.410 bolt action shotguns, what would you get and why?

[Oninotaki]

So I am looking to wrap up my collection of .410 platforms and I don't have any with a bolt action. Froma Google and GunBroker search they seemed to have been made in large quantities in the early to mid 20th century with many makes and models.

Aside from moss erg though they are all in brands that I have little experience with or knowledge of. So once again I come to the High Road community and ask for your opinion. If you were to get just one .410 bolt action shotguns, which would you get and why? I would like to hear it all, from the practical to the nostalgic.

Oh and for any curious I am personally keeping an eye out for something that is either single shot, or has a two shot capacity and can chamber 2.5" & 3" shells. So any extra info on any preferred models that meet those specs would be greatly appreciated.

 

[12Bravo20]

I would find an older Mossberg 183K 410 with the C-Lect choke. I have a 183KA and it shoots well.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I have a few extra 410 bolt action shotguns. PM me.

 

[Oninotaki]

I would find an older Mossberg 183K 410 with the C-Lect choke. I have a 183KA and it shoots well.

I just found out about that C-Lect choke today. It sounds really cool, but I have to ask, does it hold up well?

 

[12Bravo20]

The C-Lect chokes hold up just fine. You do want to clean and lube then now and then.

 

[Cvans]

Not sure they are rated for steel. Might want to check.

 

[12Bravo20]

The old C-Lect chokes were not rated for steel shot. But I've never seen any 410 steel shot loads either.

 

[hawg]

None of the older guns were rated for steel shot.

 

[drobs]

While I'm tempted to buy a .410 pump, I wouldn't buy a .410 bolt action. I was just out today with my single shot .410, looking for a squirrel in my backyard that was chewing on my deck. Didn't catch him in the act.

 

[Armored farmer]

The kids are shooting tungsten at turkeys now.....with 410s.

@Oninotaki do you have a .410 lever action?
.410 is one of my favorite to reload.

 

[chickasaw_hunter]

Just me but I had a bad experience with a bolt action shotgun. Don't think I could ever trust another. The weld failed the barrel came back as a very large projectile. Luckily, no injuries. I took it back to Montgomery Wards where I bought it and they gave me a load about how they had to send it off somewhere so their gunsmith could inspect it to make sure it wasn't my fault the weld failed. I've never bought/shot another bolt shotgun and never bought anything from them again. Needless to say this was long ago. They did eventually give me my money back, after a few months. In the years since I found a Rem 870 at a gun show, and that lives in the ready position for my wife. After she shot it, I lost it. It's never been hunting she keeps it handy all of the time. But it a delight to shoot, might make a great little rabbit gun, but I'll never know. I've always want a .410 double, but not bad enough to pay what the market demands. I hope you find a great bolt gun, but rest assured you will not have any competition from me.

 

[Oninotaki]

The kids are shooting tungsten at turkeys now.....with 410s.

@Oninotaki do you have a .410 lever action?
.410 is one of my favorite to reload.

I really enjoy the .410 and currently have the following platforms for it:

-Bond Arms Rowdy 2.5"
-S&W Governor 2.75"
-Keltec KSG410 18"
-Rossi Tuffy 18.5"
-Chaippa Double Badger in .22wmr/.410 19"
-Henry Brass w/side gate 19.8"
-Eternal Arms RVL410 Smooth Bore 22"
-Tr Imports Silver Eagle XT3 Field 28"
- with additional 22" smooth bore slug barrel

So I am looking to add a bolt action, and probably either a SxS or O/U Stoeger to wrap up the collection. One of the barrels of said Stoegers will most likely become the permanent home for my Chaszel .410 to .327 16" adaptor.

I also have been incredibly tempted to get a Charles Daly Triple Threat, but that price tag is a bit high for what would be for me a mall ninja range toy.

 

[Tall]

The first gun I ever owned was a Wards Riverside single shot .410 bolt action shotgun given to me - used - by my grandfather. It was made by Mossberg for Monkey Wards. Wish I still had it, lost it in a burglary in the 1980's. My grandfather took me skeet shooting with it. Unknownst to me he was shooting the clay birds with his Winchester 1897 pump behind me. I was only 8 years old so it was a pretty cool thing to have a shotgun of any kind.

 

[OS/N]

My little bro has an 870 pump in 410 that is nice. I've always used a 12ga. Bought my son an over-under 410 10 or so years back and the barrels were not regulated - he had to use it like a single barrel to hit anything.

 

[Oninotaki]

My little bro has an 870 pump in 410 that is nice. I've always used a 12ga. Bought my son an over-under 410 10 or so years back and the barrels were not regulated - he had to use it like a single barrel to hit anything.

Do you remember what brand & model that O/U was? That sounds frustrating as all heck.

 

[OS/N]

Do you remember what brand & model that O/U was? That sounds frustrating as all heck.

Made in Brazil and cost about 450$ back then (might have been closer to 15 yrs ago). Can't remember the brand - had white metal receiver with cheap etching and blued barrels. Think its in the back of my safe somewhere - 410 shells cost too much to shoot today and I only reload 12ga.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I've got about fifteen 410 shotguns and love all of them.

 

[12Bravo20]

I mostly used a single shot or bolt action 410 as a kid until I could afford to buy my Mossberg 500. The 500 has been my main small game gun since around 1985. I have taken plenty of turkeys with a single shot, bolt action, or pump 410.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Might take a little searching, but I can highly recommend an Enfield .410 Musket-

(Middle Gun)

 

[Oninotaki]

Might take a little searching, but I can highly recommend an Enfield .410 Musket-
View attachment 1196774
(Middle Gun)

You wouldn't happen to be the guy selling a pair of those on GunBroker just now would you

Joking aside would you still recommend them in the range of $450? Also do those still have rifled barrels? Cause finding a rifled .410 barrel is almost impossible outside of .45 colt/.410 guns.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

You wouldn't happen to be the guy selling a pair of those on GunBroker just now would you

Joking aside would you still recommend them in the range of $450? Also do those still have rifles barrels? Cause finding a rifles .410 barrel is impossible outside of .45 colt/.410 guns.

$450....OMG YES!!!!
Going rate, AFAIK, is/was more like $750-800 and, IMO, they are worth it.

Nope, not selling, heck wouldn't mind grabbing another. My other two are a .308 and a .22.

The .410 muskets are smooth bored.

 

[Hugger-4641]

When I was a lot younger and stupid, I had a Savage bolt action 410 with mag built in to reciever just like a Springfield rifle. I cannot remember the model. I traded it off for a motorcycle I think.
Now I have a Stevens 59a that is tube fed. Its a good gun, but unless my memory is clouded with nostalgia, the Savage was smoother and better shooting.

 

[Oninotaki]

$450....OMG YES!!!!
Going rate, AFAIK, is/was more like $750-800 and, IMO, they are worth it.

Nope, not selling, heck wouldn't mind grabbing another. My other two are a .308 and a .22.

The .410 muskets are smooth bored.

If you don't mind me asking what makes them worth it?

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

If you don't mind me asking what makes them worth it?

On paper, it seems like a rather silly gun. Its much heavier than other .410 singles, especially the break-open types. Its cylinder bored, so spread with birdshot is pretty extreme and it would make a terrible fowling or clays gun (but then .410 doesn't shine at these missions anyway).
On the plus side, they are extremely overbuilt for the cartridge (being conversions from .303), handle well, have little recoil and excellent sights. I have no problem hitting man-sized targets at 50yds with slugs and even buckshot groups are all pretty much center mass at 25.

My youngest has pretty much laid claim to mine at this point-


And, of course, they accept a bayonet-

How cool is that?

 

[12Bravo20]

I should have bought an Enfield 410 when they were cheap. One thing to watch for when looking at them is the chamber length. The original Onnes were reamed for a straight 303 case and is too short for standard 3" 40 shells. A lot were reamed out for 3" shells though.