Single Shot Shotgun Discussion and Bleg

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The single shot shotgun, primarily in 12 gauge, is a tool that is often brought up in survivalist and preparedness circles which also sometimes overlap with hunting/ bush crafting n such type groups. The biggest single advocate of this weapons platform is Dave Canterbury. He does some great stuff and seems like a good genuine guy. That being said everybody has an angle for their business and product some of which are better than others.

Alexander Wolfe talked about single shot shotguns awhile back that hit their weak points pretty hard. I chimed into the comments section. The substantive issues addressed there will be touched on at least in a general sense. My opinions have not really changed but I am writing from a different angle.

As to the pro’s and con’s of the single shot shotgun.

Diversity: As I speak about single shot shotguns generically some are of course better than others. A good used Remington/ Winchester/ Stevens or Savage is a work of art. On the other extreme some no name guns are total junk. Smack in the middle is H&R. They basically made the same shotgun from the late 19th century to the mid 1980′s when the company folded. After a short period the name was purchased and Marlin/ Remington/ Freedom Group bought the name then continued making basically the same gun. I am not saying all the parts are compatible but the general design was the same. As to H&R I would say they made a whole lot of guns, many if not most of which are probably still being used today.

Reliability: Alexander Wolfe’s experience is not totally unique. These guns can and do break. Certainly some do not work or have broken but for any example of a gun that gets fired twice and breaks there is one that has been bagging deer and squirrels for a family over 2 generations. Don’t know if that is entirely a case of different models or some individual lemon’s or a combination of both I cannot say.

It is worth submitting that sort of like Mosin Nagants it is somewhat reasonable to consider these guns semi disposable. They are priced in a way that a spare or 3 is not out of the question.

Repairability: On the plus side given few moving parts, which are generally pretty sturdy, these guns do not break a lot. However if your gun fails to work for whatever reason the odds of fixing it in the field are not great. These are not AR’s or Glocks.

Diversity: Couldn’t think of a better word but swapping shells will let you hunt doves, squirrels, deer and bears with the same gun. A decent selection of ammo makes this a very capable game gathering weapon.

Firepower: This is the sad face. You’ve got folks packing muzzle loaders and bow’s outgunned but anybody with a gun that holds more than 2 shots has a significant advantage over your SS. That being said. Awhile back I saw this video of Clint Smith shooting a SS 12 gauge at steel.

Again I think a single shot shotgun is not anywhere close to the ideal home/ camp/ shtf defense weapon but that does not mean they are totally useless. If it is the tool at hand with some practice a person could make a reasonable accounting for their self in many realistic defensive situations.

When we talk about the use for emergency guns or SHTF guns we can mean a lot of different things. Obviously this weapon has some real limitations in a defensive role. I would not choose or suggest it for such. On the other hand if you wanted a tool to gather game that is another discussion. The 12 gauge alone offers a ton of options for ammo. Throw in sub caliber adapters and it really opens the field for opportunities. For a fairly reasonable price a person could stash a SS shotgun with a few boxes of different type of shotgun ammo, an adapter and a brick of .22lr. That along with some tools and staple foods would be a heck of a survival cache. The sort of thing that for $400-500 you could stick 20 yards strait magnetic north of the huge rock by a handy location and forget about, till you need it. Also I think as a general woods gun or wilderness walk out gun there is a lot of potential. It is in these roles I think the SS can excel.

Thoughts?

Onto the ‘bleg’ portion:
1) Does anybody solder? Preferably ‘silver’ though I am not informed enough to say other methods would be a no go.
2) Is anybody pretty handy with a welder? I think ‘TIG’ is the right way to go but am not sure.
3) Does anybody happens to have a 12 gauge barrel for an H&R Topper they would be willing to part with?
Thanks in advance