what "gauge" describes in a shotgun. Example: 12, 20, 410.?
78564
Shotgun gauges are determined by the number of lead balls of a given diameter required to make one pound of that size ball. Thus 10 balls of 10 gauge diameter are required to make one pound of such balls, or 20 balls of 20 gauge diameter are required to make one pound, and so forth. This is the traditional, and very old, system. The actual (nominal) bore diameters of the various gauges are as follows: 10 gauge = .775 inch, 12 gauge = .729 inch, 16 gauge = .662 inch, 20 gauge = .615 inch, 28 gauge = .550 inch. The .410 is named for its nominal bore size, and is not a gauge at all.
1100802
Caliber\n \n .45 Auto\n \n \nAction \n \n Safe Action System \n \n \nLength (slide)\n \n 6.77 in.          172 mm\n \n \nHeight 2)\n \n 4.76 in.          121 mm\n(4.45 in.         113 mm)\n \n \nWidth\n \n 1.27 in           32.5 mm.\n \n \nLength between sights 3)\n \n 5.95 in.          151 mm\n \n \nBarrel length\n \n 3.78 in.           96 mm\n \n \nBarrel rifling\n \n right, octogonal\n \n \nLength of twist\n \n 15.75 in.        400 mm\n \n \nMagazine capacity 4)\n \n 10 (9)\n \n \nMass (weight)\n \n  \n \n \nEmpty without magazine\n \n 23.99 oz.        680 g\n \n \nEmpty magazine\n \n   2.50 oz.           71 g\n (2.40 oz.           68 g)\n \n \nFull magazine 5)\n \n ~9.87 oz.       ~280 g\n(~9.0  oz.       ~255 g) \n \n \nTrigger pull (standard)\n \n ~5.5   lbs.      ~2.5 kg\n \n \nTrigger travel for discharge 6) \n \n   0.5   in.        12.5 mm\n \n \nNumber of safeties\n \n 3\n \n \nIt's very small, and easy to conceal. \n\nDon't shoot yourself. Or your favorite child.
855343
As several have already advised, you want to use small shot and relatively low powered loads.  Extensive testing has been done with all variations of shot and shell that you can imagine for both law enforcement and civilian use.  I have reviewed and participated in many trials using typical housing materials and human ballistic compatible materials to simulate the effects of many different weapons, including shotguns, in a home environment.   Even with low brass, target or inexpensive field loads (#7 - #8 shot), the terminal effects were devastating within 2-15 yards.\n\nIn this range the shot pattern has very little chance to open up more than a few inches and thus most of the pellets and energy of the round is concentrated in a very small area of the target.  Total penetration of the pellets depended slightly on clothing, but typically ranged from several inches to more than 8".  In many of the trials the ballistic simulant was either cut in peices or turned into mush.  The small, soft lead shot also had a lessened tendency to penetrated both sides of a typically constructed home interior wall after passing through the target.  Most of the energy that remained after exiting the target was dissipated when the pellets hit the building materials and deformed due to their soft consistencies.\n\nSteel shot and even larger soft lead shot, proved to be much more apt to over penetrate or ricochet than small, soft lead pellets and I would not recommend steel, hardened or large diameter shot for home defense.  It is important to note that even small,soft lead  shot can't be called safe when discharged inside a building due to many known and unknown factors.  Known factors include, but aren't limited to pellets that miss the target and strike walls or ceilings without first passing though the intended target, weakened or varied building materials that the pellets may strike, distances and number of walls between bystanders and simply the innumerable dangers posed by discharging a weapon in such close proximity to others in an uncontrolled situation.  \n\nWith that said, if choosing to use a shotgun for home defense, I would stick with small shot and low powered loads.  There are even several rounds available in less than 2 3/4” sizes for all gauges of shotguns that provide ample terminal effects, but help reduce collateral damage even further.  Please remember that no matter what weapon you choose or what ammunition you pick, any can and will be lethal to humans under the right circumstances and should always be treated as such.  The opinions I have expressed here are simply to demonstrate how you might choose a relatively "safer", but effective loading than others mentioned in other answers to your question.  \n\nAgain I emphasize that that there is no load that is truly safe and could be relied upon to not seriously harm or kill another person either intentionally or unintentionally.  Even low powered loads and small soft lead pellets, can travel though walls, windows or any other housing material and still kill a person on the other side. Make sure you get some training and advise of a Certified Firearms instructor not only  to increase your safety and proficiency with your weapon of choice, but to help you with the weighty legal aspects of this topic as well.
876166
This site here is a damn good place to start looking for that.\nThey also have it in paper version that you can have delivered to your home.\n\nhttp://www.shotgunnews.com/
791969
Bound's hubby here:\n\nFirst, do not zero with ammo you are uncertain about! My biggest question, why zero at metric distances? Most shooting in the US is in multiples of 100 yards!\n\nThe only windchart I have handy at the moment for .308 Match is for the 168 grain Sierra MatchKing ... loaded to the equivalent of Military Match M852 (the sierra 168 MatchKing loaded to 2550 fps). Since 100m is only 10 yards greater than 100 yds, you can use this to "get on paper". \n\nUsing 168gr HPBT commercial ammo (Remington, Winchester, or Federal), zero you your rifle to shoot 1.3" high at 100 yards, then you should be very close on at both 200 yards and meters.\n\nI may be jumping at conclusions, but I would suspect you purchased a Springfield Armory M1A, either an "issue" style, or maybe a target grade rifle. You may want to limit your ammo selection, if you are shooting "target" to 168 gr Hollow Point Boat Tails (HPBT) for distances to and including 600 yards, and 175 gr HPBT beyond 600 to 1000 yards!\n\nGood luck!
129716
According to Hodgdon powders (link below), a typical 28-gauge shotshell has 3/4 ounce of shot. as there are roughly 350 pellets per ounce of 7 1/2 birdshot, a 28-gauge shell with 7 1/2 birdshot contains 263 pellets.
188870
a scale or balence that uses grams
40694
I don't know the actual conversion rate in my head, but a 9mm is in fact 9mm, and a .45 caliber is .45 inch. I just did the calculation, and a 9mm would be .35 caliber, so the 45 is bigger.
196138
first, it depends on where you live.  in illinois only slug shooting shotguns are allowed.  in the carolinas you can use buckshot.  out west, a long range 30 cal centerfire is the norm.  in texas and down south, 243's are common.\n\ni use a .308
20287
Caliber is an expression of the diameter of a bullet in hundredths of an inch, so a 50 caliber bullet would be 50/100 of an inch, or 0.50 inches in diameter.
1051759
Gauge refers to the thickness of the steel. The lower the gauge the thicker the steel. The link below is for a steel gauge chart for cold and hot rolled steel sheets. It relates gauge thickness to inches.\n\nhttp://www.coasteltools.com/tech_steel_gauge_chart.htm
1095220
Pressure Gauges and Gauge Attachments\n\nThis Standard was approved by the B40 Standards Committee and approved as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute on September 19, 2005.\n\nhttp://engineers.ihs.com/document/abstract/GOFSUAAAAAAAAAAA
714927
have you tried google-ing "1967 h&r 410 shotgun" it might help,, good luck
88559
A 32 caliber pistol (Smith and Wesson). The additional numbers may signify which model or where it was manufactured. There are plenty of online sites you can consult to find more info or you could try a gun shop.
684141
Holy jesus no! 357sig is pretty much a .40 caliber casing necked down to fit a .357 round, similarly the .400 corbon is a .45 casing necked down to fire a .40 caliber round
801057
Bound's hubby here:\n\nThe 9mm pistol (or .380 which is a 9mm Short) fires a bullet that is .355" in diameter. The .38 Special and .357 Magnum fire a bullet that is nominally .357" to .358" in diameter.\n\nRifle cartridges that fire bullets whose diameter is close to the 9mm would include:\n.35 Remington (.358" diameter)\n.350 Remington Magnum (.358" diameter)\n.35 Whelen (.358" diameter)\nnot to mention rifles specifically chambered for either the 9mm or .38/.357 cartridges.\n\nNOTE: Most of the bullets used for the actual rifle cartridges can not be safely loaded into a 9mm or .38/.357 cartridge!\n\nMany shooters would load .358 pistol bullets in these larger rifles for very short-range, low velocity practice.
166341
Check out "Blue Book of Gun Values" by S.P. Fjestad. Link below is one possible source. It's the definitive guide to current values of EVERY gun ever made.