Remington Low Decibel .410 “Garden Gun” Loads

A couple of Shot Shows ago, this correspondent suggested to ammunition manufacturers that a low-powered, small shot cartridge could fill a “garden gun” niche for Americans.

The idea of a garden gun is a gun firing a low-velocity, low-powered shot load, which is not very loud, but can efficiently dispatch small pests out to about 20 yards. People at Remington must have been thinking along the same lines. They have introduced a “Low Decibel” .410 load, which is very close to old garden gun loads.

Many people already have .410 shotguns. They do not need to purchase a dedicated “garden gun” to have garden gun performance. .22 shotshells work pretty well, but have very limited range out of rifled barrels. With a smoothbore gun, such as a Henry Garden Gun, the range can be stretched to about 12 -15 yards. The .410 low-decibel load, starting at 650 fps with number nine shot, should be good to 20 yards. The number nine pellet, at that range, will be traveling a tad more than 400 fps. By 40 yards, it has dropped to under 300 fps, about the same velocity as a BB gun, but with a much lighter pellet. It should bounce off most clothes.

It is a real cartridge. At ranges of a few feet, it can be deadly. Shooters have to use good judgment and caution, and understand backstops and ranges. At 25 yards, a half-inch pine board should be an effective backstop for #9 pellets traveling under 400 fps.

The sound of the shot will be minimized from a long barrel. Many .410 shotguns have 28″ barrels, which should work well. There is no sonic crack with these loads.

Handloaders can duplicate these results with low powder charges. A good crimp provides enough resistance for a complete powder burn. Low-powered loads will not operate most semi-automatic actions. It is difficult to obtain consistent ignition below 600 fps. The Remington factory ammunition solves the problem of load development if only a few shots are needed.

Ammoseek lists the low-decibel shells at about $20 a box of 25. .22 Shot shells on Ammoseek list from about $15 for 50 rounds to $6 for 20 rounds.  Handloading is not a practical option for .22 shot shells.

Live Inventory Price Checker

	Remington 410 Gauge 3 11/16 oz 6 Shot 1135 fps (Box)	Ammunition Depot	$ 29.49
	Remington 410 Gauge 3 11/16 oz 7.5 Shot 1135 fps (Box)	Ammunition Depot	$ 29.49
	Remington 410 Gauge 2.50 1/2 oz 9 Shot (Box)	Ammunition Depot	$ 25.99
	Remington 410 Gauge 2.50 1/2 oz 9 Shot 1275 fps (Box)	Ammunition Depot	$ 22.49

This correspondent’s brother claims 12-gauge loads at about 600 fps have been very effective on pests up to rabbit-sized, and are much quieter than a regular cartridge, albeit out of a 36-inch barrel. As American households become more suburban, and “horse properties” of 2 acres on up expand into rural America, the market for garden guns to control pests expands as well. Even if your neighbor is more than a 1/4 mile away, quiet loads prevent disturbing the neighbors when a pest shows up just after a summer sunrise.

Before 1930, backyard gunfire was common in the United States. After WWII, ordinances outlawing gunfire inside city limits proliferated. It all depends on local ordinances, so research in specific locations is called for. Some backward municipalities even ban the shooting of air guns and bows and arrows in the back yard!

Texas prevents municipal ordinances banning the firing of shotguns if you have 10 acres of property, and the shot does not pass the property boundaries. If you are on unincorporated land, counties can regulate shooting on parcels of less than 10 acres. They are not required to do so. Florida allows backyard shooting if the shooter acts prudently.  Shooting on properties of more than 1 acre has fewer restrictions. A low-powered garden gun with small shot and a backstop would probably meet the requirements of the law.

Garden guns reached their peak interest between the World Wars. They were popular in Europe between 1900 and 1935.  Because of their low power, they were generally unregulated. More recently, hoplophobia has generated severe ordinances to regulate even the low-powered, inoffensive garden gun.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.