where can you find an 8 gauge

G

Glennster

New member
I got a buddy that's looking for an 8 gauge shot gun, heck, I didn't know there was such a thing.... He says they used them way back to start blast furnaces.

Thanks!
 
The common contemporary application of 8-ga shells is to remove clinker rings from rotary kilns or other industrial crud removal. If interested, do a search for the Remington MasterBlaster or the Winchester Ringblaster industrial 8-ga system. There's a variety of 8-ga regular and magnum loads for these kiln cannons.
 
You might try a museum. I don't know of a shoulder fired 8 ga shotgun that's been produced in the last 50 years.
 
8 ga.

Probably not what your friend wants but October Country was offering high quality muzzle loading firearms in 8 and 4 gauge last time I looked.
They were not cheap.
Pete
 
I would suggest that your friend try European makers as I believe an 8 Gauge cartridge shotgun is legal there. I have seen & shot an 8 Gauge SXS that was Spanish made. Ammo will be whole different issue.
 
Bud should know that the maximum shotgun for US migratory game is 10 gauge. State regs may vary but here in Alabama, the 10 gauge maximum applies to all game.

The 8 gauge industrial is a different kettle of fish. It is meant for kiln guns that look like small cannons and has a H&H style belt to keep you from loading one in an old market hunter's gun and blowing it up.

Industrial hulls are available, I guess a determined handloader could swage down the belt and load some up with black powder to fire Great Grandpa's 8 bore goose gun at skeet or something.

There is a nice one at
http://www.trapshooters.com/cfpages/thread.cfm?threadid=223176&Messages=6
Only $7500.
 
I got to fire an 8 gauge gun - it was mounted on a tripod and shot at clinkers on the boiler tubing at a power plant - the ammo was HUGE and VERY expensive and not generally available to the public.

Added: IIRC, we actually LEASED the gun and bought the ammo from Winchester. They used to use Remingtons, but shooting slugs and buckshot tired folks out and wore out the guns
 
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Thirty years ago I worked at a lime and stone quarry where there were rotary kilns used for burning the stone. An eight gauge gun was bolted to the front of the kiln in order to remove the clinker or buildup around the exit end. These guns shot a three ounce lead slug through a barrel of about 18-24 inches. A muffler was bolted onto the end of the gun over the barrel. It was single shot and took two people to operate it, one to aim and fire and one to load. It was mounted on a turret-like mechanism that traversed up and down and left and right. I shot this thing twice weekly for about two years, sometimes up to 5000 rounds at a time. I have permanent tinnitus from the experience.
 
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