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By Mike Yardley of The Field
Monday, 21 December 2009
Testing the Hushpower .410 sound-moderated pumpgun
The 500 is essentially an inexpensive, but extremely tough shotgun favoured by American hunters and the police and military (our police and military use them as well). The Mossberg is the most successful modern pump design with more than a million sold in the US.
As with many repeaters, the bolt locks into a lug on the barrel, steel to steel; the alloy action is merely an envelope for the working parts. The gun is further distinguished by a side-by-side-style sliding safety (more commonly seen on double guns), and twin cocking bars in the action (an improvement on the Model 500 from 1970).
The trigger assembly is removed by pushing through a retaining pin in the receiver body. After certain simple manipulations, the working parts may then be removed through the bottom of the action and its front.
The moderator is 11⁄2in in diameter and is fitted forward of the barrel locating bolt. The front section of the barrel is ported so that pressures can be reduced by means of the expansion chamber.
The last section of the moderator is fitted with shaped baffles to disrupt the flow of gas from the gun and reduce the noise.
The main body of the moderator can be unscrewed from the barrel for cleaning.
The silenced gun was used by the SOE and OSS during the Second World War as an assassination tool. Heavily restricted in the US, sound moderators are popular with UK stalkers and vermin-shooters. They are usually most effective with subsonic ammunition.
This gun was great fun and most interesting to shoot. I used it with George Juer, then of the West London Gun Room, and David Hilton, an experienced shooting man, on a fast partridge stand at the West London ground. George whipped us both, connecting with every bird from the start. I missed the first three before connecting consistently.
Nevertheless, this was a most impressive gun. It shot remarkably well once one had adapted to the extra muzzle length and weight. There was virtually no recoil and, even with standard 21⁄2in .410 ammunition, it was very quiet (I felt comfortable using it without my normal ear protection).
This Hushpower.410 brought a smile to all our faces.
It was well engineered and functioned perfectly. The short-stroke trombone cycling of the action was effortless. There were no cycling glitches or misfeeds.
This is an outstanding little gun which could be used for vermin or for teaching kids to shoot in a large garden with safety issues satisfied. At £540 including VAT it's a bargain, too.
For another hundred quid or so, you can have an extra, non-moderated 24in barrel. This kit would be my choice. I have not shot the over-and-under, but the .410 as tested is the best sound-moderated shotgun to have passed through my hands yet. I've bought one.
My thanks to Jonathan Irby of the West London Shooting Ground.
Hushpower .410 gun review
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