A 20-gauge shell is placed in a 12-gauge shotgun. What is the danger?

A 20-gauge shell is placed in a 12-gauge shotgun. What is the danger?

• A. The shotgun will not fire.
• B. The shot will not fly true, causing the hunter to miss the target.
• C. The shell could lodge in the barrel and cause serious personal injury.
• D. The shell could cause a misfire.

Answer: (C)

Using a shell that is smaller than the gun’s bore creates a dangerous obstruction in the barrel. A 12-gauge shotgun is designed to chamber and seal a 12-gauge shell; a 20-gauge shell is narrower and can slide into the bore and get wedged. When the gun is fired, the expanding gases push against that blockage, directing a large overpressure toward the barrel walls. That can cause the barrel to bulge or rupture and throw dangerous fragments, potentially injuring the shooter and bystanders. So the key danger is a blocked bore from a mismatched shell. Always use ammunition that matches the gun’s gauge and never force a shell into a chamber or bore that isn’t designed for it.

Using a shell that is smaller than the gun’s bore creates a dangerous obstruction in the barrel. A 12-gauge shotgun is designed to chamber and seal a 12-gauge shell; a 20-gauge shell is narrower and can slide into the bore and get wedged. When the gun is fired, the expanding gases push against that blockage, directing a large overpressure toward the barrel walls. That can cause the barrel to bulge or rupture and throw dangerous fragments, potentially injuring the shooter and bystanders. So the key danger is a blocked bore from a mismatched shell. Always use ammunition that matches the gun’s gauge and never force a shell into a chamber or bore that isn’t designed for it.