Shooting Shotgun For The First Time

[Lawman]

Hi, today I have fired from my Astra DBBL gun first time at our club range. Beforehand I used to fire the .22 lr from the Bronos. I have fired 18 rounds of Astram today. Awesome experience. I felt my gun can destroy anything infront of its barrels. The arms was not fired for more than 20 years but kept in very good condition (regular cleaning, oiling). So, no problem with the arms during firing. But barrels became hot after 12/13 shots. After the shotgun session I fired 5 rounds of .22 which I felt like air-rifle shots. Now from the evening I felt a little shoulder pain for heavy recoil and defective holding of the gun for first 2 shots. But I am eager to fire more shots from my DBBL on the next Sunday.

Lawman

[shahid]

What no. of shots was Astrams. It has a heavy recoil. Astra is no light gun either it is in the circa of 7 lb.

Hope you have 70 mm chambers, 2 3/4 inch to fire Astrams.

[Lawman]

Astrams of shot no.1. Yes, my Astra is chambered for 2 3/4 inch (70 mm) cartridges.

Lawman

[shahid]

WHat did you fire no. 1 shots at ? SPorting clays / trap birds ?

[Vikram]

Lawman,

Congrats.Great experience, isn't it?We also have an Astra DBBL at home.I like it a lot.Post pictures of your gun if you can.Thanks.

Best-
Vikram

[Risala]

Lawman,

Just curious,what was the gun doing all these years

Shahid,these days for some strange reason Astrams are only available in 1 & BB,gone are the days when

one could get them in 4,6 & 7.KF is available in 6 though.

Sanjay

[art_collector]

.....well these days the factory is not making astrams at all. What you find in the market is atleast 3-4 years old.

They can produce shot sizes 4,5 and 6 but think minimum order is a few 1000 rounds....which most dealers find difficult to sell.......profile of customers has changed may be ...those who buy guns today buy only ball & No.1 .... and are mostly people working with security agencies and 99% of them don"t have a clue what shot sizes are all about. I have on occassions seen poor guys paying fancy prices to buy the 7 1/2 shot size imported ammo insted of the usual shot size 1 manufactured by IOF

[Lawman]

Manufacturing year of the Astrams is 2005 as mentioned on the box. Picture of the box and one fired cartridge is attached. Sorry for the picture quality (mobile-camera).

Lawman

[Lawman]

Pictures of my Astra DBBL.

Lawman

[indian]

nice lawman .my grandpa used to have an astra which we sold.thats the first gun which i shot.

[shahid]

Looks like its earlier owner had indeed put it to some work.

[mundaire]

Looks like its earlier owner had indeed put it to some work.

I'd agree, in India chrome plating is usually used by "butcher" gunsmiths to hide deep pitting and other such imperfections... I personally prefer to keep away from pieces that have any after market chrome/ nickel plating...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Lawman]

The gun fires excellent in my point of view. The nickel pleating was done 15 years ago by N.C. Daw & Co., a renowned Gun Dealer of Calcutta. I was a boy then and had a very little knowledge about gun and gun-smithing. As I said earlier, I have fired 18 shots last week without any problem, so Abhijeet, I will not go to any gunsmith in future for this gun.

Lawman