Hello everyone, I’m new to firearms and shooting so I apologize in advance if I use the wrong terminology but I’ll try my best.
So I got my hands on my grandfather’s Savage Fox Model B SxS 12ga. It’s been sitting in an attic for at least a decade. Before shooting it I watched some videos, cleaned it pretty thoroughly, and took it out to shoot. The first time I shot it I used some old shells that still looked in good shape: Winchester #4 Pheasant lead loads at 1 ¼ oz. I shot through a whole box of them and the gun shot fine.
The second time I took it out I only had one of those old shells left and a whole box of new Winchester #7.5 1oz. loads (lead) Super Target 1350. I put the old shell in the right barrel and the new shell in the left barrel. I fired the right barrel and everything happened as expected. However, when I shot the left barrel (the new shell) it fired perfectly fine but just after the recoil the whole gun fell apart into three pieces while I was still holding it. The forearm handle was in my left hand, the receiver was in my right hand, and the barrels kind of fell to the ground as each piece came apart.
I had never taken the gun apart before so I thought something cracked and broke possibly. Then I took it home and looked at a few videos and put the thing right back together no problem. No signs of stress anywhere on the gun.
I tried to do some research and I read a bunch of horror stories about new high pressure shells in old shotguns and how dangerous it can be, but this shotgun is from the 60s at the latest but could even be from the 70s, so I’m thinking it’s not THAT old of a gun. (I shot a new 00 Buck load through an even older Winchester Model 37 12ga. and it shot wonderfully).
So ,
Any ideas what the hell happened?
Is this thing safe to shoot; I’m literally gun-shy with it right now?
Thanks!
So I got my hands on my grandfather’s Savage Fox Model B SxS 12ga. It’s been sitting in an attic for at least a decade. Before shooting it I watched some videos, cleaned it pretty thoroughly, and took it out to shoot. The first time I shot it I used some old shells that still looked in good shape: Winchester #4 Pheasant lead loads at 1 ¼ oz. I shot through a whole box of them and the gun shot fine.
The second time I took it out I only had one of those old shells left and a whole box of new Winchester #7.5 1oz. loads (lead) Super Target 1350. I put the old shell in the right barrel and the new shell in the left barrel. I fired the right barrel and everything happened as expected. However, when I shot the left barrel (the new shell) it fired perfectly fine but just after the recoil the whole gun fell apart into three pieces while I was still holding it. The forearm handle was in my left hand, the receiver was in my right hand, and the barrels kind of fell to the ground as each piece came apart.
I had never taken the gun apart before so I thought something cracked and broke possibly. Then I took it home and looked at a few videos and put the thing right back together no problem. No signs of stress anywhere on the gun.
I tried to do some research and I read a bunch of horror stories about new high pressure shells in old shotguns and how dangerous it can be, but this shotgun is from the 60s at the latest but could even be from the 70s, so I’m thinking it’s not THAT old of a gun. (I shot a new 00 Buck load through an even older Winchester Model 37 12ga. and it shot wonderfully).
So ,
Any ideas what the hell happened?
Is this thing safe to shoot; I’m literally gun-shy with it right now?
Thanks!