Have you ever heard of "cut shells" for shotgun defense?

[MilShooter]

A friend recently sent me this link to a Link Removed, which demonstrates the use of "cut shells" in a simple shotgun. I had never heard of the practice nor the term "cut shell" before viewing this video.

In brief, it shows how to modify a typical target load of no. 8 shot so that it actually shoots as a ".70 caliber Glaser" bullet. The link is to the "2nd Amendment TV" web site where the description reads as follows: "Poor Man's Slug: Also known as "Cut Slugs", these effective yet surprisingly simple alternative shotgun munitions were once used in the early 1900's when deer stopping loads were needed but not always available. You can turn a simple bird shot load into a man or game stopping 'slug' with a quick turn of a knife."

I don't know that I am going to do it, but it really caught my attention. I have no idea if this would work in a pump action or semi-auto shotgun as it is demonstrated using a side by side shotgun.

So, have any of you guys heard of this technique?

Your mileage may vary.
MilShooter

 

[Hoganbeg]

I had never heard of it before either but it makes perfect sense. I don't think I would want to try it in a repeating gun though it looks like just the thing for a coach gun.

 

[Purple]

I played around with these in a 3-1/2 12gauge.....the recoil is EPIC! To be hit by something like this would be devastating. I'm not sure about the added pressure being exerted in the barrel when you do this, but I certainly wouldn't want to fire a bunch of these modified shells after experiencing the increase in recoil. I would not recommend firing these through a choked gun either.

 

[MilShooter]

I played around with these in a 3-1/2 12gauge.....the recoil is EPIC! To be hit by something like this would be devastating. I'm not sure about the added pressure being exerted in the barrel when you do this, but I certainly wouldn't want to fire a bunch of these modified shells after experiencing the increase in recoil. I would not recommend firing these through a choked gun either.

Heck, the recoil from any 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge is EPIC! Although I use 12 gauge for waterfowl hunting, I switched to a 20 gauge O/U for all of my upland game hunting. Of course, I occasionally bring out my Mossberg 500 (12 gauge) home defense shotgun just to shoot a few rounds at the range, and even that, while using 2 3/4 inch shells packs a wallow (no recoil pad).

I wondered about the possible increase in pressure also. I watched the video a couple of times and I noticed that the recoil was pretty stout. So there must be some increased pressure there. I don't think I'm going to try it any time soon, but I was pleased to learn about the historical use of such a "cut-down" round.

MilShooter

 

[FN1910]

I had not heard of it until I saw a video of it a couple of years ago. I forget the details of it other than I do remember that I do not want to get shot with one. Talk about your one stop shot. I think that would be about as close to a 100% certainty as you are going to find with a legal civilian gun.

 

[Purple]

Heck, the recoil from any 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge is EPIC! Although I use 12 gauge for waterfowl hunting, I switched to a 20 gauge O/U for all of my upland game hunting. Of course, I occasionally bring out my Mossberg 500 (12 gauge) home defense shotgun just to shoot a few rounds at the range, and even that, while using 2 3/4 inch shells packs a wallow (no recoil pad).

I wondered about the possible increase in pressure also. I watched the video a couple of times and I noticed that the recoil was pretty stout. So there must be some increased pressure there. I don't think I'm going to try it any time soon, but I was pleased to learn about the historical use of such a "cut-down" round.

MilShooter

When I was water fowling I used my Mossberg Ultra-Mag. Where I hunted you needed the extra reach and the opportunities to knock some large Northern Mallards and Canadian Geese were always present. I usually shot a modified choke over decoys and pass hunting, but would switch to a full when going after Snow and Canadian Geese - that 3-1/2 with "T" would drop some big birds from a long distance.

 

[Hoganbeg]

The added weight would be only the shell casing forward of the cut. How much do you think that would be? The pressure would go up as the shell casing was swaged down to the bore diameter. How much is anybody's guess.

 

[Rising2ndSun]

I recently saw something on youtube hosted by a couple of guys that do regular firearm videos. If I remember correctly the gentleman said they were the "poor mans slug" and go way back. Also he demonstrates the use of candle wax with the shell.

 

[MilShooter]

I recently saw something on youtube hosted by a couple of guys that do regular firearm videos. If I remember correctly the gentleman said they were the "poor mans slug" and go way back. Also he demonstrates the use of candle wax with the shell.

I don't think you checked the link I posted. It is the same video you posted.

MilShooter

 

[JohnD13]

I had heard of cut shells before, but haven't been inclined to try it myself. Overpressure could be a problem in a semiauto gun.

 

[Rising2ndSun]

Somehow I missed your link. Either way, now the uniformed have two links to increase their odds in case they missed one. Sorry, I didn't see those as links, my bad.

 

[CDWilliams05]

This guys videos are awesome....Barry makes these videos awesome. He talks about in another cutshell video (it may be this one) but they state that if you do the cut shell thing, that you should treat whatever shotgun as a single shot when doing this. I also probably wouldn't want to use this as a self defense round. I can see the court system / prosecutor eating you alive on this.

They make a factory round that the wad stays together until it impacts the target similar to this, and his wax slugs video.

 

[Rising2ndSun]

This guys videos are awesome....Barry makes these videos awesome. He talks about in another cutshell video (it may be this one) but they state that if you do the cut shell thing, that you should treat whatever shotgun as a single shot when doing this. I also probably wouldn't want to use this as a self defense round. I can see the court system / prosecutor eating you alive on this.

I agree!

 

[S&W645]

No need for cut shells when you have 1.125 oz or 1.250 oz slugs. A better defense round is the Aguila Mini shot shells. 1/2 length shells loaded to standard pressure with 7 #4 and 4 #1 buckshot.

 

[walt629]

Ouch! Just plain and simple OUCH! The knock down power must be astounding.

UN fortunately my thoughts are that the cut shell will only work in a coach gun. I would have concern about a pump or autoloader having feed/extraction problems. What do you think the pressure issue would be? A shot gun barrel wall thickness is extremely thin compared to a black powder barrel (closest similarity to a smooth bore shot gun).

Not a long gunner here, but wouldn't pushing a plastic jacket slug down a standard coach barrel cause all sorts of safety issue for pressure? Don't most "sluggers" use a slug barrel for hunting?

In my earlier years I fired a couple of jacket slugs through my Ithaca 37 modified choke barrel and was told it wasn't a good idea because of the pressure increases. And the slug is a smaller diameter that this cut shell so I would imagine the pressure increase would be even higher. Yes?

 

[Sheldon]

Some Chopper gunners carried 12 ga pumps in Nam as a BUG, they would take slugs and quarter them, just another trick for your list....