Any point in a heat shield?

Does a HD shotgun need a heat shield?

  • Yes, it's a vital part of a home defense weapon.

    Votes: 10 14.5%

  • No, it's a tacticool accesory made by Mall Ninjas Incorporated.

    Votes: 59 85.5%
  • Total voters
    69
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speaksoftly

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Aug 11, 2009
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Location
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So I've seen lots of shotguns lately that are sporting heat shields. I have a Mossberg 590 A1 that's more of a defense shotgun than anything else (though I do shoot skeet with it occasionally haha). I've had a couple of friends tell me that I need a heat shield on it and honestly don't see any situation in which I would. The 590A1 has the thick walled barrel and even if it didn't it would take a ridiculous amount of rounds fired to get the barrel into the "burn your skin" heat range. I'm wondering what yall's take is on the heat shields. If you think I need one tell me why and if not then give reasons for that too. My main arguments against are unnecessary weight but I'd love for you to chime in.

-Marcos
 
The standard pump gun's forend IS a heat shield.

Shoot a couple boxes fast through a SxS with a splinter forend and you will see what I mean!:)

A shotgun barrel can get pretty hot, if you put a box of shells through it. However, it probably takes more rounds than you'd ever shoot in an HD scenario, to get hot.

That's how I'd test it. Load the chamber and magazine of an HD gun fully, with your HD rounds. Blast away. Feel the barrel. If you can touch it, a heat shield is just wasted weight. Now if you can't touch it without being burned, you have to decide: will you need to touch it? You can't touch a bare AR barrel, either, without getting fried, after you shoot it a bit, but I generally don't see any heat shields other than the handguards.
 
For those 8 rounds you may be using it when defending your house, maybe not a huge deal?

I've experienced some very intense heat from my old Ithaca SxS during a day at the trap range, so I can at least imagine the purpose of a heat shield.

EDIT: The previous poster finished his post as I was composing mine, and I see it looks like we're in agreement, and both mentioned the SxS, hehe.
 
My Mossberg 500 came with one.
After having it on the gun for a while, and realizing there are sharp edges on the shield, I trashed it.

I don't need to inadvertantly cut my hand in some HD scenario when I have more important things to think about.

As others have stated, in a Home Defense (HD) scenario, I am not going to be shooting it enough times to burn my hands or fingers.

If I ever needed that much 'firepower' then the AR comes out.:cool:
 
As others have stated, in a Home Defense (HD) scenario, I am not going to be shooting it enough times to burn my hands or fingers.
Click to expand...

If you do, you'd better be good at hanging sheetrock!:D
 
I had a 500 that came with one. It never stopped moving around under recoil. I'd think I had it fixed and then it'd start creeping around. It also represented a lot of weight at the wrong end of the gun. I've done all day training with pretty high round counts and never had a problem with an unshielded barrel. There are plenty of more useful things to hang on the shotgun...
 
Well,I put one ON mine, because I actually go out and SHOOT once in a while.My Winchester gets blistering [literally] hot after just one box of shells,and we'll typically fire three or four boxes.I once left a bit of palm skin on the barrel when I went to put ''ol Betsy'' in the back of the Jeep.That's not happening again.So, I guess if all your super uber cool PGO HD shotty does is sit behind your bedroom door, then no heat shield is a good call.
 
Plumbing! Now THAT could get really ugly...

Bullet-resistant sewer lines! Now THERE'S something to add to building codes!:D
 
I fired 45 rounds out of my 590 as fast as I could load and fire.

The barrel got plenty hot, and I decided to leave the heat shield on.
 
dang mall ninjas!

yeah. i guess the guys clearing trenches in ww2 were a buncha mall ninjas.




it has a purpose, saying it doesn't either means you choose to reload in a way that doesn't put your hands in contact with a potentially scorching hot barrel or it means you don't want to put extra money into one. for me, it's a viable tool. maybe i wont need it...maybe i will. i will admit the only readily available one thats of high quality is the Mossberg version.
 
Unless you have a habit of shooting 12 rounds of skeet then licking your barrel they are pointless.
Click to expand...



that's funny, my guns heat up after one mag full of 00 buck. you must have a water cooled shotgun or something. lol.
 
why do people insist that the guns do not heat up? ive never owned a shotgun that doesn't heat up to be too hot to be touched after 7-8 rapid shots of low base ammo...not a single one. then again, i actually shoot my guns...

:neener:
 
yeah. i guess the guys clearing trenches in ww2 were a buncha mall ninjas.
Click to expand...

No... Their shotguns served as bayonet platforms. That's why they had the shields. Same reason the old military rifle stocks go all the way around the barrel.

971Large.jpg

That's what I mean: you have to decide whether you need the shield for your purposes. Personally, I find shooting shotguns to be excruciatingly boring after a few rounds, unless I'm shooting at flying targets. I go through 100-250 shotshells per week or so, but not with an HD gun. I'm not too worried about whether I can hit a burglar at a few yards, given that I do practice with a shotgun. So I'd only need a gun I keep for HD to be good for a few shots, not a few boxes. YMMV.
 
I am new to shotguns, but went out and fired about 150 rounds two weekends ago out of my new 870 without much of a break between reloads. The barrel did get hot, but no where near hot enough to burn me. I think it sounds like unnecessary weight...
 
fair enough, armedbear. I usually have fun with my HD guns by blasting everything in sight as a way to break them in...and they definitely get HOT...even in the dead of winter.
 
No... Their shotguns served as bayonet platforms. That's why they had the shields. Same reason the old military rifle stocks go all the way around the barrel.
Click to expand...

A point I was going to make but was too wrapped up in the new realization that I never "SHOOT" my guns. Learn something new about myself every day. ;-)
 
BHP gave a pretty good synopsis of heat shields in #9 IMO.

I've never used them, but I understand why BHP said he does. When I go skeet shooting with family and/or friends...we shoot hundreds of rounds through just a few guns. I manage to walk away without burns. I use typically one or two guns the entire time, and the rest of my family or friends use some of my other guns. Typically about 5 to 7 total. All get ridiculously hot, and everyone knows to stay away from the barrel. The only thing I tend to burn myself on repeatedly is a marlin 60 .22. When I flip it over to load the tube, it's so small my paws inevitably hit the barrel.

I personally detest the way they look. I was burned once as a kid and since then I instinctively don't touch the barrel. I'll occasionally "nearly" do it, but I never do.

Competition skeet shooters shoot 100's and 100's of rounds during practice sessions for hours on end...with nary a heat shield in sight.

But hey, whatever floats your boat.

for me, it's a viable tool. maybe i wont need it...maybe i will.
Click to expand...

That's why I won't pick on anybody for having one. I don't see the need, but others do. I have a chp and carry a 1911 or Glock daily. Maybe I won't need it, maybe I will...doesn't make me a mall ninja for being prepared.
 
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They are good for when you shoot 20 or more rounds continuously and then need to immediately afix a bayonet.

Of course this is after you have breached a couple of doors to get to the home invader....thank god for the heat shield and the standoff device.

:rolleyes:
 
to each his own...............

but for my needs, it's just a component that i get no benefits from, and a part that needs removal during cleaning for rust prevention on the barrel.
 
While it isn't necessary to use the shotgun effectively I still like them and think they are a nice accessory to have on any shotgun. I've shot a few shotguns and the barrels got pretty hot, but these were all chinese knock offs so maybe the barrel isn't as thick or good as other companies. However, my mossberg 500 came with one and love it. It keeps me from accidentally touching a hot barrel. Shotguns are already heavy and so is the ammo, thus I would opt to carry one long distance anyways, so I'm not to worried about the insignificant amount of weight it adds to my HD gun.
 
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