Reader Questions: Shotgun Ports and Dirty Magazines
Got a couple of quick questions from readers. The answers are short enough that I figured I could answer them both in one post.
Can I shoot birdshot through a ported barrel?
A feature that a lot of competitors as well as hunters like to have is ported barrels. This means that they drilled some holes in a strategic location near the muzzle of the barrel. Why would they do this? Those holes direct the escaping gas from the shell upward instead of forward. This has the wonderful effect of stopping the barrel from rising up as much as well as bleeding off a bit of recoil.
The thing is, those holes are also just about the same size as most of the shot going through the barrel. I wouldn’t blame someone for being a bit worried about some of the shot getting stuck in them. Heck, the thought crossed my mind as well the first time I saw them. The good news is no, you don’t have to worry. While I see tons and tons of forums posts saying “my friend’s cousin’s uncle’s neighbor’s brother’s car dealer’s accountant had trouble with [Insert Brand Here] getting stuck in his porting”, I have never found a credible first hand account. Physics being what they are, you would have a far better chance of winning the Powerball.
You see, in most cases the smaller shot (bird, etc) is kept together in a wadding. This makes sure that all the power from the powder is transferred to the shot. Once it clears the barrel, the wadding tears away and the shot goes on its merry way to the target. In the meantime, that wadding will keep the shot safely away from those ports.
Take a look at this video. If you look close, you can see the wadding flying away right as it leaves the barrel:
Should I be cleaning my magazines also?
This question came from William! Thanks!
I’m a neat freak when it comes to my guns. I’ve been told by many friends and YouTube commenters that I clean my guns too much. Hey, I like a nice, shiny gun and there’s nothing wrong with that.
After all, a clean gun is a working gun. The dirtier a gun gets, the more likely it is to malfunction. Strangely enough, there’s this weird belief that you should never clean your magazines. I don’t know where or how this got started.
The two most common explanations are 1) Mags are supposed to be “disposable” so they’re not really meant to be cleaned and 2) the solvent residue can make its way into the ammo and affect its reliability.
Well, number 1, I wouldn’t call the $40 mags for my SIG “disposable” by any stretch of the imagination. If I wanted to throw away $40, I’ll make sure to hit the craps tables at the next SHOT Show. I’m keeping my mag, thank you. Number 2 might have some weight, however. Most of these cleaners are supposedly meant to soak into metal. Also, there’s no O-Rings on ammunition. If some of that penetrating solvent gets on to the crimp, it could easily foul up the powder inside.
While I agree that you don’t have to clean your mags every time you clean your gun, there’s not harm that I can find in it. Personally, even though I scrub the heck out of my guns after every range trip, I might go 5 or 6 trips before I pull the mag apart and scrub it down. When I do, I make absolutely sure to wipe down ANY residue that might be inside. I also try to avoid solvents altogether unless it’s absolutely necessary.
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