Can I shoot shotshells through my .38spl?

[Guest USMC 2013]

I want to have something to shoot snakes with this summer.  (Only if needed, I do not kill snakes for fun).  That being said, my carry gun is a Ruger LCR .38spl+P.  Can I shoot shotshells through it safely and without damaging the weapon in any way? 

 

Thanks,

 

Joe

[Garufa]

You can, as long as they're .38 Special shotshells.

[gregintenn]

Why sure! That's what 38 Special shotshells are made for.

[Guest Nunya]

I have before and couldn't see any marks upon inspecting the barrel.  Not something I would do everyday, but there some applications where it makes sense, i.e. your neighbor's dog.

[Clod Stomper]

You can, but you'll need to have your barrel threaded for screw-in choke tubes.




Just kidding, if course. It won't hurt anything. Just be sure to wear eye protection because the shot is more likely to bounce back and put your eye out.

[Caster]

Just don't try putting any 10 gauge shells in there.  

[JAB]

Apparently, one isn't supposed to fire shotshells from the .38 Special version of the Cobra derringers.  I had thought about purchasing one of them just to play around with and use mostly for shot shells and that fact (as per the company website) is a big reason I didn't.  Strangely, the 9mm version is okay for use with shotshells (again, per their website.)

 

I have fired shotshells (of the proper, respective calibers) from my S&W 642, Heritage Rough Rider, H&R 9 shot .22LR revolver and my NAA mini revolver with no problems.  In fact, I have a sort of odd story about them.  The story is a bit long (and, I hope, not a complete hi-jack of the thread) but I believe it is worth reading:

 

Last year, I discovered that at some point a snake had taken up residence in my commode.  No, I am not joking - the darned thing was living in my toilet.  See, my old crapper had, well, crapped out (developed a crack/leak) and it had been replaced by one that was already on hand and that had been stored in an out building.  The replacement had taken place during cold weather so my best guess is that the snake was already hidden somewhere inside it, hibernating.  It must have woken up when it found itself in warmer environs.  However it got there, I'd raise the lid to use the bathroom and the stupid thing would be hanging down from somewhere under the rim of the bowl - just its head and three or four inches of its body - and it would quickly pull itself back up into its hiding place.

 

As you might imagine, dropping a deuce while knowing there is a snake with quick, easy access to your tender bits is disconcerting, to say the least.  The snake had to go (and I mean leave, not, well, you know.)  I first tried getting rid of it without harming it.  The problem was, while I was pretty sure it wasn't venomous, I still didn't want to get snake bit.  I have heard of people getting really sick from non-venomous snake bites because even non-venomous snakes can have some pretty bad bacteria in their mouths and I figured that went double for one that lived in a freakin' toilet.  Being that I wouldn't exactly be able to choose where I grabbed the thing, I figured that getting bitten was a good possibility - and that was not something I wanted to explain at the ER.

 

In the beginning, I wanted to try and humanely catch the snake and then release it into the wild.  I started out trying to grab it with a pair of channel locks (in the interest of that whole not getting bitten thing) but it seems that a snake can pull itself back into its hidey hole faster than I can do that.  I then donned a thick, leather glove and figured I would just 'man up' and snatch it out of there.  Nope - the snake was still too fast.

 

At this point, I decided to discard the 'humanely' from my plan to humanely remove the snake.  I bought one of those frog-gigging heads that looks like a pitchfork that a tiny Satan might use on the Lilliputian souls in hell and attached it to the end of a short pole.  I then went into the bathroom strode bravely onto the battlefield with my frog gig trusty spear in hand.  I imagine I must have looked like a latter-day King Leonidas, bravely facing my foe with only the strength of spear and sinew standing between me and certain death or serious injury annoying discomfort.  I quickly raised the lid and struck at my foe.  To my credit, I landed a solid blow to the beast's serpentine body.  To the discredit of Eagle Claw brand frog gigs, rather than penetrating the Wyrm's armored hide, the damn tines just bent (then broke off when I attempted to bend them back where they belonged.)  I was almost certain I heard the fiendish snake chuckle as it retreated once again into the recesses of my crapper its lair.  Snake 3, Person 0.  Now, as they say, it was on.

 

At this point, anger and frustration began to overwhelm caution, reason and good sense.  I decided that, as Sam Colt had made all men equal, a descendent of his creation would probably help level the playing field between me and the no-legged bastich that had the audacity to occupy my throne.  Yep, I decided to shoot the SOB.

 

Now, I am not a particularly stupid person.  I have a couple of college degrees to attest to my relative level of intelligence.  Remember I said that my old toilet had just been replaced and that was what had lead to this unfortunate series of events in the first place?  Well, luckily the old toilet was still around.  Rather than risking destruction of the snake-infested bowl, I decided to test out the snake shot on the inside of the old one.  The test went off without a hitch - using the .22LR shot in the aforementioned H&R revolver, the shot did no damage to the inside of the test bowl so now it was time to put the theory into action.  I waited until I was sure ol' legless would be hanging down from the rim of my bowl like an anaconda hanging from a jungle tree, flipped the bowl open, quickly acquired my target and fired.

 

Success!  Quick as the serpent was, my trigger finger was quicker - nor was the scaly monstrosity faster than a speeding bullet load of shot.  Still alive but mortally wounded, the entirety of the creatures body slipped rather unceremoniously from the recesses of my John Ferguson.  I cried out in triumph ("Hell, yeah! Take that, you little bast*rd,") and, finally, removed it from the bowl.

 

It was then that I could finally tell, for sure, that it was probably a rat snake (or maybe some variation of chicken snake.)  As the flood of adrenalin and the heady rush of battle subsided, I actually began feeling a bit sorry for my valiant foe.  Not that I wanted it back in my toilet or regretted going to whatever means necessary to get it out but I did find myself wishing that we could have come to a more peaceful accord.  Alas, however, that was not meant to be.

Edited May 28, 2013 by JAB

[maroonandwhite]

Gives new meaning to toilet humor!

[Garufa]

:clap:

[maroonandwhite]

Just an FYI a .38 special shot shell may not do so well with porcelain so OP if the snake get's in your toilet stick to .22lr. :rofl:

 

As a side note I would pay good money to see that scenario on an episode of Duck Dynasty.

[Jamie Jackson]

Great story JAB. But Dang Man! I'd pulled that toilet out, snake and all, at the 1st sighting! It's in my marriage contract...snakes in the house must die...at least that's what my Dear Wife says... :ugh:  LOL.

 

 

I've shot a bunch of shot shell through .38's and .357's and .44's. I generally load my own with #12 shot.

.22 Federal rat shot is great stuff. But all of the shot has very limited effective range. With home brewed you can kick it up a notch though.

[JAB]

Well, I thought I had taken a cell phone picture or two of the great beast (once I got it out of the toilet, of course - taking a picture of the inside of my toilet bowl just seemed too weird.)  Last night, I found those pictures on my home computer.  So here is a picture of the monster in all its awful glory.  Trust me, the shotshell did the trick - it looks much more 'lively' in this picture than it actually was at the time.  Notice how - just a little ways back from its head - its body is 'bent' rather than 'curved'?  Well, that is where the snake shot hit it.

 

(Warning:  Women, children and those with weak hearts should excercise extreme caution as, like the basilisk of legend, gazing too long upon the fearsome visage could turn the feint of heart to stone.)

 

 

Yeah, like I said - probably just a little ol' rat snake.  Or maybe a marauding garter snake.  If encountered in the great outdoors, I'd just watch it go about its business and probably smile about it.  Still, that is not the kind of thing I want near my privates when I am using the bathroom.

Edited May 29, 2013 by JAB

[Guest USMC 2013]

Thank you for all the responses, especially JAB's!  Just something that is new to me and wanted an educated opinion.

 

Joe

[LCPfraTN]

JAB that is a hilarious story! You are quite the story teller. Also, I do believe that is a garter snake.

[Guest mechanically]

JAB, that was an excellent read! Thanks for sharing!

 

I would recommend you start blogging some stories somehow, and let me know where I can read more. Loved it!

[Spiffy]

There would have been 7 shots of #4 shot at the toilet and whatever the aftermath of shooting in the crapper in the house and floor that would follow. Then I'd probably die a few weeks later from never taking a crap again!

[Will H]

That was a fantastic read.  Loved it.

 

Oh, and for the record if I find a snake in my toilet I will post up a pic of what happens when said toilet meets my .357 magnum.  I friggin hate snakes.

[enfield]

Poor little garter snake.  Tsk.  :shake:

[Jamie Jackson]

Poor little garter snake.  Tsk.  :shake:

 

Snakes have their place...in my toilet ain't one of 'em.

 

 

 

We all have to know our place in life. Snakes, Politicians, and other reptiles... :cool:

[xjsnake]

Pretty Eastern Garter Snake. Sad that it couldn't be caught and released but such is life sometimes.

[HvBikeWlTravel]

I've shot a bunch of shot shell through .38's and .357's and .44's. I generally load my own with #12 shot.

.22 Federal rat shot is great stuff. But all of the shot has very limited effective range. With home brewed you can kick it up a notch though.

 

+1     and agreed on effective range.  Might try some Fed. rat shot IF I can find any.

I remember those darn Fed. 44 shotshells were way to small dia. to crimp into 44 cases. Hope they fixed that since 1970.