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New M4 owner, & new to shotguns as well... Questions?


NCTURBOS

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I purchased a M4 about a month ago and am finally headed out this weekend for the first shots fired! From what I've seen/read on the board here:

 

--Keep it very well lubed (wet) during the process!

--Use high velocity ammo, preferred slug or 00-buck.

 

1.) Will higher velocity #8 shot work during the break-in, 1325fps?

2.) Can I use #6 steel shot in the weapon? Factory stock choke tube...

 

Thanks,

 

K.

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Looking down the tube from the top, how many notches do you see? 1 notch is full. 2: improved modified, 3: modified, 4 improved cylinder, and 5: cylinder. It is generally not recommended to shoot steel through anything tighter than a modified. You can shoot lead shot in all of them. Benelli recommends using higher velocity, heavier rounds for break in with the SBE and Vinci. I would imagine it is the same for your M4.

Edited by duckwacker
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I took the M4 out today for it's 1st break-in run... Shot a total of 95 2-3/4" rounds through it, starting with 40-rounds of 00-buck, then mixing it up with #9 1330fps, slugs, & more 00-buck. The weapon had only one failure-to-eject with one of the #9 rounds, when braced on the shoulder. I tried running a few rounds of the #9 and the 00-buck firing-off-the-hip, but all of them resulted in failures-to-eject.

 

I'm going to clean & lubed it tomorrow, and take it back out soon... Once broken in well, will these fire-off-the-hip OK? I'm assuming that today's off-the-hip issues were because of needing to be broken in more!?!?

 

Thanks,

 

K.

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Hip shooting SA shotties is a good way to determine just how flexible they are with low brass loads. The opposite of putting the butt stock against a tree to troubleshoot the same.

 

If you can hip shoot your SA shotty with low brass and experience no feed issues, things are running like a top.

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Hip shooting?? Really? :rolleyes:

 

What's wrong with wanting or expecting a firearm to be flexible and able to fire in all situations. I sometimes train for close-quarter situations with all my weapons, as you never know when you'll need to gain a couple extra inches or so to get the shot off. Practicing for these situations requires you to pull away from the normal extension of the weapon and use of the sights. Including handguns you may be required to shoot from the body/hip area.

 

K.

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It's extremely difficult to make deliberate, aimed, accurate shots 'from the hip', and therefore a really bad idea to get into the habit of doing so should one ever be compelled to defend themselves with lethal force in the gravest extreme*. Doing dumb stuff such as 'shooting from the hip' could mean the difference between being exonerated and free room & board in the Graybar Hotel. As someone who's BTDT one gets asked a LOT of questions about why one did what they did in defending themselves with lethal force, therefore it would behoove everyone to consider these sort of things well in advance.

 

*That said, it should be noted that I actually 'shot from the hip' at an assailant who had already seriously injured me and who was running at me from a distance of ~7 yards - the cops' version of the incident was: "You were shooting up the neighborhood with your shotgun!" Of course there were no cops there to witness all this so they were 'shooting from the hip' themselves. Subsequently I went through some tactical training which corrected this 'shoot from the hip' nonsense I had fallen into (because I didn't know any better).

 

As for checking one's semi-auto shotgun for function by shooting from the hip (as in loosely holding it), then that's an entirely different matter altogether. One needs to know that one's semi-auto shotgun will function when loosely held 'cause one may be very seriously injured and in shock resulting in a less than firm presentation.

Edited by Sukhoi_fan
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Subsequently I went through some tactical training which corrected this 'shoot from the hip' nonsense I had fallen into (because I didn't know any better).

 

If you don't mind me asking, and since I haven't been through any shotgun tactical training yet... When an assailant is too close, or closing in too fast to be able to bring the shotgun up to complete extension, what is the correct course of action?

 

Thanks,

 

K.

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If you don't mind me asking, and since I haven't been through any shotgun tactical training yet... When an assailant is too close, or closing in too fast to be able to bring the shotgun up to complete extension, what is the correct course of action?

 

Thanks,

 

K.

 

Back up, maneuver. (Always be thinking: Break the line of attack aka get off the X) Situational awareness is always key.

 

Tactically, generally, you want to have the butt of your long arm in your underarm, muzzle pointed down directly in front of you (in a 'safe' presentation at a roughly 45 degree angle, yet very quick to bring onto target), so as you pivot your rifle or shotgun pivots with you and all you need do is bring the muzzle up onto target.

 

And if they are still 'too close'* to use your long arm, drop it and draw your sidearm (as you're backing up/maneuvering).

 

JMO

 

*it's widely recognized in LEO circles that if a bad guy with a knife is 7 yards from you and charges you, then you will likely get stabbed before you can draw your sidearm and fire - which is why cops will readily shoot a suspect with a knife, they regard someone holding a knife precisely the same as pointing a gun at them

Edited by Sukhoi_fan
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OK, another question? I'm getting ready to clean & lubricate this M4 up tonight, and was wondering... Do I need to remove the choke tube each and every time I clean it? Would that be considered best practice?

 

TIA,

 

K.

 

It's a good idea to regularly clean the choke and barrel threads and then apply some choke lube or anti-seize compound (like Permatex found at the auto parts store) otherwise it could become a problem if neglected.

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Well said Sukhoi_fan. @ NCTURBOS: As far as cleaning your shotgun and barrel after shooting, I would suggest removing, and cleaning your choke also. One main reason for this is to make sure that your choke has not swelled in the barrel. If it is stuck or frozen in the barrel, it may have failed do to manufacturing or ammunition. Check the blogs and you will find out this happens quite often. Best practice is to clean your weapon completely.

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