What does a headshield do?

[Zack]

Ok do not hate up on me. I just want to know why do shotguns come with/buy heatshields. What is the reason? It's a peice of metal on top of metal. Wouldn't that make the gun hotter??????

 

[Wadero]

It scares anti-gun folks, adds weight and makes it look tacticool.

 

[ArmedLiberal]

The thin ventilated metal cools off faster than the shotgun barrel and might save you from a nasty burn if you grab your shotgun incorrectly. Maybe.

 

[mljdeckard]

You know, the thingy that folds up. (SOMEONE had to say it.)

The idea is that as the gun heats up, a shroud over the barrel means you can still grab it there without burning your fingers.

 

[Chopdoktor]

The point of a heat shield is to protect you from burns when you are using your shotgun like a spear, with bayonet attached, right after firing the weapon empty. The WWI and WWII "trench" shotguns had them, as well as a bayonet. In tandem, the provided the soldier a way to safely transition to bayonet attacks when the shotgun ran dry of ammo. I would venture that >95% of shotgun owners do not run mounted bayonets on their home defense shotguns, therefore making a heat shield a throwback "cool factor" item, rather than a necessity of function.

 

[Zack]

You know, the thingy that folds up. (SOMEONE had to say it.)

The idea is that as the gun heats up, a shroud over the barrel means you can still grab it there without burning your fingers.

You mean the shoulder thingy?

Thanks guys!

 

[mljdeckard]

I was referring to THIS clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ospNRk2uM3U

 

[Dr.Rob]

Having burned my hand on an 870 after a very energetic round of clays I kinda wish mine had one! Then again I learned NOT to handle it that way ever again.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Mostly, it makes cleaning the outside of the barrel a pain in the butt.

lpl

 

[BADUNAME37]

When I got my Mossberg 500, it had one on it. I didn't like it as it was cheaply-made and had pretty sharp edges. I took it off, and, although the gun looked different (at first), I ended up tossing it in the trash and haven't ever missed it.

If I am going to be shooting 20 rounds or more, I will use my AR or even a .45

A lot of semi-automatic rifles (known by the brady bunch as "Assault Rifles") don't even have that shield. I guess the reasoning is, if someone owns a weapon like that, they must already understand not to grab a hot barrel, and if they don't remember, it only takes once to make you remember!

 

[Hunterdad]

The real reason for a heat shield is for when you flip the gun over for a reload you don't burn your hand on the hot barrel. Obviously they were made for someone who puts a lot of rounds down range like a competition shooter.

 

[scythefwd]

What does a headshield do?

I suspect it acts like a helmet

 

[UKShooter]

I suspect it acts like a helmet

Someone had to say it

 

[Al LaVodka]

If I am going to be shooting 20 rounds or more, I will use my AR or even a .45

A lot of semi-automatic rifles (known by the brady bunch as "Assault Rifles") don't even have that shield. :

I think all semi-auto so-called assault weapons and military rifles before that typically had heat-shields. Even the semi-auto pistol barrels are shrouded. You just don't have certain experience and aren't even looking in the right place. Try just in front of the receiver. Are all the too-tacticool-for-the-room-to-be tacticool folk here taking the handgaurds and upper-forearms off of their rifles? Not!
Al