Snakes!

[HankBuck]

its a real gun.. serbu has been making them for at least 30 years that I am aware of..

I think most of the sales have just been to guys looking for a Class III toy...

I am aware of at least a few of them being sold to law enforcement back in the 90's.. the ones I know of were used by tactical teams for breaching (knocking doors off of hinges)..

@mdwest: I can’t see that short sawed off 20 ga. knocking-the-doors-off a “Doll House”….what’s it generating out of that 6” barrel ? — 650fps for it’s 1oz load of soft lead shot, most powder will burn “in the air” = nice fireball but low velocity (good to start a campfire). Looks marginal for garter snakes and mice - but excellent for “ricochets” as that shot should bounce off the ground in every direction. I think Class III Toy is the right description. But, it might be the perfect gun for a self defense situation inside a phone booth or very small car…. Now, having joked around about this (kidding) it would be fun at a neighborhood BBQ (before the beers were consumed)

 

[mdwest]

The breaching guns were 12 gauge... shooting a compressed zinc slug (no lead.. and no pellets).. specifically designed to knock out hinges.. short barreled shotguns are extremely common among both LEO and military tactical teams..

understand the intent isnt shooting people (or mice )... its to have a compact system (not a whole lot of real estate left on a breachers body after you factor in a sidearm, a long gun, mags, radio, restraints, med kit, flash bangs, explosive charges, and all the other crap hes got to carry.. having as compact and lightweight of a device as possible is important)..

the intent isnt for a breaching shotgun to be the solution for all breaching either.. its one tool that is used specifically against targets its designed for.. i.e. Im not going to use a breaching shotgun on a steel, reinforced, external door with internal reinforced hinges and bolt... but I may well use it to quickly get through a solid core internal door with a simple lock..

truth be told, Im only aware of a handful of the serbu's that made it into service.. and that was in the mid 90's.. I have no clue how many might have been used by different teams after that.. most breaching shotguns are short/small.. but not as compact as the serbu (12" and 14" barrels were most common back in my day.. with pistol grips (no buttstocks) and usually some sort of modified fore end that made it easier to hold onto the gun).. but Im also not aware of any of the departments that did use them having any problem using them for the purpose they were designed for...

other pretty common breaching shotguns from 3 different manufacturers other than serbu:

 

[Hunt anything]

Those things make my ears hurt just looking at them! I have a short barrel (barely legal) for home defense and it’s so damned loud when I shoot it for fun I wear plugs and muffs and it’s still loud. I know snakes can’t hear but they will surely feel it even if they’re missed by the shot. I can’t imagine what it would be like if shot in the house.

 

[HankBuck]

The breaching guns were 12 gauge... shooting a compressed zinc slug (no lead.. and no pellets).. specifically designed to knock out hinges.. short barreled shotguns are extremely common among both LEO and military tactical teams..

understand the intent isnt shooting people (or mice )... its to have a compact system (not a whole lot of real estate left on a breachers body after you factor in a sidearm, a long gun, mags, radio, restraints, med kit, flash bangs, explosive charges, and all the other crap hes got to carry.. having as compact and lightweight of a device as possible is important)..

the intent isnt for a breaching shotgun to be the solution for all breaching either.. its one tool that is used specifically against targets its designed for.. i.e. Im not going to use a breaching shotgun on a steel, reinforced, external door with internal reinforced hinges and bolt... but I may well use it to quickly get through a solid core internal door with a simple lock..

truth be told, Im only aware of a handful of the serbu's that made it into service.. and that was in the mid 90's.. I have no clue how many might have been used by different teams after that.. most breaching shotguns are short/small.. but not as compact as the serbu (12" and 14" barrels were most common back in my day.. with pistol grips (no buttstocks) and usually some sort of modified fore end that made it easier to hold onto the gun).. but Im also not aware of any of the departments that did use them having any problem using them for the purpose they were designed for...

other pretty common breaching shotguns from 3 different manufacturers other than serbu:

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@mdwest: Big difference between a 14” barrel 12ga and that 6” 20ga “popper”…I appreciate the details and info you provided and found it interesting..Thank you

 

[WyoBull]

@freefall - would you really buy a gun just for “snakes”?….that you can easily kill with a stick. If you see one and have time to shoot it - you can walk around it, stomp it, or club it (ammo is expensive)

Taurus Judge, 2 3-4 inch .410 shells or 45 LC. Great snake dispatcher and I have owned one for years. When I lived and hunted in South Texas I always had it in me when in the brush.

 

[JimP]

You will find that with short barrel shotguns that while they look impressive they are next to worthless. Even shot shells out of a pistol. I had a friend who thought shot shells out of a 357 mag would be just the ticket for grouse while he was elk hunting. Well that first grouse that he shot just started flopping around, the next bunch didn't do a thing to them. We figured that the plastic capsule that the shot was in must of hit that first one in the head.

The Thompson Center 45/410 is quite different. There is a choke that you install into the barrel when you are shooting the 410 and is effective enough that you can shoot clay pigeons with it. I haven't seen any other short barreled shotgun capable of doing that.

Plus with the Thompson Center 45/410 you don't need any special license or tax stamp, it is legal.

 

[HankBuck]

Taurus Judge, 2 3-4 inch .410 shells or 45 LC. Great snake dispatcher and I have owned one for years. When I lived and hunted in South Texas I always had it in me when in the brush.

@WyoBull - I believe you and have seen the Taurus Judge (built with the quality of a Toys-R-Us water pistol). If I ever wanted a gun for snakes (which I still can’t understand “why”?) the Taurus/Toys-R-Us Judge would be my pick. But since there’s never a “need” for a gun to dispatch a snake and ANY gun would work - why not get a gun that could also be used for something else? I guess owning & carrying it is just for FUN and Nothing wrong with that.

 

[jeanes]

Has anyone tried the Bond derringers with shot on snakes? I know they make one called the Snakeslayer.

 

[HankBuck]

Has anyone tried the Bond derringers with shot on snakes? I know they make one called the Snakeslayer.

@jeanes - have Not used a Bonds on snakes but have shot a couple owned by friends…their Taurus-like-quality (or lack of) seems to limit them to self defense against lizards, mice, and other imaginary threats….but they do fit in your pocket and go “bang” reliably.

 

[Tgood1]

i keep a bond on my hip regularly at farm for copperheads, works very well. difficult trigger pull though.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I have a buddy who has a TC contender 357 barrel with a screw in choke for shooting shotshells.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

At work today

 

[HankBuck]

At work today
View attachment 603861

@Wishfulthinker580 - there’s something you don’t see often - a Copperhead on an Oil spill? The contrast in the photo is great — almost “art”

 

[Certus]

Does the oil industry use fauna spotters like the gas industry here?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

@Wishfulthinker580 - there’s something you don’t see often - a Copperhead on an Oil spill? The contrast in the photo is great — almost “art”

It is a little striking isn’t it? If I were of a certain political persuasion I would submit it to an art gallery and make prints of it. Might be a good seller. It definitely could be interpreted in a certain way, especially to the uninformed

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Does the oil industry use fauna spotters like the gas industry here?

Some of the huge operators probably do. Probably depends on the state or area. And the fauna

 

[Certus]

Some good money in it, friends on 60 an hour as a spotter/catcher. 10 hours a day watching a single machine and mostly not doing much.

 

[Wyfox]

Picking up your doves can get spicy! luckily this guy alerted me of his presence before I stuck my hand in the grass to pick up my bird. After the photo op I let him go, I dont kill snakes.

 

[PCC600]

Picking up your doves can get spicy! luckily this guy alerted me of his presence before I stuck my hand in the grass to pick up my bird. After the photo op I let him go, I dont kill snakes.
View attachment 632422

Nor do I .

 

[Zinz]

Indigo snake in southwestern Texas a few years ago. Very calm snake, allowed me to pick him up, probably close to 7’ long. I’ve seen bigger, but never got close enough to catch them.

Ed Z