barreled guns.

 

[CuNosecap]

I never use plastic in my MLs. Too many better options.

 

[M. De Land]

I never use plastic in my MLs. Too many better options.

One could also make paper shot cups to keep the shot off the bore wall which tends to make the shot contacting the wall flatten on the trip up bore and then peel off from the shot column after exiting.

 

[Jappo]

Wasp nest on top of powder, compress good. Add shot and wasp nest to hold it in.

 

[LSLibelo]

Welcome from California.

 

[M. De Land]

I never use plastic in my MLs. Too many better options.

I assume we are talking single shot pistols here but I wonder how shot loads (cap-sols) would work in a percussion revolver? Never heard of it done before.

 

[Jappo]

I assume we are talking single shot pistols here but I wonder how shot loads (cap-sols) would work in a percussion revolver? Never heard of it done before.

Ive tried it in a 44, can't get enough powder and shot in it to do anything. I shot at a soda can , I finally hit it at about 5 feet away. I think i went half chamber powder and half shot. Elmered it in. It might kill a snake close about a foot.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Hello new to the forum , I’m starting In muzzleloaders and I have a 50 cal rifle navy arms and a 1970s build your own kit that I come across still in the box for a 45 pistol and my friend he’s an old timer and gunsmith said .. I could take a 12 gauge shell of skeet shot and put powder, patch , the shot and a wad but I’m limited in my town for anything muzzleloading and don’t have any wads can I use another patch or something to else ? Any muzzleloading gear I’d have to order and then I’m still kind of new.

I've tried shot in a pistol.
Be sure you use a brush to swab it at least once to get shot out of the barrel grooves when finished.
It is fun to try:

 

[Gtrubicon]

I've tried shot in a pistol.
Be sure you use a brush to swab it at least once to get shot out of the barrel grooves when finished.
It is fun to try:

Did that lead your barrel? Did you ever weigh the cap full of shot to see what it weighed?

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Did that lead your barrel? Did you ever weigh the cap full of shot to see what it weighed?

Never weighed it at all. I now have measurers to use.

 

[Rancocas]

Durango, you said it was a smoothbore. So, shot should work, but as others have said it will be a very close-range thing. I doubt it will work for grouse except for the odd fool hen that sits on a limb and gawks at you from only a few feet away.
You can cut your own wads out of stiff cardboard that is readily available from all kinds of modern packaging. I don't know if you have paper wasps up there in Canada, but if so, their nest material has been successfully used for wading. I knew one old boy (now deceased) who simply used a balled-up wad of grass. It worked for him.
Load real black powder (if the pistol is a percussion, you might be able to use one of the modern black powder substitutes), wad, shot, and another wad to hold the shot in place. Experiment. Trial and error, but always on the caution side.