Firearms Talk banner

shotgun gadgets, gizmos, and snake oil

3K views 32 replies 11 participants last post by  RKB 
#1 · (Edited)
we all know, no one can just leave a gun alone and be satisfied with it. so lets see some examples of gadgets you've seen out there or maybe what you may have on your shotguns?

how about the famous adjustomatic choke? first shot shoots a pre-selected choke, when shot passes thru it, its spring loaded knob twists, making your second shot tighter automatically. turns a single bbl gun into double bbl gun.

I shot one on a friends semi auto once. it actually worked, so I bought one.
bought a NIB spare too! enjoy.
 

Attachments

See less See more
2
#2 · (Edited)
I bought an 870 aftermarket adjustable stock and pistol grip from a friend a few years ago, after trying it out, I now understand why he sold it, it put the barrel too low and it felt miserable, so the shotgun is back to the stock that it came with and only has an extended magazine which works great. So is that Adjustomatic worthwhile or should I just get another choke to loosen up the shot pattern?
 
#3 ·
one of the most useless pieces of garbage ever put on shotgun, is the breecher muzzle brakes! unless you are in the military, or LE, it's tactical gizmo that is totally useless and stupid.

but what the hey, every Tactical Timmy needs one on his SD shotgun, right? :rolleyes:
 
#4 ·
How does that automatic choke work on incomers ? :) I know they do work, and so do PolyChoke, etc., so while I hate them I do not put them in the snake oil category.
How about those automatic lead sights they used to sell?
Almost any expensive Gun oil / grease with a cool name ?
The breacher choke already noted ?
Ported barrels and/or chokes ?
"Duplex" shotgun shells ?
Blindside shotgun shells ? A marketing genius award winner. Ditto Black Cloud.
Many after market "extra power" spring kits that have turned semi autos into single shots ?
Teflon O rings ? Real Teflon is NOT an elastomer or a good choice for an O ring, and will cold flow (albeit slowly) under pressure)
That's all I can think of at the moment.
 
#5 ·
My Weatherby SA-08 20ga with the special, oval pattern, barrel! Seems the threading process for the choke was run at a very slight angle to the axis of the barrel. So when the shot arrives at the choke, the upper edge of the shot is driven down into the rest of the shot. Result, a 36 x 24 inch oval instead of a 36 inch circle. Grrr...
 
#6 ·
In the spirit of fairness I have never used one and don't recall ever seeing one in use but the box sights that clamp on the gun's rib. It seems like they introduce a similar device every 5 years. Allways seemed like a money waster to me. I know that poly chokes work but the fact they ruin the lines of so many gorgeous old A5s,MDL 12s etc make me hate them with a passion. The Cutts Compensator is also miserable in a shared duck blind.
 

Attachments

#7 ·
How does that automatic choke work on incomers ? :) I know they do work, and so do PolyChoke, etc., so while I hate them I do not put them in the snake oil category.
How about those automatic lead sights they used to sell?
Almost any expensive Gun oil / grease with a cool name ?
The breacher choke already noted ?
Ported barrels and/or chokes ?
"Duplex" shotgun shells ?
Blindside shotgun shells ? A marketing genius award winner. Ditto Black Cloud.
Many after market "extra power" spring kits that have turned semi autos into single shots ?
Teflon O rings ? Real Teflon is NOT an elastomer or a good choice for an O ring, and will cold flow (albeit slowly) under pressure)
That's all I can think of at the moment.
The Blindside shells actually pattern decent in my Dad's Benelli. Black cloud shells were crap though. They were also one of the dirtiest shells I have ever shot. I hesitate to add this but a 3 1/2" 12 gauge is somewhat of a gimmick unless you shoot a ton of geese. I have never seen a gun that patterns them as well as a 3" or 2 3/4" load.
 
#11 ·
Virginian....I don't have the owners manual here, but if remember correctly, you can set it either way....loose to tight or tight to loose.
I don't remember, you may be right. After a C-Lect choke (Mossberg's version) I never liked an adjustable chokes again.
Blindside may pattern fine, but a hexagonal pellet is less aerodynamically efficient than a sphere. They are cheaper to make.
 
#12 ·
I get a kick out of how the new generation thinks gizmos are new. the big thing now is shims in the stock to change pitch and lop etc...

the euros were doing it ages ago.............
 

Attachments

#13 ·
the french thought it would be a good idea to put the triggers inside the grip so they wouldn't snag in the brush while hunting.....
 

Attachments

#19 ·
i have to agree with SRK. i don't care for a mid bead on shotgun. i had two that had them and both have had them removed. generally i don't aim shotguns, and use the point method. so the mid bead confuses me.
 
#20 ·
would you shoot a pistol with just a front bead?
Sort of. All my pistols only have 1 front sight. They also have a rear sight.

As you taught me, the sight picture is used only to confirm proper cheek weld on the gun. A proper sight picture consists of only the bead being visible with the striations on the ridge just disappearing from view. The whole bead and nothing but the bead, so to speak.

Putting a second bead half way back doesn't really change that any, but it makes it seem like a shorter sight radius. I suppose if you can see 2 beads, your eyes are still a little too high (or off to one side). But you can get the same effect with one bead by simply making the ridge just disappear and centering the bead above the edge of the ridge, similar to centering the front sight between the rear sights on a pistol.
 
#21 ·
I don't remember, you may be right. After a C-Lect choke (Mossberg's version) I never liked an adjustable chokes again.
Blindside may pattern fine, but a hexagonal pellet is less aerodynamically efficient than a sphere. They are cheaper to make.
The only reason I bought the blindsides is I got a case on the cheap. Kent FastSteel is one of the better duck loads IMHO. In all honesty I generally shoot the cheapest shell that gives me a decent pattern.
 
#22 ·
would you shoot a pistol with just a front bead?
Not sure I follow. Shooting pistols and shotguns are apples and oranges. I don't claim to be an expert but I have done a ton of wingshooting and will generally kill a 15 bird limit of doves with 20 or so shells. I don't really pay attention to the bead. When shooting clays/trap my biggest struggle is finding the bird after saying pull.
 
#23 · (Edited)
what a second bead does is help those with ribs to establish proper cheek weld in relation to the bbl.
a lot of people don't realize that if all they have to aid their alignment is the front bead, regardless where you put your face in relation to that bead, itll appear correct.
with time, as an owner learns his gun and muscle memory kicks in....then yes, the center bead isn't needed. in some cases, some shooters don't even have the front bead. but it does require some time behind the trigger to learn this on a particular gun.

in balotas case, he has a plain bbl with a polychoke. because of the taper in the bbl, the bead sits on top of the poly, putting it up on the sighting plain of the receiver. in a sense, the receiver itself is the rear sight (or center bead). once he finds the sweet spot, his focus switches to the target. but....if he moves his cheek weld....he will loose sight alignment.
and yes....a 30" circle of shot will miss a 4" clay if its bad enough.

I always check my center bead after I mount. but as I said, ive been shooting that old model 12 for so long, I can just feel when its right. sounds like a lot of you do too.

so, is a center bead a gizmo or snake oil?
no, its function.
 
#24 ·
what a second bead does is help those with ribs to establish proper cheek weld in relation to the bbl.
a lot of people don't realize that if all they have to aid their alignment is the front bead, regardless where you put your face in relation to that bead, itll appear correct.
with time, as an owner learns his gun and muscle memory kicks in....then yes, the center bead isn't needed. in some cases, some shooters don't even have the front bead. but it does require some time behind the trigger to learn this on a particular gun.

in balotas case, he has a plain bbl with a polychoke. because of the taper in the bbl, the bead sits on top of the poly, putting it up on the sighting plain of the receiver. in a sense, the receiver itself is the rear sight (or center bead). once he finds the sweet spot, his focus switches to the target. but....if he moves his cheek weld....he will loose sight alignment.
and yes....a 30" circle of shot will miss a 4" clay if its bad enough.

I always check my center bead after I mount. but as I said, ive been shooting that old model 12 for so long, I can just feel when its right. sounds like a lot of you do too.

so, is a center bead a gizmo or snake oil?
no, its function.
10-4 I have shot my Benelli and Remingtons so long I dont even notice the beads anymore.
 
#26 ·

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top