Shot shells in Lugers?
 

I go to AZ every spring for a few weeks vacation, and have always taken a .22 semiauto to carry as a hiking gun. Clip is loaded with 3 shot shells for potential anti-snake use., followed by 6 regular rounds - the shot shells dont cycle the action, so I have to maually work the slide between shots. This year Im thinking of taking a shooter luger as the hiking gun, anybody ever shoot handgun shot shells out of one?

Very interesting. Tell me more. Where might I find some of them?
thanx
Jack

Our local 'Academy Sports' sells 9mm shot shells (and several other calibers). I haven't tried them in a Luger. I'm also interested in any reports.

CCI makes them in handgun caliber loaded with 53 grains of #12 shot.. Im curious as to how they feed and chamber in a luger. Im sure they wont work the action and have to be hand cycled to eject the spent case and chamber a new round.

...And you're going to shoot a rattlesnake or other venomous reptile without a backup shot??? :rolleyes:

This was brought up here some time ago, a Search should turn up some interesting comments...

I haven't looked at the CCI 9mm shotshells, at the time of the thread I mentioned, only 38/357 shotshells were available in 9mm/38 caliber - You had to pull the 38/357 "bullets" and handload them into 9mm cases...They had square edges, so I don't expect they'd feed too well...I never tried them; snakes are pretty much welcome in my yard...They eat mice, which get into 1986 Corvette convertibles and eat thousands of dollars worth of dashboard wiring & modules... :grr:

.22 longrifle shot shells with half the payload of shot worked great on the 2 rattlers I came across...I will buy a box and try them on 5 oz paper cups - about same size as snake head

Well they will not cycle, but yea...

I've used the CCI .22 Magum Shotshells in a High Standard Derringer to shoot many yard pests here in Az. Works good on Rattlers and Rats, but surely wouldn't work on anything bigger.

Hikers around here have reported their dogs being jumped by packs of coyotes. Javelina are usually pretty docile, however some of the Alpha males are huge and protective. There have been photos of a Mountain Lion in my neighborhood.

My closest call was when walking on the 5 acres next to mine that I came across a group of 6 deer, only armed with a Kabar. They were grazing in the wash I was traveling, and I thought they would scatter as I got closer. as I got within 50-60 feet the Alpha male strutted forward and was obviously ready to fight. I pulled the Kabar and backed up while maintaining eye contact. He was still advancing for 15-20 feet as I backed up, finally stopping as I left. I carry a .45 now at ALL times out there.

Shotshells are good, but I'd only carry them loaded in a spare mag for backup if I were you. When I explore old mines around here I carry a .357 loaded with shotshells and a few speed-loaders with same, as they can often be home to dozens of snakes. :rockon:

Any trail gun I would carry would be a revolver, preferrably a small frame .357 with a combination of shot shell, .38 special and finally one or two .357 for your real emergencies.

Thanks all for the advice...

Here is an example of a shotshell brand made in 9x19 by the company of Vlastimil Libra in the Czech Republic.

And the CCI version mentioned above. Aluminum case.

That is outstanding!!! I would hunt the squirrels in my attic with some of those...Instead of using my girlfriend's cat... :D

ANy idea if there is a source for the VL ammo in the states? The website (http://www.libraas.com) looks like they also have the shot rounds for .32 which would work well around here for varmints... read some tall tails about thier 'extra sport' rounds for accuracy.. anyone ever tried it?

Wouldn't the plastic bullet gum up a barrel?

My best advice for rattlesnakes is to stop, observe and move away. I was bitten several years ago by a 6 footer, 13 rattles..when I tried to pet it. They are rarely aggressive..they want to alert you to their presence so you won't step on them. Mostly they coil in place and you have time to remove yourself from the area.

When I was being treated for my foolish act the plastic surgeon I talked with said of the many snake encounters she sees every year here in Arizona that people who drew guns in their excitement usually shot them selves in the leg/groin area more than snakes biting them. She treated many more gunshots than snake bites!

I don't think that the plastic shell over the pellets fouls the bore. If anything, it adds more fragments to the shot pattern at "normal" range for these loads. From my experience, that's within 6-8 feet at the most.

Jerry's right about Rattlers. 95% of all my encounters had the snake alerting me to it's presence in plenty of time to avoid. Were I live you have to actually LOOK carefully where you are walking, even going out the front door. For some reason they love to crawl along the door sills. My wife had a very close call stepping out the patio door while BBQing one night, as she turned to face a coiled, hissing young (3 rattles) snake that would not leave. Woke up one A.M. to find 3 shed skins within 15 feet of the front door.

My closest call was when working in the driveway on my lifted 4X4. I was getting out of the cab, and I almost didn't catch myself in mid-air as I saw my foot coming down on a 6 footer (or so he seemed at the time). I leave ALL snakes alone in the wild. I only intervene when they decide to hangout within the fence line, since our pets might not be as smart. DON"T get me started about the Pack Rats around here.

Just to add some input on the shot shells. Many years ago somebody gave me a handful they had found at a relatives house. They were for a .45 auto, all brass, folded over and crimped. Same shape as ball ammo. They say .45 ACP shot R-P. on the bottom Someone once told me they were given to air crews if they had to bail out to hunt with if needed as well as ball ammo. How true that is I don't know.
Steve,

Do some research on these before using. These are rare shells, if I recall correctly, and may be worth something to a collector.

I have killed some diamondback rattle snakes with them in a Luger, wont cycle the action so dont miss. The 45 acp version will cycle and load the next one as I remember. Also have used 44s in a Charter Arm Bull dog, they work on snakes too.

I try to leave the desert rattlesnakes alone if they will do the same for me. Once they get into my walled off back yard, then that is a different situation. Most are not aggressive like the water moccasins were in Alabama.

I can honestly say that I have never attempted to pet a rattlesnake, I guess the urge just never struck!!