Any point in a heat shield?

[toivo]

IMO, there's a difference between a home-defense shotgun and a combat shotgun. Unless your home is under attack by a half-dozen commandos, you probably don't need a heat shield on your shotgun.

Yes, shotgun barrels do heat up with repeated firing and can burn you. But in normal firing, you don't come in contact with the barrel. It's only if you start running, jumping, and using the shotgun as a bayonet platform or a pugil stick that you might need a heat shield.

OTOH, if it's a good fit on the gun--stable, no sharp edges, etc.--what's the harm in it? Better to have and not need, etc.

 

[hmphargh]

The only shotguns I burn myself on are SxS shotguns with splinter forends, and heat shields on an SxS would look mighty silly.

 

[oneounceload]

The only shotguns I burn myself on are SxS shotguns with splinter forends, and heat shields on an SxS would look mighty silly.

That's why they make these:

http://www.dawsonsdoubles.com/details.php?ID=2136

 

[BHP FAN]

One other point I might make in favor of the vented handguard is that it protects the barrel from dents.

 

[DeepSouth]

On a motorcycle, YES

On a gun, NO

 

[ArmedBear]

One other point I might make in favor of the vented handguard is that it protects the barrel from dents.

That is a good reason, but if you drop the thing in the mud or snow, it's not so good. Again, you have to assess what your needs are.

oneounceload, those ARE heat shields, aren't they? What is the official name for them?

 

[AcceptableUserName]

one thing that's been neglected to mention is that on certain guns added weight can be desirable because it does help offset recoil. saying that there is "no point" to one is trying to smash a square peg into a round hole. OBVIOUSLY there is a point, whether it's a big enough issue for you personally to put one on your gun and brave the drawbacks of doing so is what should be in question here.

For me it's 1 - function
1a. added weight
2. Looks


I probably will not be taking on dozens of samurai sword wielding drug addled bodybuilding child molesters...but then again, I didn't add the part envisioning that I would.

It also hasn't been my experience to have the Mossberg heatshield moving around under recoil...if that was the case I'd try and secure it much better...if it still moved around, then I'd most certainly take it off. They've always stayed quite snug for me and I've had 5+ guns with a busload of ammo through them with no movement perceptible.

 

[ArmedBear]

OBVIOUSLY there is a point, whether it's a big enough issue for you personally to put one on your gun and brave the drawbacks of doing so is what should be in question here.

While there may be a few firearm accessories out there that are genuinely silly, I think that AcceptableUserName's statement can and should apply to nearly all of them. There's no absolute "right" or "wrong" to these things -- but there are always pros and cons. Life has its way of keeping us on our toes.

 

[hmphargh]

That's why they make these:

http://www.dawsonsdoubles.com/details.php?ID=2136

I know, but I got my SxS about a year ago and its been in the shop getting a new stock and forend since then...don't ask. So I've only got to shoot it once, and didn't bother to buy a handguard for that one session.

oneounceload, those ARE heat shields, aren't they? What is the official name for them?

They're called handguards.

 

[JNewell]

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.

Pretty funny. Spend a couple of days, all day, shooting a shotgun. Do it one day without the ninjawannabe heat shield and see how often you burn yourself. Do it the next day with the heat shield and see how differently your arms, neck and back feel.

If you need the weight to reduce recoil, there are much better places to put it than out in front of the forward hand, where the weight has leverage on you that is beyond its absolute weight (and therefore its effect on perceived recoil).

 

[ArmedBear]

Titanium and carbon fiber heat shields! That's what you need!

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The heat shield is for when you've fired all the rounds in the shotgun and then need to use it with a bayonet or as a bludgeon. To do this you have to wrap one hand around the barrel, which by then will be quite hot. This has little application outside of the First World War trench warfare that it was made for.

 

[BHP FAN]

I'm no fonder of burning myself than our WWI and WWII soldiers were.

 

[AcceptableUserName]

I'm no fonder of burning myself than our WWI and WWII soldiers were.

to top it off, you're probably shooting far more at the range than they were shooting in a firefight. so +1 bhp. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that likes to put an HD gun through it's paces by POURING birdshot out of the muzzle end.


I will readily admit the drawbacks rise up to meet the benefits, and deciding what conclusion you're at at the end is perfectly fine as long as you understand there is at least a USE for and against the thing.

 

[SpamHandler]

For a HD shotgun, no. Most shootings (statistically) won't utilize enough rounds for the heat to build up for the shield to be of any benefit. For that matter, the odds are very long against any of the vast readership here to actually NEED a HD shotgun. So then, does it really matter what accoutrements we hang on an item that is most likely never going to be used for its' intended purpose? Maybe the shotgun itself is unnecessary?

To get back to the original topic, I've burned myself several times while firing shotguns at the range (in both HD configurations and hunting models) due to high volume shooting. Have I burned myself since installling a shield? NO! Even though I don't think that I'll ever have to use the piece for defense, I'm at least cognizant enough to realize that fine motor skills diminish quickly under stress, which leads me to my last point.

I almost caved to the Fudds who insist that there is no use for a shield and that it is somehow 'mallninjaesque'. That is until I realized an unexpected benefit from them. In many shotgun designs the pump can be flexed (to some degree) around the magazine tube (try it and see how much 'twist' you can exert on the forearm before binding occurs). It is more apparent in my own single bar (Win '97) than an 870 (double action bars), but it is there. A heat shield keeps the forearm from flexing (much) because the top of the pump is nearly in contact with the bottom edge of the heat shield, and disallows its' motion to be anything other than almost strictly fore-and-aft, the intended directions for the pump. If a shooting situations develops I want all of the benefits I can have, and I see this as one of them. I think I'll keep mine on for that very reason. When I'm confronted by someone who 'knows better', I just nod and say 'It's there because it looks cool'. No need to enlighten them.

Maybe other systems of heat dissipation (and the resulting improved sight picture) such as ventilated ribs should be placed under scrutiny. Perhaps my 28" vent rib makes me 'Trapshooteresque' to some......

 

[BHP FAN]

I put mine on,it's a blued steel one that has no bayonet lug [I have no problem with bayonets,but my 8 shot mag doesn't leave me enough room for one] with a side saddle for x-tra ammo,and a 4 position stock .I also have a traditional 1930's SXS 16ga. farm gun and a Chinese Coach gun.Plenty of Zombie Hunter stuff hung off my Winchester, my 16 ga. is my Fudd gun, and my Coach Gun is for playing cowboy.

 

[inSight-NEO]

I voted "no." But, I will not simply dismiss such an item as a "mall ninja" accessory as I do see some benefit in using it. Having said this, I have yet to encounter such a situation.

Sure, the barrel gets hot...so what? Yes, extensive firing may heat the barrel to the point where such an accessory is beneficial, but how often does this actually occur? I guess it all depends on the shooter. Of course, when regarding HD duty, I do not see the heat shield as being of any real value.

Regardless, I did not buy a shotgun with extensive "firefight" scenarios in mind. I am much more concerned about whether or not the gun reliably goes -BOOM- each and every time vs. being overly concerned about the affects related to heat (which would probably only be an issue if firing many, many rounds within a short timeframe).

Heat shields look nice, but are they truly useful in a practical sense? I'm not so sure. However, I refuse to slam anyone who chooses to use such an item. Each to his/her own.

 

[inSight-NEO]

Oh...I did once have a heat shield on my Mossberg. But, I took it off as its potential benefit did not trump the extra weight involved. Plus, those things are a pain in the a** to clean. However, it did look cool.

 

[DHart]

I voted "no", but realize that when you shoot a lot of rounds through your shotgun in a hurry, the barrel gets really hot and the shield can help minimize burning yourself on that hot barrel. Other than that, it serves no purpose to me. Personally, I prefer none. I pulled the shield off of my 590 and like it much better without. I like guns simple... I would be happier if I could ditch the bayonet mount on my 590 as well!

 

[oneounceload]

AB - as mentioned, they are called handguards and have been standard issue for some guns for quite some time - they go over the barrels with the larger section on top of the barrels so as you hold the barrels while shooting, your hands are protected. Then again, to those tacky-cool folks, people shooting SxS for driven birds shoot a lot and the guns typically have very thin barrels to facilitate handling

 

[seanie!]

...they go over the barrels with the larger section on top of the barrels so as you hold the barrels while shooting, your hands are protected...

Much like a heat shield? I have no dog in this fight, as I don't have a heat shield installed on any of my shotguns. For some reason though, I think that if someone were to assemble a heat shield out of leather and fine wood, some of the traditionalists on the board would be more open to it... But what do I know? I just shoot my guns a lot and don't complain about what's necessary on anyone else's.