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The .410 bore is one of the smallest caliber of
shotgun shell A shotgun shell, shotshell or simply shell is a type of rimmed, cylindrical (straight-walled) cartridges used specifically in shotguns, and is typically loaded with numerous small, pellet-like spherical sub- projectiles called shot, fired th ...
commonly available (along with the 9mm Flobert rimfire cartridge, and the less common .22 rimfire shot shell). A .410 bore shotgun loaded with shot shells is well suited for
small game Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products (primarily meat), for recreation (" sporting"), or for trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, ...
hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler ...
and
pest control Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range ...
. The .410 started off in the UK as a garden gun along with the .360 and the No. 3 bore (9 mm) rimfire, No. 2 bore (7 mm) rimfire, and No. 1 bore (6 mm) rimfire. .410 shells have similar base dimensions to the .45 Colt cartridge, allowing many
single-shot Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded manually after every shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, then multi-barreled designs appeared, and eventually many cen ...
firearms, as well as some
derringer A derringer is a small handgun that is neither a revolver nor a semi/ fully automatic pistol. It is not to be confused with mini-revolvers or pocket pistols, although some later derringers were manufactured with the pepperbox configuratio ...
s chambered in that caliber, to fire .410 shot shells without any modifications.


Origin

Lancaster's pattern centerfire and
pinfire A pinfire cartridge is an obsolete type of metallic firearm cartridge in which the priming compound is ignited by striking a small pin which protrudes radially from just above the base of the cartridge. Invented by Frenchman Casimir Lefaucheux ...
.410 shot cartridges first appeared in Eley Brothers Ltd. flysheets in 1857. By 1874, Eleys were advertising modern centerfire .410 cartridges. It appears to have become popular around 1900, although it was recommended as "suited to the requirements of naturalists, garden guns and for such weapons as walking-stick guns", presumably for self-defense, in 1892 by W. W. Greener. The first ammunition was 2.0 inches (50.8 mm) long, compared with the modern 2.5 (63.5 mm) and sizes. Aluminum shells are available but are not reloadable, as are paper or plastic shells. Full length brass shells can be found and are reloadable. Brass shells can be made from .444 Marlin rifle cartridges, and these are reloadable . Shotguns in .410 loaded with shot shells are well suited for small game hunting and
pest control Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range ...
; including rabbits, squirrels, snakes, rats, and birds. A .410 loaded with 1/4 ounce slugs is effective against larger animals such as coyotes and deer. While a .410 is inferior to the traditional 12-gauge shotshell for defensive use, a number of companies market defensive guns chambered in .410, such as the
Mossberg 500 The Mossberg 500 (M500) is a series of pump action shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bo ...
Home Security Model shotgun, the Smith & Wesson Governor revolver, and the Taurus Judge revolver. Defensive ammunition such as buckshot, slugs and combination loads are common. American Derringer and Winchester market ammunition loaded with five 000 buckshot pellets in shells and three pellets in shells. Combination shells such as Winchester Supreme Elite .410 shells are loaded with three 71 grain disks and twelve BB pellets.


Survival arms

The small size of the .410 bore makes it popular for use in compact firearms carried for emergency use. These are often
combination gun A combination gun is a firearm that usually comprises at least one rifled barrel and one smoothbore barrel, that is typically used with shot or some types of shotgun slug. Most have been break-action guns, although there have been other desi ...
s, with a .22 Hornet or .22 rimfire rifle barrel mounted over a .410 bore shotgun barrel. The Snake Charmer is a .410 gauge, stainless steel, single shot, break-action shotgun, with an exposed hammer, an , black molded plastic furniture and a short thumb-hole butt-stock that holds four additional shotgun shells. These light-weight guns have an overall length of .'' Field & Stream''. News for 1979 Part II. by Bob Brister. May 1979. page 159 They are commonly used by gardeners and farmers for pest control. It originally sold for $89.95 and was marketed as a general purpose utility shotgun "perfect" for "fishing - hunting - camping - back packing - survival - home defense - truck or Jeep gun". The Savage Model 24 is an American-made, over and under, combination gun, manufactured by Savage Arms. The basic .22LR over .410 gauge model weighs , has barrels, and an overall length of . It may also be disassembled for ease of stowage. Its predecessor was made by Stevens and sported a tenite stock and forearm. In WWII, 15,000 were ordered and issued in air crew survival kits for Army Air Force bomber crews to be used as survival arms in the event they were shot down. The M6 aircrew survival weapon was made for the US Air Force, with a .22 Hornet rifle barrel mounted over a .410 bore shotgun barrel and was first issued in the Korean War. The military also lists an aluminum .410 shell, with a rifle primer, as standard issue under the ammunition inventory name M-35. The civilian version Springfield Armory M6 Scout has a .22 rimfire or .22 Hornet over a .410 bore shotgun barrel. The original M6 has a barrel, the same length as the stock, and folds in half for storage, making a compact package. With the short barrel, this is legally classified as an ''
any other weapon Title II weapons, or NFA firearms, are designations of certain weapons under the United States National Firearms Act (NFA). These are weapons requiring a Type 01 Federal Firearms License (FFL) as well as a Class 3 Special Occupation Tax (SOT) t ...
'' in the United States, so the M6 Scout is made with barrels for civilian sales. Special flare cartridges in .410 were issued with the USAF model.


Handguns and shot pistols

The fact that the .410 bore shell fits in a .45 Colt chamber has resulted in some unusual applications. While shotguns are often limited in minimum length, a firearm chambered in .45 Colt, such as the Contender pistol, is not defined as a shotgun even though it can chamber shotgun shells. In the UK .410 shot-pistols are used around pheasant pens to kill rats where a full-length shotgun would be inappropriate. The Thompson Center Arms Contender pistols are commonly encountered with a special .45 Colt/.410 bore barrel. The barrel is rifled for the .45 Colt, but has a special choke and vent rib to make it function as a shotgun. Due to the rifled barrel, the assembled firearm is considered a rifle or pistol (depending on barrel length) and thus is not subject to the National Firearms Act's minimum barrel length. Nonetheless, possession of a Thompson Center Arms .45/.410 pistol barrel is illegal in California, for both dealers and individuals, and such a barrel may not legally be shipped into the state, or even taken into California for a hunting trip, by reason of it being classified as a short barreled shotgun (SBSG) when used with a Contender receiver. American Derringer has long offered .45 Colt-.410 bore
Derringer A derringer is a small handgun that is neither a revolver nor a semi/ fully automatic pistol. It is not to be confused with mini-revolvers or pocket pistols, although some later derringers were manufactured with the pepperbox configuratio ...
s.
Bond Arms Bond Arms Inc. is an American firearms manufacturer located in Granbury, Texas which makes derringers and the semiautomatic Bullpup 9. History Bond Arms was founded by longtime tool and die maker Greg Bond, in Granbury, Texas. Between the 1860 ...
also offers various Derringer models which chamber both .45 Colt cartridges and .410 shotshell. Also, Taurus, Magnum Research, and
Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 185 ...
offer revolvers with extended cylinders, long enough to hold .410 shells as well. Magnum Research offers a single-action revolver in their BFR (big frame revolver) line, while the Taurus Judge is similar in price to their other double-action revolvers, with the Raging Judge model capable of chambering and firing the .454 Casull cartridge. The Smith & Wesson Governor is a double-action revolver also capable of firing .45 Colt as well as .45 ACP cartridges with the aid of moon clips. The discontinued MIL Thunder 5 is also chambered in .410-bore. Over the years, a large number of devices have been made that will convert larger-gauge shotguns to accept .410 shotgun shells.


Capacity, compared to other gauges

Most shotgun cartridges are measured in terms of '' shotgun gauge''. Shotgun gauge is determined by the weight of a round lead ball that is sized to fit into its barrel. For example, the barrel of a 12-gauge shotgun is equal to the diameter of a one-twelfth/pound lead ball (0.729 in) and a 20-gauge can fit a one-twentieth/pound lead ball (0.615 in). Using this method a .410 bore is equivalent to a (hypothetical) 67-gauge.


References


External links


The Shotgun Report
review of the
Remington 870 The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide. Dev ...
in 28 gauge and .410 bore
The .410 Bore
by Chuck Hawks {{DEFAULTSORT:.410 Bore Shotgun shells