bolt-action shotguns made, but they are rarely seen today. One was even a modified bolt-action rifle. After The War to End All Wars (before we got into the habit of numbering them), Germany was left in a shambles. They had to pay reparations to the Allied powers, their civilian economy was non-existent after four years of war. The only things they had in excess were rifles. Too bad, because so did everyone else. However, by modifying the bolt-action Mauser and fitting a shotgun barrel to it, they could sell their surplus rifles as two-shot shotguns. The market for such guns was always small, and disappeared in the early 1960s. If you see a bolt-action shotgun today, it is almost certainly to be a slug gun, designed to be a “shotgun” for deer hunting. With a rifled barrel it can shoot as accurately as some rifles. The only thing it has in common with the inexpensive bolt actions of an earlier age is the handle on the side.
This Belgian shotgun uses a rod through the center extension as a locking method.
Older bolt-action shotguns were made to be inexpensive, but can be re-built beyond their earlier expectations.
Safety Measures And Handling
The purpose of a shotgun is to launch a payload of shot. At close range, the destructive power of a shotgun is most impressive. The shot can blast through many building materials, and make a terrifying mess on the other side.
The first thing you always do is make sure the shotgun is unloaded. The second thing is to make sure there are no loaded shells anywhere near. The third thing is to continually check to make sure the shotgun hasn't gotten loaded since you last checked. Even if that last check was a couple of minutes ago. Your best example in this habit would be a group of practical shooters. They are used to handling, loading and unloading firearms on a regular basis. If one is showing a shotgun to his buddies, each of them will check to make sure it isn't loaded, even after seeing all the others in the group do so. Your worst example would be some of the customers any gunshop gets. Bringing a shotgun in for sale, appraisal or repair, customers will always tell the clerk “It isn't loaded.” When I was working at a commercial shop, we could hardly go a month without working the action and throwing a loaded round out onto the counter or floor.
The modern bolt-action shotgun, with a rifled barrel, is an accurate slug-shooting machine.
When you go to check the chamber on pumps, open the action using the slide stop. Usually located on the front or rear of the triggerguard, it unlocks the action without dry-firing it Run the slide all the way back. On autos, grasp the operating handle and rack the bolt back until it locks. Look into the chamber, and press a fingertip against the magazine follower. Once you are satisfied it is unloaded, then proceed. Even after you have checked, maintain the habit of keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction for disassembly and maintenance
For cleaning you can divide a shotgun into its three basic components: The barrel or barrels, the action, and the stock and forearm. Each will require its own tools and cleaning compounds. If your shotgun has a barrel that does not detach from the receiver you will need to treat it like a rifle. Two examples of such a shotgun are the Mossberg 512, and the Browning A-Bolt Stalker. Get a rifle cleaning cradle, it will make your life much easier.
You will need a cleaning rod, brushes and patches for the bore. Also, you wilt need cleaning solvents to dissolve the powder residue, plastic and lead that coat your bore. The selection of a cleaning rod for your shotgun is not as critical as it is for a rifle. The rod for a shotgun is not nearly large enough to touch the bore, let alone rub it hard enough to cause significant wear. I use the jointed aluminum rods because they are cheap. So cheap that when I was working commercially I didn't switch brushes or swabs. We bought and sold many used shotguns, and it seemed like every other one we bought had either extra shells or a cleaning kit with it. I simply set up a shelf with rods assembled for each gauge, one rod with a brush and one with a swab. You needn't go that far. One rod will do. For a cleaning solvent, Shooter's Choice or Birch-wood Casey powder or nitro solvents work nicely. As a lubricant and after cleaning, use Break Free or FP-10. The hinge pin of a single or double-barreled shotgun works hard, and I use a high pressure grease to lubricate it.
Always check to be sure a shotgun is unloaded before you work on it.
Make sure it isn't loaded! This electrical box took a hit from a 16 gauge ⅞ oz load at two feel. Startling? You bet!
To disassemble the action you will need either drift punches that fit the pins holding your shotgun together, or correctly-fitting screwdrivers. Shotguns, especially imported doubles, have some of the narrowest screw head slots you will ever see. Within a week of starting out as a gunsmith, I had ground a set a screwdrivers to use when working on Browning A-5s. The slots were so narrow that none of the ones I had on hand would even come close to fitting. Once I ground them, I placed them in the Browning A-5 parts drawer, so they wouldn't get used for any other shotgun.
On pumps and autos, you will need a large screwdriver or socket wrench set to take the buttstock off. In order to feed the shells out of the magazine tube, pumps and autos have “shell stops” that feed one round at a time. (At least that's the plan.) On Remingtons these stops are staked into their slot in the receiver. To tighten existing stops or replace broken one you will have to re-stake. While you can build your own tool, it is inexpensive enough to simply buy one. In the sections concerning pumps and autos I'll show you how to check your shell stops. If you need them tightened, order the staking tool from Brownells.
A hidden shell can be very dangerous. If this shotgun had been brought in because the shell stops weren't working properly, a live round might still be in the magazine tube.
Cleaning the receiver takes brushes, solvent and lubricating oil. A parts cleaning tank is useful but not an absolute must. You can do as well in the laundry room sink with Brownells d'Solve, brushes and a heat gun or hair dryer to remove moisture.
You should have a dedicated bench on which to work, partly for comfort and partly for security. Cleaning your shotgun at the kitchen table may be a wonderful memory of your childhood, but is not likely to fly today. Besides being a mess, the solvents and lubricants you will use could harm the finish of cabinets and tables. Besides, they taste terrible. And a kitchen table is designed for comfortable eating, not comfortable working. Yes, the countertop is designed for comfortable working, but is even more likely to get you into domestic trouble than using the table will.
Do not trust that a shotgun is unloaded until you have checked personally. Stick a finger or thumb into both the chamber and magazine tube just to be sure. If you don't feel the follower on the magazine tube, it and a shell may be stuck farther up. Remember that electrical box I shot!
Your bench should be large enough to work on with the disassembled shotgun on the bench. It should have a vise large enough to clamp the shotgun in place. You must have padding for your vise. The jaws are designed
