Steel-Proofing For A Spanish Side-By-Side

If you have a cherished side-by-side that you want to be eco-friendly, it is possible to get it modified to take steel shot, says Simon Reinhold

-  Simon Reinhold

Anyone with even a vague interest in live quarry shooting will be aware that there is an ongoing conversation about the continued use of lead shot.

The centre of gravity of this debate has recently shifted away from lead’s toxicity when scattered into the wider environment. This is because two major supermarkets have announced their future intention only to sell game shot with non-lead alternatives.

Despite them selling a relatively small percentage of the UK’s shot game, I suspect it is an insight into what their consumer research has been telling them. Major supermarkets do not take decisions on gut instinct. And as a consequence, we must all take note.

The shooting of game is not an end in itself, it is the beginning of the process of a meal for family and friends. If it ends up solely as a by-product of a rural entertainment industry, we are lost. There is a great deal of misinformation about the use of steel shot. It is little wonder that the average shooter is now hopelessly confused by conflicting advice.

Proof mark

To understand your position as a side-by-side user — and I suspect you are rather fond of using your elegant, possibly handmade shotgun — you must first know that there are currently two types of steel shot. These are standard steel and high-performance steel. High-performance steel can only be used in barrels that have been proofed for its use. There is only one proof mark that need concern us here and it is the fleurs de-lis stamp — the Prince of Wales’ crest. Some people mistake the proof mark of two crowns above SUP for ‘superior proof’ to be a steel shot proof mark. It is not, and I have seen this mistake made even by experienced members of the gun trade.