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Working the yard today and found a couple of young rattlers sunning themselves on the black-top. Although I felt threatened (no I didn't draw) I just hit them with a hoe. Enough said. What is a good snake gun? I heard allot about a little 410 available just about everywhere. New to Texas and I hate snakes!

Dang, they're out early this year! A .410 would be perfect. Taurus make a .410 revolver that I've considered getting my mom for the very same purpose. I live in the city, so the hoe or a shovel is my only safe option, but my mom lives in the county and really wants one of them.

I don't know of anyone that lives "in the country" that doesn't have a H&R single shot shotgun for pests.

Usually in .410 bore but some folks prefer a 20 ga.

They are inexpensive and available everywhere. You could probably pick up a nice used one at a pawn shop or gun store for further savings.


P.S. Welcome to Texas!

http://www.verney-carron.us/

I think this is what yall are talking about. They used to make these in my home town and seemed like everyone have one or two.

How bout a Ruger with a suppressor? no one'd hear a thang!

"She stepped out in the alley with her single-shot .410.
The road goes on forever and the party never ends."
- Robert Earl Keen

Actually, the hoe is a pretty good snake weapon, too.

A .357 or .38 shot shell will work well too!

CCI makes shot shells for just about any pistol caliber. I carry a .38 snubby in my front pocket with shot shells in it. I've even killed a possum with it. I have some 9mm shot shells, but I have never tried them. I can't tell you if they will feed reliably in a semi-auto or not. I guess I need to try them out one day.
Regards, OE

I have used the CCI shot shells in a .40 Glock. They feed well and work well on snakes at about a three foot range. They are useless at much more distance than that.

in my line of work (name says it all), I have occassion to dispatch an occassional snake. In my younger years I didn't hesitate to lean over and take out a cottonmouth or copperhead with a plain ole 24 inch machete. As I got older, I started pocket carrying a cheapo, disposable snub .22 revolver with a couple rounds of snake/rat shot cartridges and the rest hollow points. With that one you still gotta be within the same "machete range". So even older, I now carry a (disposable quality) .38 J frame with a couple rounds of CCI snake loads, and the rest +P jhp's (we often have occassion to run up on other potential threatning critters too). The snubbie with shot shells can easily take out a snake from a safe distance, so I don't feel undergunned, not to mention that carried in a nice close fitting pancake holster my hands are free to actually carry on my business rather than a gun.

surv

I've heard that those pistol caliber shot shells will ruin your barrel. Is this true?

nitrogen wrote:I've heard that those pistol caliber shot shells will ruin your barrel. Is this true?

Nope. The plastic capsules that CCI uses protect the rifling from the shot.

I would agree that shooting the old style .22LR crimped 'rat shot' could allow lead to build up in the rifling, requiring further cleaning.

The idea that soft lead shot could ruin a barrel is folly.

Will the plastic capsule allow it to reliably cycle a semi? I wouldn't think so, but I've never tried. I've only shot them out of .22 and .38 revolvers. If so, I'll get some for one of my 9mm's to have at the pit. That's alot cheaper than my first suggestion to you!

We had more rattlers hanging around last summer than we needed. I made one DRT with a CCI/Speer .38/.357 shot shell--worked great. Think Midway sells the components for those of you who reload.

Ruger GP100 357 magnum with CCI shotshells (my wife did not like that Taurus Judge ).