Wax slugs?

[Rampant_Colt]

Sounds like a dangerous, irresponsible practice to me, but if you want to risk bulging your barrel or a trip to the ER, go ahead and give it a try. If wax gets down in the barrel and dries, it can increase pressures higher in conjunction with adding more weight to the shot payload.

My suggestion is to by slugs or buckshot instead of potentially dangerous/litigious 'improvised munitions' like cut shells and wax-filled shotshells, or buying insanely expensive exotic specialty ammo like bolo, or Dragon's Breath. Shotguns aren't a toy or a video game.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_1/368..._from_me_.html

[PoorRichRichard]

Loaded one at a time, I can't realy see the harm in wax slugs in a pump or break barrel shotgun. As I've stated earlier in the tread, do not put wax slug in the mag tube of a pump or semi.

I've been doing a bit more experimenting, and have talking with guys at my local range, and I've come up with some new ways and ideas to save a bit more cash utilizing wax shotshells, or waxers as I now call them. Before reading any further, please realize this post is entirely conjecture on my part. Always use your best judgment in dealing with anything gun related, and if you feel something is unsafe, don't do it. That being said, I've been safley experimenting with these waxers for a few months now and would like to share what I've learned.

Note on saftey using wax slugs: Only use wax slugs in a pump or break barrel shotgun, and DO NOT put waxers in the mag tube of a pump or semi.*

While shooting next to a guy at the range the other day, and his wax shells kept fraging apart before hitting his target. I think I identified 3 potential problems with his waxers. (1) He was using paraffin wax. I know a lot of guys say to use paraffin, but I think it may be too brittle for waxers. (2) His waxers may have been to warm- it was a fairly warm day, and he was storing his waxers in an ammo can with all his other ammo. (3) Choke- He may have been using a full choke causing some constriction of the coagulated wax slug in turn causing it to frag upon exiting the barrel.

I have 2 potential remedies for his problems1) Candle wax- particularly a good scented candle (like many of us with wives/GFs have all over the house) seem to work great for waxers. (2) Keep them cool. I keep my waxers in a cool dry place, and usually won't store them for more than a week- if I build 'em, I plan on shooting them soon. Also, I place each box in a large freezer bag, an put them in the refrigerator for a few hours befor heading to the range. They then go in in my cooler lunch box with my packed food and drinks for the range trip. (3) I only use waxers for pump and break barrel shotguns with either mod or cylinder chokes, and always a gun with a fixed choke. I would not run them through a gun with removable chokes- only because I think the wax might cause some issues gumming up the treading.

Reuse of spent lead:
Sometimes at the range when resetting targets, my 7-year-old and I will pick up used/warped bullets just for sh*+$ and giggles. This got me thinking... These spent bullets are heavy little chunks of lead- why not use them as a core for my wax slugs? So the other day as I was cooking up a batch, I did just that. I still use the bird shot dropped in meled wax, but not as much.

Directions:
1. I fill the wad about a third of the*way full with melted wax and bird shot.


2. I seat the used bullet in the center of the melted wax/shot so that the tip of the bullet is level with the top of the cut shotshell.




3. I then just fill the remainder of the wad with more melted wax and birdshot.


Done.


I found that using a spent 9mm bullet as a core saved me about a third of my bird shot, which I can now go use for reloaded clay/hunting shotshells. In an effort to save more new bird shot, in the coming days I plan to experiment with other types of used lead such as used buck shot. I will post results after shooting.

BTW, on yesterday's range trip, at twenty yards I was punching clean 2" holes all the way through BOTH sides of an old microwave with my new 9mm core waxers. I'll take picks next time and post them.

As the OP of this thread, I'd like to thank hylysly for the thought provoking questions he posed in post #47.

[MyWifeIsAGlock27]

ill pass on all that work, slugs are cheap enough to begin with.

ill stick with my hollow point copper sabots

[PoorRichRichard]

^Dude! Slugs are like a buck each! These cost 22 cents each, and even less if you use reloading componates. And I actually enjoy the work. Also good knowledge for a global meltdown situation, but most of all just good-ol-boy fun!

[Rampant_Colt]

PoorRichRichard, dude, you should probably lay off the reloading componates

[HALL,AUSTIN]

On the less lethal point... Anyone ever seen The Last Castle? A shot in the wrong spot WILL kill a human. I hope to never, ever shoot a human being. But if I have to then it sure won't be to wound.

[MyWifeIsAGlock27]

idk where youre at but i get a box of 5 sabots for $3.50

[Creek Henry]

So, did you guys miss the bit in the video about how slugs made of wax and birdshot expload unlike solid lead ones do? I'm just curious.

[dcobler]

hylysly's post #47 got me thinking a little about the whole subject of reloads for HD ammo. I am aware of the frowned upon idea of carrying reloads but this is more of a HD situation instead of a SD situation in which you employ your carry weapon.
In your own home maybe the weapon that is closest at hand happens to be one which your own reloads (in this case - wax slugs) are the available ammo for. I know I am wandering away a little here but it had me thinking.

Richard, that is pretty cool how you put that idea together. My kids like to pick up bullets when they find them too and it is usually pretty hard to convince them to get off the berm so that we can go back to shooting.
"BUT THERE ARE SOOO MANY BULLETS HERE!!!!"

[kraigwy]

But I can't think of a single use for wax slugs (or the guys other specialty, "cut shells") that a conventional slug would do even better.

The do have a purpose.

Back in my LE days I was on the bomb squad. Part of our duties was to support our newly formed SWAT team (we called them CRT).

We would make various breaching charges where as you could cut a door way in a way assuming you didn't want to use the door.

But if you wanted to use the door, and it was locked they had to have a means to bust the lock.

I loaded show gun shells with wax and fine sawdust, (similar to cream of wheat.

You poke the nose of the shot gun a few inches from the lock, touch it off, it would remove the door lock. The wax/saw dust mix would come apart cause little damage past the door.

Worked a heck of a lot better then normal shot if you didn't what to hurt anyone inside.

We also used the shells on our RMI (bomb robot) that came with a Remington 1100 mounted on the arm. It would disrupt suspected package that water (steam) wouldn't but didn't travel further out putting others in danger.

I also made electrically fired shotgun shells with the same mixture for our de-armors.

Having said all that, I'm now an old retired has been and haven't been fooling around with non conventional shotgun shells.

[zippy13]

Kraig, thanks for the interesting description of your instant locksmith.