old blackpowder guns

[CharlesHarris]

The .410 vs. 12-ga. discussion wasn't intended as a single round-against-single round comparison. You need to ask yourself, for a given weight and cube of firearm and ammunition, is your survivablity enhanced by carrying 5 kilograms of 12-ga. gun and ammunition:

Single-barrel shotgun 2.9 kg.
leaving 2.1 kg. for ammunition, each 12-ga. 9-pellet 00 buckshot round weighs 46 grams, so 2.1 kg = 46 rounds.

Pump shotgun 3.2 kg
leaving 1.8 kg. for ammunition, at 22 cartridges per kg = 39 rounds

OR 5 kgs. of .410 bore shotgun and ammunition:
Single barrel .410 shotgun weighs 2.3 kg, which leaves 2.7 kg. for ammunition
A .410 5-pellet 00 buck round weighs 26 grams each, so 2.7 kg = 104 rounds!

Pump .410 shotgun weighs 3 kg, which leaves 2 kg for ammunition, so 2000/26 = 77 rounds.

A single 00 buckshot weighs 54 grains (3.49 grams) and in typical loads has a kinetic energy of about 170 ft.-lbs. at 25 yards.

If you accept that a level of kinetic energy of delivered on a human adversary equal to that delivered by the .45 ACP M1911 Ball 230-grain service cartridge, is adequate, TWO pellet hits of 00 buck = about 340 ft.-lbs. or about the same as a .45 ACP round has remaining at 25 yards.

Within typical combat ranges, the .410 5-pellet 00 buckshot load can be depended upon from a cylinder bore barrel to produce 3 hits or more on a military "E" silhouette target 1 metre high x 1/2 metre wide.

Very few defensive gunfights take place beyond 25 yards; www.­virginiacops.­org/­articles/­shooting/­combat.­htm

Therefore the .410 is adequate, when you consider the additional amount of ammunition available for the survivor / evader in the basic load.

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If the scenario is, the ammo supply is what you carry on your person. There is no hardware or gun store to buy more. There is no ready resupply coming from the air drop canister or falling off the truck. If you are surviving and evading, hiding, ofraging, shooting and scooting, because if you stand and fight, you'll never live longn enough to shoot'em all... Would you take your chances with your 12-ga. pumpgun and 39-40 rounds, or your lighter .410 with 77 rounds.

To ME it's an easy question.