One of the first firearm that I ever used was a .22/.410 over under. It was an easy firearm to use as a youngster because it really had no recoil to speak of and I was able to stay on target.  I kind of put both of those weapons into the memory bank of my foundation and remembering summer camp and my uncle who took me birding as a kid.

.410 bore, commonly misnamed the .410 gauge, is the smallest gauge of shotgun shell commonly available. It has similar base dimensions to the .45 Colt revolver cartridge, though the .410 is significantly longer, up to 3 inches (76 mm), allowing many single-shot firearms and some revolvers chambered in that caliber to fire shot without any modifications.

About two years ago my wife’s uncle gave me an old .410 pump action shotgun that he had up in his attic. It was manufactured for Western Auto Parts by what I can figure by Marlin Firearms, or Mossberg and Sons, it depends on the year of the piece. It sold around $65-$100 in the late 60’s early 70’s. They were affordable firearms and really easy to use.

The .410 is a relative latecomer in shotgun sizes. It appears to have become popular around 1900. Some suspect that this shotgun bore arose from converted rifles of a similar bore diameter. The first ammunition was two inches (50.8 mm) long, compared with the modern 2.5 and 3.0-inch (76 mm) sizes.

When I got my hands on this gun I was eager to shoot it. I took it out to the skeet and trap range down the street and gave it a go. Wow I was impressed by the ease of taking down the clays. I had a great day.

This gun is not just for plinking, it has a real use in home defense. Mossberg’s Home Defender .410 is going for around $400 and is targeting the homeowner that is concerned about home protection.

If you are a seasoned hunter you may baulk at the little .410 however if you are looking to add a firearm for small game hunting, a SHTFSh!t Hits the Fan gun, or if you want to teach you little ones how to take that bird, this is the gun for you.

If you think you are god’s gift to the shooting range, take the challenge and shoot some clays with the .410 you may find that you my need some more help than you may think.