Y-man’s home-made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ]
[ Y-Man, our resident Nigerian shotgunner, continues his series of guest articles about his quest to build the perfect shotgun. Being one of the lucky few in Africa to legally own a gun, he has to fabricate many parts and ammunition himself because supplies of gun parts are so limited. You can read Part 6 here. ]
Hi y’all, long time no see, as we say here! I have been regaling you with stories of my adventures with my shotgun, and my stock, sight, and ammunition improvisations. This is another update, I hope you enjoy it.
I got really frustrated with the slug designs I had been working on and using because accuracy degenerated terribly. I think I finally know why the accuracy of my original slugs, and all the different versions I came up with too over the last few months, went downhill.
![to the shoulder tm tfb1 Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/to_the_shoulder-tfb1.jpg "to the shoulder tm tfb1 Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
I cast those slugs at about .660”. They were Foster style slugs, slotted into the shotcups and they worked reasonably well: groups of 2" at 35-40 yards.
I fired them out of my Turkish EFE Magnum Semi-Auto Shotgun. Good shotgun, but it had substandard parts. Sadly, within a year, the firing pin broke. I discovered the shotgun was a discontinued model and manufactured by a small company in Turkey so ordering the replacement was out. I thought of repairing but the restrictions we have here stopped me from trying to locally fix it. So I dumped it.
But I was able to use part of the barrel to improvise a "Bore-size" Slug mould.
Then I got my Mossberg 500A, it cost almost $3,000 (Three thousand dollars!)
I started firing my slugs out of that and noticed accuracy going downhill! I was using the "Bore-size" Slug mould from the Turkish gun's barrel.
I recently got some brass balls of exactly .729". I did some experimenting, and discovered that while the balls would slide easily (Loosely) down the bore of the Mossberg, when I tried sliding the same ball down the barrel of the Turkish shotgun: it would not go in at all.
Obviously that Turkish gun was choked, while the Mossberg is straight cylinder (No choke). No wonder I was getting the kind of accuracy I was getting from the Turkish gun. I got really frustrated with the lack of accuracy on the slugs, I went through so many designs without luck or success, so I did some more research, and decided to go the round ball route (basically with smooth round ball slugs to fire out of smoothbore shotguns). Round balls are known to be reliable and consistent out to 50 yards. I did a LOT of research.
Firstly, I improvised a round ball mould, by drilling out 2 half-spheres in steel pieces, then aligning them.
![1y mans locally fabricated round ball mould tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/1y_mans_locally_fabricated_round_ball_mould-tfb.jpg "1y mans locally fabricated round ball mould tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
It worked, but produced a rough ball, which I then needed to file down to shape.
![2locally cast round balls rough 2filed tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2locally_cast_round_balls_rough_2filed-tfb.jpg "2locally cast round balls rough 2filed tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
It worked: more or less:
Then I got to meet Jeff Tanner (JT Ball Moulds) online who fabricated the perfect brass mould for me from Essex, England. I was able to get the mould to Nigeria without problems.
![3jeff tanner mould729inch tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/3jeff_tanner_mould729inch-tfb.jpg "3jeff tanner mould729inch tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
![4jeff tanner mould729inchc tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/4jeff_tanner_mould729inchc-tfb.jpg "4jeff tanner mould729inchc tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
It casts VERY good balls (LOL!) and I was very excited.
![5perfect round balls tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/5perfect_round_balls-tfb.jpg "5perfect round balls tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
I built up the first batch of test shells: using Hot-melt glue to form a cup to hold the ball, to centre the ball in the bore and to enhance accuracy.
![6supporting wad cup hot melt glue tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/6supporting_wad_cup_hot_melt_glue_-tfb.jpg "6supporting wad cup hot melt glue tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
I then went out testing on 13th February and I was quite impressed!
I fired only 8 rounds: 4 of 3” and 4 of 2.75”. I would have loved to do more shooting but I noticed some noises in the bush near the “range”, and a strange circling of a helicopter in a tight circle at about 700 feet over the area where I was, so I decided to get the heck out of the “range” (Some wasteland outside of town.) This is in the delta area of Nigeria, and until not too long ago: the area affected by quite a lot of “militant” activities: attacks, kidnappings, shootings, etc.
So after firing 8 shots, and hearing those noises, and the chopper, I left for home immediately. But those 8 shots! Wow!
Target was at about 35 meters (About 40 yards: “long-stride” measured: I’m a tall man!)
Target was a man-sized silhouette in bright pink cardboard, stapled to a plywood board, held upright by a metal stand (1” thick plate steel. There is some significance to this steel stand, I will get to it shortly.)
I fired from a free-hand kneeling position using Ghost-Ring Rear sights, and my improvised front peep sights.
(I must confess, my aim was not so good: I just started some boxing training to try to lose weight, and my arms are always aching and trembling a bit nowadays.)
I fired 2 rounds (3”shells) and then 2 rounds (2.75”shells) first.
3 hits lower than POA. (2 shots a bit left of Centre of Mass, 1 shot completely out to the left: a miss.)
1 hit off target: a miss, higher up (I corrected higher: aiming for a headshot and I’m sure that target definitely got to hear the ball scream past his right ear!)
I suspected that the Ghost-Ring sights needed adjustment: I was obviously hitting low. You might recall: my front sights were completely improvised.
![7improvised front sights dec 2010 tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/7improvised_front_sights_dec_2010-tfb.jpg "7improvised front sights dec 2010 tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
Luckily, I had taken some tools along, and added 3 upward turns to the aperture (Adding to the 6 turns upwards from base that I had before: making a total of 9 upwards turns from the lowest setting. You can thus see that there is technique and system to what I do.)
Then I fired 4 more shots:
1 hit at exactly Point Of Aim, within the 8” circle! (This 1 hit went through the plywood, and shattered or ricocheted against the steel plate: this pushed the target off, and the target fell down. I was too lazy to go over there to right it, and by this time, the pesky helicopter was buzzing around, so I just continued shooting at the metal stand: a 12”x 12” steel plate with strong rebar legs and firm stand.
1 hit on the steel plate: CLANG! PEW! (I heard the ball fly off downrange.)
1 miss, I think: I didn’t hear the “Clang!” of a hit.
1 hit on the steel plate: good resounding “Clang!”
I collected a few of the fired wads I could find and I noticed something remarkable: The hot-glue cups were too soft, and they gave a bit too much. Almost all the recovered wads had their hot-glue cups squashed, distended and distorted. This could affect Accuracy and consistency.
Immediately after this: I packed up, and got the heck out of there.
No video as my video camera was on the fritz that day.
![8target picture 31jan tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/8target_picture_31jan-tfb.jpg "8target picture 31jan tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
I thought to suspend testing for now, until things quieten down. We are approaching elections here, and this is usually a time of much violence and tension. I may be suspending for three main reasons:
I am more confident in my round balls now, more confident in the ammo I have now, more than ever before. (Accuracy and consistency.) I have “good balls” now, LOL!
I really need to conserve ammo: even birdshot has become almost impossible to get for some months now: either legally or even on the black market.
Heightened security, and tension generally with the approaching elections. As per the hot-glue cups being affected so much: I have decided to use proper hard card wads instead going forward: I will use the hard plastic over-shot wads (Which I would normally discard) to raise the balls.
I went testing again (Just couldn’t resist the temptation!) on 27th of February this time firing round balls with cream of wheat buffers with inserted hard cards. I was very happy with the results. I fired from about 35 yards, using improvised shooting sticks for support. It was a hoot!
![9shooting target 27feb tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/9shooting_target_27feb-tfb.jpg "9shooting target 27feb tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
I am presently working on donut (or “Doughnut” as we say here) shaped hard card wads which standardizes everything for me further. These will cradle the balls better, centralize them in the bore, and provide the right support in conjunction with the plastic wad cushions. I have also done something a bit more orthodox about my front sights. I took a small block of aluminum:
![91improvised front sight before sculpting tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/91improvised_front_sight_before_sculpting-tfb.jpg "91improvised front sight before sculpting tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
And filed and sanded (Completely with hand files, and sandpaper) to get this:
![92improvised front sight after sculpting tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/92improvised_front_sight_after_sculpting-tfb.jpg "92improvised front sight after sculpting tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
I used the clamps I have had for some time now:
![93improvised front sight clamp tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/93improvised_front_sight_clamp-tfb.jpg "93improvised front sight clamp tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
When fixed to the shotgun, and bolted to the bead hole:
![94sight fixed on barrel tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/94sight_fixed_on_barrel-tfb.jpg "94sight fixed on barrel tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
I then tightened it all up:
![95improvised sight clamped tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo](http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/95improvised_sight_clamped-tfb.jpg "95improvised sight clamped tm tfb Y man’s home made slug shooting adventures continue [ Part 7 ] photo")
Of course I cut the excess bolts down to size, and cut filed to a rounded end,=. I think it looks okay. I would be glad to hear what you guys think. I measured everything as best as I could: but many of the dimensions are done by hand and eye instinctive gauging. The sight is exactly 2 cm from the top of the barrel.
As soon as I am able to buy some more ammo, finish my work on the doughnut wads, get some more ammo, and get permission to use the range, I plan to do some shooting again soon. (but no sooner than April though! April is when our elections will hold.)
Many thanks for your interest! As always, your comments are valued and very welcome!
Hey Y-man, I just saw a YouTube video of someone using a “Cut Shell” in their shotgun. It’s better to watch the video than to describe what a “cut” or a “ringed” shell is. The effects looks devastating. I haven’t tried it out myself, yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3M46XVfVOU&feature=feedu
we need to bake a box of shells into a cake in mail it to y-man, that or get him out the Knob Creek MG shoot here in Kentucky.
Y-man, you are an exemplar of ingenuity and indomitable spirit that every one of us would do well to learn from and follow! My friend, I salute you!
Always enjoy your updates here Y-Man, glad to see you got a good brass mold in country. Having proper ammo will save you loads of trouble, as you have found through your amazing trial and error process.
Sorry to hear that things are still so expensive and hard to find, wish we could all raise some funds and mail you various pieces and parts to accessorize your 500, craft more ammo and possibly repair your Turkish semi-auto, but after 5 minutes of googling that process, seems like we would likely get you in trouble if we mail anything your way that is firearm related.
Keep up the great work, and the posts here.
Stay safe!
Y-Man,
Come to American and become a gun smith.
Anytime I start to feel sorry for myself for having the restrictions we have here in the”People’s Republik of Kalifornia”, I think of Y-Man…and then I think of my Polish Grandmother, who used to say, “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” Y-Man, you give everyone here inspiration with your innovation, ingenuity, and just plain determination. “Improvise, adapt, overcome!” should be every shooter’s bywords today, and Y-Man exemplifies what we all should learn from. Keep on keepin’ on, my friend.
I like the new front sight, with a little black paint and some polishing, it would look like it was original manufacture.
You should see about getting a buckshot mold from your friend, I’d suggest no smaller than #4 size and no larger than 00. With buckshot, you could really be sure of yourself at close range. It might be more time consuming, but may be worth it if you can get the molds. you might even be able to make your own like you did the round ball one. The slightly misshapen spheres wouldn’t have any detrimental effect on accuracy because you’re not shooting for accuracy.
You might also try using other pieces of your Turkish shotgun barrel. They should be the same size as the bore of the Mossberg because the choke is only on the end. Or you could fabricate sabots to match the smaller slugs to the size of the bore using paper or plastic.
You may find the saboted slugs to be more accurate.
I’m not sure if you can buy powder, primers, and a reloading press, but you could save quite a bit by re-using the shotguns hulls if you can get the supplies.
The only other thing I think you might like to try is alloying other metals with the lead. Zinc and tin are some of the most common because they have low melting points like lead. Antimony is also used but melts at around 1100F (630C) so it may be hard to generate enough heat. You probably won’t notice any improvement in accuracy, but the slugs will be harder and, god forbid, if you are in a situation where your life depends on your gun, they will penetrate further and deform less.
Love your stories. Keep shooting.
I look forward to your next story!
You are one smart guy, the length you go to improve your slugs is very impressive, you seem like a patient man. Stay safe as always, look forward to your next update.
this is what happen,s when you live in a country that dose not trust is citazen,s with firearm,s i would comment further however i know fulll welll most of my coment,s would be delited
Love the guys can do attitude and ability to get $%&^ done!
But JFC, $3k for a mossberg 500!! I paid $250 for mine lightly used!
Now that he has a 500, someone get this man a rifled barrel with a cantilever scope mount!
These stories are completely awesome, and it really humbles me. I mean, I have so many incomplete or poorly finished projects, and parts are so easy to get over here.
Hats off to Y-Man.
I always look forward to these updates. It’s like watching a MacGyver episode only for real.
This guy’s brilliant. I definitely wish him luck.
Necessity is the mother of Invention.
Sound thinking, perseverance, that is valuable. Keep up the good work, that also inspires others, like me.
Just shows what a bit of ingenuity and drive can accomplish. Many people in Western countries would give up if faced with the difficulties that Y-Man has to confront.
Congratulations on your shotgun Y-Man. It is a credit to you. Stay safe.
Love it! If I win any gun raffles or parts giveaways this year, it’s going to y-man! He does more with less than anyone I know.
It’s a shame YMan can’t get a hold of a nice 22 rifle and some ammo. It’s far less expensive to shoot a lot, and he would have more fun trying to accurize it due to the inherently superior accuracy. The lower sound profile would also help him to not attract attention.
Y-Man , I salute you for a good job in tough circumstances. You have to use your brains and hands to make what you need, but you never give up. That is a really good job !! I wish I could take you to one of our local stores and let you get what you need. Maybe some day you can come to the U.S. for a visit. Good luck, and keep up the good work.
My heart goes out to this Y-Man. It’s glad to see that, even in turmoilous times, he is dedicated to finding and making ingenious ways to improve his shotgun from a basic bed sight and bird shot. Someone should fly him to the USA one time so he could get a taste of what he could get if he moved here. But I know better than to separate a man from his country, so best of luck Y-Man, and keep chugging away at your project
Your ingenuity with what you have to work with is awesome! Thanks for posting, it’s a very interesting read, and stay safe. You’re an excellent example of the right mindset trumping a lack of resources!