Rock salt shotshells

[Wolfsbane]

I'm looking for actual news stories documenting people arrested for using rock salt shot shells.

Anyone have any links to such articles?

 

[dogtown tom]

Huh?
Nothing illegal about using rock salt in a shotshell.

I'm sure if the person was arrested for shooting someone with rock salt, they quite likely would have been arrested if using lead slugs as well.

 

[Sam1911]

I haven't even heard of anyone owning or making rock salt shot shells in decades, let alone actually firing one at anyone. I think that idea disappeared from the common public consciousness sometime in the late '60s.

However, firing a firearm at someone is employing lethal force, so the same laws of AWD or attempted murder would apply if someone DID actually make and use rock salt shells on another person.

 

[toiville2feathers]

I have been messing with firearms for 67 years now, and every now and then some mentions rock salt in the shot gun and it generally also includes the neighbors dog. But in all those years I have never seen a shell full of rock salt or know of anyone who used it. I don't live in town, pretty rural here. So I would have to say that its pretty much and old wives tale.

 

[barnbwt]

"I haven't even heard of anyone owning or making rock salt shot shells in decades, let alone actually firing one at anyone. I think that idea disappeared from the common public consciousness sometime in the late '60s."

Probably departed along with the Duke Boys. I always assumed this was a thing cooked up by Hollywood during the Cowboy days; something they figured hicks would do, while not knowing themselves that any use of a firearm on a human is lethal force. Ornery hicks in real life would be certain to have 00 buck in their shells

TCB

 

[Jim K]

I think it was always more of a joke than a matter of actual use. Of course I mean a joke about using rock salt - being hit with rock salt would be no joke at all, and would (I assume) be extremely painful. This probably goes along with common sayings that are intended to amuse rather than to be taken literally, like SHTF; aside from Mythbusters (who didn't use real S), how often have you heard of anyone actually throwing the stuff into a fan. Or "slippery as greased owl S"? How many folks have really used that as a lubricant?

Jim

 

[Velodogs]

Rock salt

There's on old song that goes:

"If women were squirrels with big bushy tails,
I'd fill up my shotgun with rock salt and nails."

Must have had a muzzle loader.

 

[crazyjennyblack]

My great grandpa's neighbor actually used them in the 1960's. College kids would drive out into the countryside and cause problems on local farms, so apparently that was the method used to drive off the trespassers. I think the point was to use something that basically fractured into dust upon firing, but if it hit would cause pain and not much damage. Nowadays that would land you in jail just as surely as if you shot at someone with buckshot.

Keep in mind this was in the Ozarks, and that area was pretty wild - people still made tons of moonshine. Mom says the Sheriff's deputies out there didn't even wear uniforms until much later, and kept brass knuckles in the back pockets of their jeans.

 

[Sam1911]

I've always read of it in Pat McManus type stories of youthful shenanigans back in the good old days mid-century, when every young protagonist was a good hearted but mischievous rapscallion, and every such junior Dillinger spent their waking moments scheming to swipe watermelons from old farmer Jones' field. And every "old farmer Jones" kept a shotgun by the back door stoked up with rock salt and was ready at the drop of a hat to come racing out the screen door blasting away at youthful hind-ends. And every kid struck by rock salt pellets probably clapped both hands to their rears and hopped in the air, yelping comically before scurrying off home to make up a good yarn about the holes in their britches to try and fool their Ma and Pa into not giving them a whoopin' for being such a scamp.


As W.C. Fields said, "Ahhh, the good old days! May they never come again..."

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot33.htm
http://www.gunshowgoods.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=118
http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/yhs...t&hsimp=yhs-att_001&type=att_lego_portal_home

 

[Sam1911]

Yeah, I did know that some of the novelty/specialty shotshell companies made such shells, but like their flechette or "Dragons'breath" rounds, I don't think anyone actually uses them for anything, except for buying once at a gun show and then losing in the back of the gun junk drawer.

 

[TRX]

Density:

1.0 water
2.16 salt (sodium chloride)
11.3 lead

So, salt is about 1/5 the density of lead. A 1-ounce lead shot volume would be 1/5 ounce of salt, and it would lose velocity very fast after exiting the muzzle.

 

[Sam1911]

Yeah. I think that's pretty much what Box Of Truth showed.

 

[Jim K]

The idea was that the rock salt would penetrate the skin enough to cause extreme pain ("salt in a wound") without causing serious injury. The weight or the mass of the salt would be irrelevant as long as it created enough of a wound to really, really, really hurt.

Anyone who doesn't think that is a big deal, try rubbing some salt on your next shaving nick or finger cut.

The main thing against it from my viewpoint is that salt will eat the hell out of a shotgun barrel unless you clean it (and clean it and clean it....). Worse than corrosive primer salt because there is more of it.

Jim

 

[Liberty1776]

've always read of it in Pat McManus type stories of youthful shenanigans back in the good old days mid-century, when every young protagonist was a good hearted but mischievous rapscallion, and every such junior Dillinger spent their waking moments scheming to swipe watermelons from old farmer Jones' field. And every "old farmer Jones" kept a shotgun by the back door stoked up with rock salt and was ready at the drop of a hat to come racing out the screen door blasting away at youthful hind-ends. And every kid struck by rock salt pellets probably clapped both hands to their rears and hopped in the air, yelping comically before scurrying off home to make up a good yarn about the holes in their britches to try and fool their Ma and Pa into not giving them a whoopin' for being such a scamp.

This. Sam1911 nailed it...(at least for those of old enough to ken the way of swiping watermelons...)

 

[Kuyong_Chuin]

Every time I hear someone mention rocksalt in a shotgun I think of granny on the Beverly Hillbillies and think someone has been in her "tonic" again.

 

[Sam1911]

The main thing against it from my viewpoint is that salt will eat the hell out of a shotgun barrel

Well...that and that discharging a firearm at someone is a felony. (Regardless of what you loaded it with.)

If you don't need to cause serious injury (e.g: you're just chasing someone out of your watermelons) then firing a shotgun at them is going to be a real bad idea.

 

[Highcaliber]

Beans and Salt for your 12 gauge

My Grandparents did actually load up and use 12 gauge shells filled with dried BEANS. Sometimes mixing beans and rock salt together.

I can't remember what "caliber" beans they used. I'm thinking maybe white northern beans but I can't remember for sure. I do know for sure that it's no myth on the beans and they probably carried more umph than rock salt alone. Ymmv

 

[Sam1911]

Load up and use ... for WHAT? Did they actually shoot (at) anyone?

 

[Stargazer65]

My Grandparents did actually load up and use 12 gauge shells filled with dried BEANS. Sometimes mixing beans and rock salt together.

If you use that on small game it sounds like a shortcut to makin some chili.

 

[Highcaliber]

Load up and use ... for WHAT? Did they actually shoot (at) anyone?

YES. They actually shot them at various folks for minor infractions. My Grandfather even rigged an axe to swing down into the doorway of his coal shed because someone was stealing his coal. Yes...the old axe swinging from a nail treatment. I suppose depression era folks took their coal supply seriously.

The culprit ended up being his brother in law doing the stealing and the healing.

My Grandpa was shocked to discover who it was and told him that he would have gladly GIVEN him some coal if he would have only asked first.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Sam,

I am usually on the receiving end of this type of advice, but lighten up a bit. This whole thread is about something that is very unlikely to happen. I not only don't know anyone who ever raided a watermelon patch, I don't know anyone who even has a watermelon patch!

On a serious subject, what about moving outhouses? That surely is a subject for discussion.

Jim

 

[Sam1911]

Well, I can lighten up with the best of 'em. I think the point can't be reiterated firmly enough, though.

 

[Frank Ettin]

Well, I can lighten up with the best of 'em. I think the point can't be reiterated firmly enough, though.

A very important point. That was then and this is now.

Folks might have gotten away with rock salt and boobie traps a 75 + years ago. But such things are very bad ideas today.

 

[Schutzen]

I too grew up hearing about rock salt shells and I have a question. Who in their right mind would fire salt down a steel barrel? Guns are tools, but I don't salt my wrenches and I do not let road salt stay caked on my vehicles. Why would I even consider salting a gun?