Safe for steel?

[Geodopolis]

I inherited a savage semi-auto 12 in 2 3/4 from my Grandpa a few years ago.  It's got a Cutts comp-n-choke on the muzzle and the kids love shooting it.  I've resisted the urge to take it duck hunting, using my 870 swamp gun for that,  but now the kids want to hunt too.  Is it safe to run steel duck loads through or shoot I look for another cheap alternative?

[HD]

I had one of those.........

I contacted a sheel shot maker when I had mine, and they said "Do not shoot any kind of steel shot through that choke, it will split the choke and damage the barrel"

HD

[snow1]

Don't take a chance,not worth it,older shotguns 1988 and older have softer steel and tighter barel constrictions,steel shot known to split barrels,largest class action suit was remington and older than 1988,33million...

[Geodopolis]

Thanks guys.  Kind of what I figured too.  Now the question is, if I take the Cutts off, could I have the barrel threaded for tubes or should I just leave it as is?

[HD]

How old is the gun? Cause snow has a point, it may be to old and still split.
Also, if you did cut it and thread it, the barrel may get pretty short.
Then you loose your distance with the shot, no matter what choke you install.


Snow, just an FYI, it was the hevi shot folks that I contacted.

[kenhuntin]

The shotguns of today are totally more safe in a number ways and capable of handling the greater advanced shot shell loads available in this day and age. I personally would not allow my children to use an old gun that in the old days worked fine with the low velocity loads produced in that era. Liken the philosophy to the fact that car windows were not made of safety glass when that gun was made either. People used to bleed out from leaning too hard on the auto glass.

[HD]

Have you checked for just a replacement barrel?

You might still be able to get a steel shot barrel, for a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new gun.

[Geodopolis]

Thanks guys.  It's now my designated dove and grouse gun :)   I'll still keep an eye out for another barrel but not gonna hold my breath.  And a gratuitous pic of last year.   

[smokey bear]

from the looks of the forearm you may have the savage (browning a-5) varient. I am not sure if the browning barrels will fit on these or not. A-5 barrels are not cheap and they did make some that can be fired with steel shot and had chokes installed from factory. Haistings did make the barrels until they went under. with that being said if the barrel did fit you would have more in the barrel than the guns is really worth. ball park area newer barrels for the A-5 are 300 ish. in the end you would have a 200 dollar gun with a 300 dollar barrel on it. sometimes it is best to leave things the way they are and pick up a used  870 express war hammer for 200ish

[snow1]

I almost forgot,we od have an alternative non-tox waterfowl load for older fixed choked barrels and sxs's...Hevi Shot classic doubles,its a much slower velocity load@1050fps and is softer material than steel.

Read more here~

http://www.chuckhawks.com/heavi-shot_classic_doubles.htm