What defines a shotgun slug?

Mellor

While browsing around on the internet I came accross a few "exotic" shotgun cartridges. And I began to wonder what defines a slug?

Now I know what a slug is per say. Solid projectile design to be shot through a smooth bore shotgun. I never shot one, but i've seen pics and info on them online. The ones i've seen have had something design in to make it suitable for smoothbores, such as a hollowed rear or a fixed wad.

But where is the line between standard shot and slugs?
Tables i've seen online list birdshot as <5.8mm (TT @ 0.23")and buck shot as 6-9.1mm (000 @ 0.35"). Are slugs everything beyond this?

The reason I ask is because I can accross alot of combination rounds.
Things like:

• A half slug and 6x000 buckshot pellets.
• A Bolo shell. The round is made of two or more slugs molded onto steel wire c.6-10" long
• Two round lead/steel balls at almost 12 gauge size.
• Two nylon balls at 12 guage
• A 6-inch chain
• A bean-bag round

The list is just a sample of what I cam accross. And most are probably illegal in there own right.
But I was wondering in anybody knows where the line is? Where does the buckshot and half slug, or the 12 gauge balls fit in.

Mellor

As a note, I also came accross plenty exotic non slug rounds, such as:
Dragons Breath - No projectile, but creates a 3 second burst of flame (up to 300 feet)
Bird Bombs - Exploding rounds
Whislte - High pitched whistle as it flys through the air

And various other of the smoke, flare, or exploding nature

Double Barrel

Mellor,

"Triple-ought" Buckshot (.36 in or 9.1mm) big stuff, is the cutoff line IMHO. After that there is Foster type or Brenneke Slugs.

http://www.nrapublications.org/tah/Slugs.asp

peter-pantslez

where did you find all the 'exotic' shells would be interested in having a look at whats out there....

Mellor

Double Barrel wrote: »

Mellor,

"Triple-ought" Buckshot (.36 in or 9.1mm) big stuff, is the cutoff line IMHO. After that there is Foster type or Brenneke Slugs.

http://www.nrapublications.org/tah/Slugs.asp

Yeah, there are the two slugs I came accross, if i remember correct, foster is hollowed at rear, and the other has a fix wad.

But my point is at what point is a round considered a clug, from a legal point of view or otherwise?
A standard 12 gauge slug is twice the calibre of a triple ought.
Where do the in betweens fit, or combo shots.

where did you find all the 'exotic' shells would be interested in having a look at whats out there....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Shotgun_shells

There are a few of them, on some of the pages there are references to external sites with even more.

José Alaninho

Anyone know a good gunshop that sells Dragon's Breath and Bolo Rounds for a reasonable price? Bulk preferable...:D:p:D

meathstevie

I suppose you could draw the line at the number of projectiles in the casing. More than one : cartridge.

Our man in Havana

José Alaninho wrote: »

Anyone know a good gunshop that sells Dragon's Breath and Bolo Rounds for a reasonable price? Bulk preferable...:D:p:D

Are they legal to process/use in Ireland?

Mellor

Bond-007 wrote: »

Are they legal to process/use in Ireland?

Thats sort of the reason I started this thread.
For them to be illegal there would need to be some sort of definiition of various rounds.
And of number of the rounds would most likely slip through the holes, Dragons breath for example doesn't fire a projectile, is it a blank? To the person that asked, they are going to be about €20 a pop

[quoet=meathstevie]I suppose you could draw the line at the number of projectiles in the casing. More than one : cartridge.[/quote]
I was thinking this, but then the pitbull round, thats the six 000 buckshot and a slug would be a cartridge. Then there is still confusion with other rounds. Bolo rounds have two projectiles, but they are fixed by wire. Is this one, or two projectiles.

José Alaninho

Dragon's breath looks like some amount of craic doesn't it? Not a chance its legal I reckon; flamethrower rounds for heaven's sake? Imagine asking for that in a shop.:p

meathstevie

Unless you want to singe the hair on your neighbours' arse I can't see any use for those dragon yokes..

José Alaninho

Wouldn't mind, they deserve it really... :p:D

Mellor

To be illegal it has to be included in some act somewhere.
But there is a strong chance that it could slip through.

They aren't going to be cheap though.

José Alaninho

Been looking at some vids of them on youtube... man they're ****e! Only shoot a shower of sparks for like 1/1000th of a second...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgjfGVu8Q80&feature=related

zero19

Maybe those dragon breath ones are for movies etc?