Making the best of what's available: adaptations, modifications, improvising...

Y

Y-man

Inactive
Hi there all! I'm new to Shotguns, and live in a very restricted country as per laws on Firearms possession and usage...Licences are very difficult to get, and usually with massive fees and bribes :eek: One can get Shotguns mainly: O&Us, SxS especially. Recently: more pump-actions have come into the circulation, and even more recently: Semi-auto shotguns.

These are mostly smuggled into the country, then once within the borders: are "legitimized" with the right documents, cover licences and all. The same applies for ammunition too: though only BB Birdshot comes in and is available in licenced lots of 100 shells.

This is all well and good: but the fact remains that in my country, criminals, thugs and rich politicians can (and do) break the rules: there are a LOT of automatic "assault" weapons, rifles, pistols, even the faithful GPMG(!) in many private hands. As long as you can buy off the Police: you can be home-free! (As long as you can show them the colour of your money BEFORE they blow your head off, along with 20 innocent bystanders!)

I recently got myself a legally licenced Turkish-made Magnum EFE Semi-Auto Shotgun, 18.5" Smoothbore BBL, 7-Shell Magazine, PGO. I also got some BB Birdshot to go with it. I have major interest in SD, as well as a lot of target shooting. I have had some experience with firearms, especially the 7.62mm FN SLR, 9mm Browning, and 9mm Sterling SMG (I went to a Military School in the 80's, and served in the Air Force for a few years too) In recent times: all I ever got were a few hunting trips with rickety SxSs. So when I got my own stuff: I decided to "work" on both the Shotgun, and the BB Birdshot to now suit what I really needed: a "tactical" shotgun versatile enough for the occasional hunt, target practice, and good to have beside my bed for those "dark, stormy nights"! All with the "right" kind of ammunition...

Check out what I have done here: and tell me what you guys think. I respect your experience and opinions.
See what I started with on the Shotgun:
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/02/11/a-nigerian-shotgun/

See what I did to achieve my ideal ammo:
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/08/24/turning-birdshot-into-slugs-for-self-defense/

Let me know what you think? Many thanks: I am glad to belong to such a forum...
 
I wouldn't modify all my shells. BB Lead can be very nasty at short, inside the house, range.

I like your solution to making do with your slugs. Very ingenious. A question though - why did you make them 16.5 MM? That's awfully small in a 12 Gauge barrel. They do seem to work pretty good anyhow.

DC
 
Thanks for the replies..

@ freakingtoguns:

As per what country: well, it USED to be a British colony: Nigeria.

@.45 COLT:

Thanks: I agree with you. I'll leave the AAA shot as it is, and only modify the BB.
As per why 16.5mm: this was the balance: a bit large, but can be put into the shell case without too much stress. I just got another mold made: 17mm. (Actually: my very first mold was 17.5: it was impossible to get it into the shell case: remember: I am pushing the slugs in on top of the roll crimp of unfired shells: I don't have a crimper: if not I would have used closer to 18mm.)

Also: I wanted something that would sit inside the shot-cup without bulging it.

Thanks.
 
I greatly admire your ingenuity, sir. A fine job on the weapon and the ammunition.

It reinforces a saying that my wife uses often:

"People find a way to do what they REALY want to do."
 
Actually: my very first mold was 17.5: it was impossible to get it into the shell case: remember: I am pushing the slugs in on top of the roll crimp of unfired shells: I don't have a crimper: if not I would have used closer to 18mm.
Click to expand...
Sometimes I read so fast that some of it don't register.:D
I just got another mold made: 17mm.
Click to expand...
That should be just about an ideal size for use in a shotcup.

DC
 
I really like the cane stock! If it had not been explained what it was, I would have never guessed it for that. Nice job making the best of the equipment available!
 
That cane stock is freakin' ingenious! Way to make better use of a PGO gun!
I also like your "redneck engineering" on those slugs! Awesome use of the mind and hands!:D
Brent
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top