Slug Guns

Anybody out there either shoot or know anything about, or are interested in slug guns??

I haunt a number of muzzle-loading gunshops out east and have never run across either a sulg gun or a barrel for one.

I heard there was a range in Pennsylvania somewhere where they still shot them.

 

[roundball]

Snakeye, can you enlighten me on this...I don't know what the term "slug-gun" means in the muzzleloading world...all I can assume is that it might refer to some sort of special conical?
Thanks, Bill

 

[Ironwood]

Snake-Eye,

It's my understanding that a Slug Gun is to Muzzleoading what the Bench Rest Rifle is to Centerfire. They utilize special barrels with fast twist to handle swaged paper patched bullets of up to 1000 grains.

 

[Randy]

Slug guns are just that, guns that shoot slugs. Most are bench rest types, and may weigh 30 pounds or more. lots are equipped with a false muzzle to aid in loading the conical bullit straight and true each time. The guys that shoot these are real serious target shooters, not a gun to take deer hunting. I believe the "Bevel Brothers" who have a column in "Muzzle Blasts" are slug gun shooters. They shoot regular matches with slug guns at the range in Friendship, IN.

If you need more info I can get you some.

Horse Dr.

 

Yes, slug guns are heavy bench guns with extra-thick barrels, weighing 30 lbs or more. They have false muzzles and underhammer percussion actions.

They usually use conical projectiles composed of a hard-lead nose to keep from deforming when the ramrod pushes them home, and the body of the slug is soft lead to grip the rifling. The two parts are swaged together and the projectile itself is usually wrapped in some kind of special paper. They are shot at rangees of up to 1000 yards and are extremely accurate, but not much to look at. I just remembered the name of the place somebody told me they shot them years ago.
It was called Schartlesville, in PA., or something like that.

But I have never seen one for sale, or even in the flesh.

It would be a neat weapon to make and shoot, that's for sure. But you need that special heavy barrel. I don't think the underhammer action would be too hard to get ahold of, and I guess you could get a machine shop to create the false muzzle. Where the heck you'd find the moulds is another issue entirely. They are generally .45 caliber I recall reading.

Maybe I should write Bevelup- Bevel down.

 

[roundball]

Interesting...and the .45 caliber doesn't surprise me as it is one of those inherently accurate calibers.
Particularly with heavier which means longer bullets for it's caliber diameter...giving it a
higher ballistic coefficient, etc.
Now, I shoot .45cal Hornady 285grn Great Plains bullets in my .45 TC Hawkens, finding them to be extremely accurate, and they're somewhat long for the diameter...so I imagine a 1000 grain .45cal bullet must be 3-4" long...

 

[Zonie]

I saw one at a Gun Show here in Phoenix about 4 months ago. The guy was selling it "for a friend" and didn't know much about it.
As I recall he wanted $600-$700 for it but I wasn't interested for 2 reasons. It was Butt Ugly and it had about a 3 in dia octogon barrel about 28 inches long. It must have weighed over 30 pounds! I would have had to buy a wagon just to haul it out to my truck.

As was mentioned they shoot special two part bullets and unless you have the dies to cast them the bullets would run into some real money (if you could find them).
(My muzzle loading precussion Schutzen bullets (for paper patching) cost about 25 cents each and they are just pure swaged lead. (.40 cal 330 grain).)

I watched them out at Ben Averys during the NMLRA shoot. The best part of that was watchin their eyes bulge as they toted it back and forth to the loading bench.

 

[Randy]

Snake Eye,

Chuck hearn who used to be the NMLRA president a few years ago shoots slug guns, and I know he and his buddies make them and I believe use Green Mt. Barrels. they must make some custom barrels because all the GM barels I've seen aren't that heavy.

Jim Goodoien up in Blaine, MN makes a heavy slug gun barrel with false muzzel and bullit mould, and all the accessories. I think he will even make a custom barrel to your specs, or at least suggest a good combination of bore size, rate of twist, barrel weight and length, etc. He custom rifles all his barrels, and has a pretty good reputation.
you can call him at (763) 780-9112 or get a price list by e-mail [email protected]

L.C. Rice (Formerly of L & R Locks) is now making barrels and he loves a project. He has the equipment to make about anything you need in the line of barrels and will talk to you on the phone at (828) 627-8959 or check his website at www.ricebarrels.com I don't think there are any slug barrels on the website but he can make one if he wants to. I've found him a friendly guy on the phone.

You may find more help contacting a NMLRA member that shoots slugs. I know they have regular matches at their spring and winter shoots.

I've only seen one of these guns for sale, at a pawn shop. I guess that's because most are custom made by serious target shooters. Not an "off the shelf" item.

Horse Dr.

 

[musketman]

The book called: "The Muzzleloading Cap Lock Rifle" by: Ned H. Roberts covers slug guns in great detail.

It covers composite bullets, false muzzles, paper patches, match rifles and much more.

It also covers the U.S.A. shooting team during the 1000 yard match in 1880.

 

[tucoblue]

The folks that build and shoot these guns display them and show how they are made at the Dixon Gun Fair every July. They shoot not far from Dixon's. Call Chuck or Greg at Dixon's and you can get info to contact one of the slug gun shooters. The number is 610 756 6271.

 

Thanks for all the kind info.

By the way, I just got my November issue of Muzzle-Blasts and Bevel Up - Bevel Down have a short article on Slug guns and bench rifles.