Yeah it's a woods gun. I look at it as a powerful compact weapon where other hikers may not bat an eye at a shotgun, but would possibly alert the authorities if you were carrying a MK18
Paul: "If all you have is a 12 gauge, and you are starting out a novice shooting a shotgun, you want something with less recoil." My dad when I was eight years old: "Hey Jason, shoot this 12 gauge, three inch magnum, 000 buckshot..." Me after pulling the trigger: Why am I laying down???
My dad was "taught" this way too. Side by side 10 gauge, set to go off at a single trigger pull. Idk what he was supposed to learn from that but 1950s were wild.
I wasn't given this opportunity, but I had a classmate in 4th grade whose father was a cop. One day he had a giant bandage on his shoulder from firing a 12 gauge for the first time. I guess it was as if his shoulder had been dragged across concrete.
Just like my dad! LOL! Did it to me with the 000 buck in the farm gun AND did it to me with the 308 rifle LOL. He asked me if I was ready to "learn" how to swim... I said Yeah! We walked to the end of the dock and I was pushed in... learned how to swim in a hurry. Are you surprised I joined the ARMY and did very well? GOOD ol' dads =] I'm sure "today" someone would call child services or something like that and although I'm taking a different approach with my children, I'm glad he did things the way he did. Helped me survive incredibly harder challenges in life and combat.
Remember the velocity on the box is muzzle velocity, and slugs can lose around 10% each 10 yards (give or take) I thought part one was pretty solid and conclusive.
I have no intention of firing my home defense shotgun 10 yards. My longest room is my living room and it is 21 feet long. The 383 grain slug at 890 fps has about 674 foot pounds of energy in a .68 slug. Very few .357 rounds develop that kind of energy at the muzzle and none of them expand to .69 when they do. If anything, I want a shotgun round with less power and this has far less recoil than the .357 to put it on target again. A .357 will go through an aggressor and kill my neighbor when it has 674 foot pounds of muzzle energy. Do I need more rounds? No. I think a low recoil slug in 2 3/4 " shell is more appropriate.
WITH that, this is the most informative and thorough evaluation I have seen of these Aguila mini shells across the board from anyone on UA-cam. Thank You Mr. Harrell.
I've gone through 5 boxes of minis in two cheap pump shotguns without a hiccup. I am however racking in each shot at human speed with a Shatner-esque pause in between each round.
I'm glad to hear that, because this guy looks like he had it in for the Aguila mini shots from the get go. Most other videos dont have cycle problems with the adapter.
@@anthonyng3006 ... Nothing wrong with him stating a FACT! If you can find a Opsol Adapter for your SHOTGUN which fits... These Minishells are a Great addition for your Home Defense Shotgun!! .. It really is that simple!
I agree that Aguila minishells are a good training aid. Especially effective if for no reason but to help someone new to shotgun over the psychological anxiety of a powerful shotgun. If they see you loading mini shells vs a low powered conventional length shell, they will subconsciously (or consciously) be less apprehensive, and they see they can handle the recoil, slowly transition them with lower powered full size shells.
Agreed...I know I will prob get crap for this, but I have to say what my experience has been with the mini shells. They work flawlessly with the keltec KSG. I have put about 400+ of them through the KSG with no issues. It also makes the the capacity increase to a total of 26 shells not incl if you want one in the tube. Other than that I agree 100% to stick with the 2 3/4 shells. Just my 2 cents. Thanks Paul.
Ryan R. I have a shockwave and run the Opsol adaptor and mini shells through it and have never had a jamb or hang up either. I’ve cycled hundreds of rounds through it before I started using it for home defense.
*Good to know about your KSG/Mini Shell success.* *Capacity is always an advantage.- Gangs invade homes too.* *Imagine how many minishells would fit in a KSG-25?!* *Thanks for that report.*
I had never heard of a short round adapter before, but like he said he could not find one for other models, and although it did improve the feeding, it still was not up to the reliability level of 2 3/4 shells. Only one model, I believe the Winchester 1300 has a different shell lifter that seems to work pretty well with mini shells. Unfortunately they are out of production and not many of them were made, so they are probably hard to find. They seem to have a 50/50 chance of working, some guns are alright with them, others turn into single shot pump guns.
I've (as far as I can remember) never had a hangup with the mini buck rounds and the mini clip in my 500, out of probably 500 rounds. My 500 is just past broken in and very well taken care of, so that could be a factor. I also wasn't satisfied with the security of the friction fit of the adapter to the shotgun, so I drilled a small hole in either side of the loading port and through the mini clip, and drove a well-fitting roll pin through to make it semi-permanent (I have other shotguns to fire regular ammo, this one will only use the mini-shells, and I don't care at all about resale value on a Mossberg 500). I did the same to my mom's Maverick 88, and also noticed no malfunctions. The sturdier retention of the clip may be another reason it's performed flawlessly for me. My mom is 63, and not experienced with firearms, so 12-gauge recoil can be too much for her with most buckshot loads. She also lives in town, making overpenetration a concern. My 500 has the Shockwave grip and a Crimson Trace laser saddle, and lives in a scabbard mounted to my bedpost, so you know what its purpose is. I can't think of a better home defense firearm.
DuketheMyth Predominately terrible ammo selection, mediocre ammo availability, poor aftermarket support, and overpenetration (though my mom's house is a hundred-year-old brick/plaster house, so less of a concern than in some).
I've been watching Paul Harrell videos for about a year now and I have to say, Paul knows more about weapons and ballistics than I ever will, but thanks to his videos I can honestly say I now know more than the average bear. Thanks, Paul.
Whatever the numbers say, the Mini Shell may be what I’m stuck with and the Opsol adapter works pretty well in my 590. The Mini Shell is at the very edge of what my rebuilt shoulder can tolerate. For CAS even my extra low powered handloads are too much and I have to shoot my double left-handed, something I haven’t really been able to smooth out very well with a pump. I’ve wondered for years if something like a Mossberg SA20 might work for me but haven’t found one available to try out. I know, “training issue”, keep working on shooting left-handed. Ugh!
Thank you very much,, sir!! You saved me both time and money with your mini shell tests. As always, top notch production. Valuable information, professionally done and plain English narration. OUTSTANDING!!
Videos like this show why you host the best gun channel. You actually responded to your comment section with a follow up, and addressed the questions raised conclusively. Thank you!
They now have a new and improved Opsol Mini-Clip 2.0 Flex. On top of an exciting addition to the Mini-Shell situation, specifically there's now competition. Federal came out with their version, that was about 20% cheaper than the Aguila MiniShells, which has caused Aguila to lower their own prices to match. Finally a third manufacturer has come along, Challenger Ammo, and undercut both to make mini-shells at least in the same price range as reasonably priced 'normal' shells.
Excellent. You pretty much demonstrated what I figured these Aquila niche shotgun shells are all about, but never cared enough to do what you did. Good job. I like the oranges/ribs/clothing mock up. Brilliant.
Man Paul has better vision than me 😂 I have same chrony and barely see it at 10 yards... Exceptional weapon experience ... Great video Paul you do some of the best videos on you tube ... Keep up good work God bless,
I was thinking the exact same thing. I was like where the fuck is he reading them from!?? Then I noticed, he was reading directly off the chronographer. He has to have slightly better than 20/20 vision. What's messed up for me is I have better than 20/20 in one eye and then the other may as well be made of glass.
It's apparent to me because whenever I focus on something visually my head tilts to one side to centre my one good eye. That way I have a centred perception. Like a fucking cyclops or some shit.
Well said and thank you for the video. You gave it more of a fair shot and still pointed out pros/cons. old videos are as relevant as new ones and for one applaud your efforts.
Thanks for the 2 reviews. I watched them right after getting my setup. :) I picked up a Mossburg 590 Shockwave, Crimson Trace LS-250 Lasersaddle, and OPSol adapter to go with #4 buck shortshells. My main purpose is home defense, and I'm thinking the lower velocity will probably be better, since I'm in a mobile home park. Hopefully I never need to put that to the test.
is it really true that donald trump lifted the rules of engagement from the military? if so has that had a profound impact on your experience in conflict overseas?
another awesomely educational video by Paul. my 2 cents.... Minishells are for women/kids/people who have had shoulder surgery and for fun, if you can get past malfunctions. my Mossberg barrel says 2 3/4 and 3 inch... not 1.75 inch. You are not supposed to shoot ammo thats not what your weapon is chambered for. Which is the factor for the reliability problem. Its not made for it. If you cant handle the recoil of a 12 gauge, try a 20 gauge or get a nice recoil pad. on my mossberg (12Gauge) I got the houge rubber overmold stock with a 12" LOP and put on a limb saver air-tech slip-on pad(size small). still pushes me back but my shoulder is not bruised and sore... at all... and i can shoot it all day long. If that's to much recoil, maybe a shotgun is not the best option for you. I have heard the KSG likes minishells, but don't quote me on that I might be lying to you. For me the whole purpose of a 12 gauge is raw power, stop the threat beast mode style. If i want high round count I will get a carbine with a 30 round mag. But seriously, if 8 regular shotshells wont do it... what will? certainly not 12-14 minis.
If only the Aguilas were more consistent (I wonder if it's a QC issue). I hope that more, and easier to install adapters start showing up for more shotguns. The lower velocity probably isn't a bad thing in a home defense situation. The KSG, the UTS-15 and a few others have no issues with these, but they're not typically what people own. A KSG-25 loaded with 41 (consistent) minis when the zompocalypse strikes?! YES PLEASE!
The feeding issue is just the design of the shell. They're small and have a tendency to flop around in the chamber. That wildly varying velocities and several hundred feet under advertised velocity is clearly a QC issue (probably because they ramped up production)
*Effective enough for anti personnel, and higher capacity, is why I bought Aguila mini shells* *I definitely have to run them through my 870 before I rely on them.* *Or switch out my 870 for a more efficient KSG-25.* *Living in southern California where gangs flourish, capacity IS a big thing to me, and I will always want more.* *Thanks for the heads-up on minishell malfunctions.*
i bought a couple boxes for my nephew, who has a browning pump. It did not feed. On the other hand we had great success with Sellior & Bellot 2 1/2 inch shells. They fed with no problems, gave you a couple more in the tube, were lower recoil, and we all were keeping them on a pie plate at 75yrds. i have searched in vain to find more of these.
You do not need an adapter for the Ithaca 37. The Ithaca 37 feeds in a way that it will feed shorter shells without issue, at least in my experience. Another shotgun that will feed these without an adapter is the KSG (Kel-tec ShotGun). I mean, both shotguns use a similar feeding system so that makes sense. Kind of funny because it turns the longer version of the KSG into about a 50ish shot capacity weapon, ha.
Paul, thanks for bringing up the 'new shooter' scenario. I was one of the people that said that, but I hadn't looked up the cost on the mini-shells. Think I will just keep teaching my kids with my 20-gauge.
Hey everybody, I have a Shockwave (with a red dot, and the rubber adapter). I have run hundreds of the Aguila mini shells (3 different kinds) never had a failure. Not once.
Coming from a very different perpective: I could see a use for survivalists with the Agila Minishells. If you carry a single- or doublebarrel shotgun the Agila would drastically increase the amount of ammo you can carry because it`s lighter and smaller, while still being a hunting/self defense viable option. Due to the style of shotgun it would still run reliably. It`s basically the shotgun equivalent of the survivalist who prefers 22lr over other rounds because he can carry more of it. Now one mayor downfall of the Agila in this regard is price, as stockpiling large amounts of it would be very expensive :/
Ehh...Id use them if it was all I had with a single or double barrel.. To buy them, no. The unreliability issues, losing or breaking an adapter you have to keep track of. You would need the extra ammo for making up lack of accuracy outside of 20 yards, not to mention possibly wounding an animal and it running off on ya.
German Survivalist I have a double barrel(coach),and I find these shells(like tits on a bull useless)the whole idea is larger capacity,but I do get what you are saying.
I was curious about these "minis". Thanks for the vid. The niche seems to be "manageable recoil" in pump, front break or side by side 12ga that would work well for seniors, women, young shooter and travelers. (14.75 known as a 14). (with modifications for recoil to the grip on the 590s, vids online) A red/grn dot combo with in-line stack picatinny rail lazer might be an add option. I have watched unfamiliar shooters "half stroke" the forend. Where they have to relearn of full strok. Scenerio: driving through high pine country road when you get a flat tire. Wife in the passager side, extra eyes and eyes. A pak of hybrid coyotes, javalina, boar, take your pick. Other option hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping, etc... From my understanding the Shockwave 590s will do minis, 2-3/4, and 3". Very manageable for males maybe not so for wife, thus the mini. Enough to deter a pack. As for training with minis, ppl are more apt to actually use them over the 2.3/4 or 3" (left for an extreme situation). As for my research the reg "shockwave" would use the 2.3/4 prior to the minis on the scene. The forend strap, rocks at forearm (it pivots) when fired, still having retention to set up follow up shot. 590s reminds me of the old musket pistol in 12ga. Once again thank you for your method of data collection.
Paul, thank you very much for your thorough, even handed reviews. I use the Aquila minishells in a Mossberg 590 Shockwave with a red-dot laser. I have had no malfunctions. For the intended use of home defense (ranges ~5 yards), this combo works well. Other uses? Not so much. Regards.
Thank you for a very informative film! Well put together and still relevant for help two years later. Thanks for saving me the headache of buying mini shells.
Paul is awesome. A year and a half or so running a pistol braced Shockwave with both Agilla and Federal minis. I haven't measured velocity but penetration is respectively low through drywall/lumber and kinetic energy will still break bone at 21 feet. Possibly the only time we are lucky, but reliability has never been an issue with the adapter and these little shorties. No headaches here, just an improvement in my wife's effectiveness in our HD drills.
I have a Keltec KSG, and I bought some Aguila slug & buckshot rounds a while back. The buckshot is buckshot. My patterning was a little more circular than yours, and I also had a couple of missed loading cycles. Less than you had in your guns though. My groups with the slugs were similar to yours, or worse. I attributed the spread to the oddly shaped slugs getting squirrelly as they dropped into the transonic regime, but if you’re getting subsonic speeds out of the 20+” Mossberg, then my 18.1” KSG surely isn’t sending them transonic. I’ll keep them for in house defense use. Projectiles that won’t blast through a stack of doors and walls and endanger the neighbors if I have to use them are good. I won’t trust the slugs accuracy beyond 7-10 yards though.
I would agree these have a limited range of use, indeed the slugs are not ideal for anything in my opinion. With that said, I've run several boxes of the slugs and one box of the #4 buckshot through my Shockwave with the OPSol adapter without a single cycling issue. My Shockwave is strictly for home defense use do to the ability to shot from the hip with the aid of the Leapers UTG Bulldot; my personal belief is that the mini shell #4 buckshot is ideal for a close quarter encounter where the likelihood of roommates and neighbors require an extra ounce of over-penetration protection. Just my experience, result may vary ;-)
It's possible that he received a counterfeit adapter and not the real thing. Opsol had to sue Amazon for allowing counterfeits on their site. That issue has now been resolved.
Very in depth research and results can't be challenged. That said, my 55+ wife that is a non shooter can comfortably defend the homefront with her 12 ga Shockwave and Aguila buckshot minishells. She will not shoot full size 12 ga. shells. Both videos proved the Aguila shells are sufficient for home defense.
A friend of mine had an old single shot 12 ga and was afraid to shoot it but wanted to to see if it worked. I got him a box of 7.5 shot of them shells cause they are less powerful. He fired five rounds and was happy and gave me back the left over shells. They do bust skeet just as good as normal shells.
After I seen the effectiveness Aguila Minishells on the meat target in the last video, that gave me some hope for them. On paper, the effectiveness, reduced recoil, and additional capacity are great, but it's such a shame the downsides outweigh these benefits in my opinion. They seem to suffer major reliability issues even with the adapter, reduced accuracy, and the price... Is frankly unbelievably bad. After looking around it seems these are, on average, 3 to even 4 times more expensive than ordinary shells. I've read countless stories about people's adapters working flawlessly however, so maybe it's possible Paul got a bad adapter. Between the reliability issues and the price, I have to conclude these seem like a very overpriced, mediocre product. 9:50 ""Aguila Minishells might be useful for competitions"" This is pure speculation from my research. The additional capacity is definitely useful since reloading shells individually takes so much time, but the accuracy loss and chance of malfunctions could also be disastrous in a competitive environment. But it's potentially a cheaper solution than, say, buying a $700+ XRAIL system or god forbid dropping 3+ grand on a Benelli M2 with one integrated into it.
Man, Paul needs to do another of these videos with a 590S Shockwave, since they come with a built in adapter for mini shells. I have one, with an SB Tactical brace, running mini shells - and BOY is it fun to shoot! It's also a good home defense setup in an urban or suburban environment where overpenetration is a huge concern.
I bought some NobelSports mini-shell 00 Buck ammo. Thought it would be good for my wife. Each shell has 6 balls. Velocity is 1390 FPS out of a 20" barrel. That would be like 6 simultaneous hits form a 9mm. Should be effective. Recoil is milder. Strange that the Aguilla is milder than advertised and the Nobel is hotter.
Not exactly. An individual 00 buckshot pellet is about 60 grains. Common 9mm bullet weights are 115, 124 or 147 grains. Even if the velocity is slightly higher, the power of a single 00 buckshot pellet is not equal to a 9mm bullet.
Excellent content as always, Paul. I appreciate you weighing both sides of the equation with each presentation. Common sense tactics. Well done, sir.🇺🇸
Thanks for the video, Paul. Very informative. I have seen those shells advertised and wondered if they were worth a damn. The reliability issues we saw in part 1 and 2 settled it for me.
I just put the OPSol mini clip into my Mossberg 590 and took 2 boxes (40 rounds) of Aguila minishells to the range. It cycled them 40 out of 40, no hiccups. It works for me.
I've regarded the Aguila minishells as a novelty and this video (and others) simply confirm this for me. On the subject of shotgun ammo, what about doing a video comparing low recoil, or "law enforcement" shells with regular loads?
@@kynaston1474 There's actually a more specific round for the MAG-7. They just happen to fit into the MAG-7, but also cause reliability issues in it as well.
I don't see much use for them for SD beyond low recoil in a double barrel 12 gauge when you want your 12 gauge to be manageable for someone of small stature and ability to handle recoil. They may also make much less noise if fired indoors for home protection.
I have a Keltec 12 gauge that my wife relies on for home defense when I’m not home. She is small framed and prefers it. She uses the Aguilla mini shells; alternating buckshot and slug. She’s comfortable using them so that’s a winner in my book.
The most amazing thing about this test, and part 1, is that the white plastic tables survived. No bullet/slug/shot holes. I see those tables in a lot of videos, they are really lucky tables.
digital trucker I would not trust my life to those even in this configuration. It reminds me of the RIP ammo: cool, practical looking and interesting on the advertisement and the forums but dubious, unreliable, useless and weak in real life.
@Kevin Brown I agree wholeheartedly. The reduction in recoil is especially helpful in a hand held 12 gauge like the shockwave. Increased capacity is also a big plus. Not to mention, in a home defense situation, you're talking a 5 to 7 yard distance to target and I would bet very effective in bringing down the threat. My shockwave should be here tomorrow and i'm looking forward to testing it out this weekend.
To the guys shooting shockwaves and saying that the mini shells provide less recoil and increased capacity...the decrease in reliability of the mini shells and reduced stopping power are not worth the trade off. If you want increased capacity get a full sized 18 inch barrel tactical 7 plus 1 shotgun. Less recoil should not be a problem, shooting a full size shotgun, when the adrenaline is pumping because a thug is knocking your front door down. You need reliability, firepower and high capacity.
I think that the minishells have their applications, slugs are not ne of them. I did not liked the velocities variation with the minislugs. But if with the adapter it work good then short range home defense may be a possibility.
the mini-slugs have greater weight and comparable velocity to a .45 ACP FMJ with a calibre of around .60 without mushrooming so the slugs have the potential of doing a lot of damage with a lesser risk of OP and with a reduced felt recoil, with the trade of an elevated ammo cost, and maybe some reliability problems in some shotguns. for the reliability part, people have reported that in shotguns using a similar magazine system to the Ithaca 37 (like the KSG and the Supernova) do not need the shell adapter and works very well with the mini-shells. As for problems with the adapter, looking at the date of the video it would appear he used a first gen OPsol miniclip adapter, there exist now a revised version (Opsol Miniclip 2.0) which is said to resolve the reliability problems encountered with the original adapter.
Anything a 16 or 20 gauge can do a 12 can do better. A 12 gauge can be "loaded down" to mimic either of those 2 gauges and still put more shot out in front. Thanks for the the honest and thorough assessment of the Aguila shells.
I’ve noticed with your chronograph that it seems very consistent that the second shot is almost always lower velocity than the first, the 3rd slower than that, then the numbers pick back up to roughly equal or higher than the initial shot. Any idea what would cause that pattern? Seems to be consistent across all weapons and calibers I’ve seen for your videos
Paul must have an eye like an eagle to see those readings on chronographs so easily so far away. No wonder he is a good shot....he has microvision like Superman. My old eyes are not close to be that good, but I can admire the performance.
240FP Am I wrong when I assume you are american? The culture is very different in Denmark, there are different laws too. For example; The range I go to every week is very loose on the rules, basically if you use your firearms in a safe manner and pose no safety risk to anyone or anything, you can do almost whatever you want. As long as you do not violate basic safety rules. But... The pistol range is just paper targets, 25 meters range (if I'm alone I sometimes leave the stand and practice "rapid fire"/recoil control at about 10 meters). The rifle range is different, it's 200 meters target shooting. No IPSC with rifles since that is illegal in this country, you can propably imagine how difficult it was for me to get a permit for my AR-15. And you are not allowed to use shotguns at this range either, because it isn't "rated" for use of that type of firearms. Besides the only type of shotgun ranges here are for skeet/trap shooting, flying clay pigeons in general.
martindude - I've been to many ranges here in the US. I've yet to be at one in which you would be allowed to shoot at cement blocks, bring drywall simulation, etc. Many have only recently allowed the steel plates. Of course, that's not to say every range is like that. But, in my experience, most have rules and regulations which need to be followed. Of course, there are many that simply don't follow the rules. I've had the unfortunate pleasure of having to clean up cement blocks, ovens, propane tanks, computers, and any other garbage people get "inspired" to shoot [in large part thanks to Hickok45]. It's not fun when you are trying to mow the area and the mower blade hits some concrete, metal bracket or other item that you can't see.
northof50now I completely understand your point, I also clean up after myself (put new targets on the frames when I'm done shooting, sweep up spent casings, etc.) I like to leave the range in the same state if not better than when I arrive, it's the only correct way to go about it if you ask me. But you know, sometimes it would be fun to shoot at stationary targets with shotguns, and short range targets with rifles, mix things up a little. We can't really shoot steel with shotguns here because lead shot is banned, we use steel shot in all our shells. Wouldn't want 200 birdshot bouncing all over the damn place, you could risk taking your own eye out! (Buckshot and slugs are also banned) -.-
Thank you for your analysis and insight. I initially thought mini shells would be a solution for my Shockwave. However after much research and your analysis, I do agree that there are more reliable options out there such as reduced recoil loads.
Paul, just want you to know you are my absolute favorite person on UA-cam. Love your personality, and all of your work. I watch them over just for fun. My absolute favorite moment was “You want that Cheeseburger to go?! It’s GONE!!!” 🍔
This pretty much matches my own tests using a KelTek KSG. It feeds the mini-shells reliably, but the slugs are really inaccurate at longer ranges. I’d use them at 5-7 yards, but wouldn’t trust them further out. Looking at the shape of the slugs I’m not surprised. Lots of opportunity for uneven airflow on the things. Buckshot I’d use, since I don’t have the feed problems you did with the Mossberg. Using Federal 2 3/4 slug shells claiming 1600 FPS and using a red dot sight I was getting hand size groups at 100 yards weekend before last. Surprised the heck out of me considering it’s a smoothbore. I have some other slightly longer mini-shells with 0 pellets. They feed fine too, and spread to a little under 2” at 5 yards. 10 per tube in the KSG. I’m keeping 7 Federal slugs in the other tube.
Fantastic! Can we get a part three now that OPSol (adapter company) has released a "2.0 flex" model? Also...Federal now makes, "shorty" shells. The buck on the shorties has 15 pellets of #4 only. They also have a shorty slug. I would love to see how they compare to the Aguila and see if the adapter (1.0 or 2.0) fares any better in a Mossberg 500.
Thanks again Paul. I have fired hundreds of Aguilas. The slugs are not that accurate, for sure. But, while you mentioned a malfunction firing the slugs, the first malfunction that is actually on video is not an Opsol malfunction..it looks like you short stroked the round. You can see the shell is already engaged in the bolt. An Opsol malfunction is if the shell flips when the ammo tube ejects the shell into the mag well. After that, its all about the operator and the shotgun mechanics. As for cost of the rounds....very expensive. You can actually thank the Opsol for that too. No one used the Aguilas much before because they could not get them to work well in a pump. Hopefully, minshell demand will drive prices down as more suppliers start making them. Aguila is already ramping up production to meet demand.
If your thing is making a double-barrel shotgun into a short-barrel 'shotgun pistol' like as seen in movies these things are probably ideal... but again it's more for novelty than anything else.
I ran into another issue with mini shells in my old Gibson store break over. The extractor skipped over the rim on the first round, I pried it out and the next round was the same. This old shotgun has had no failure in over 20 years.
Most issues are caused by open-bottom carriers, which allow the minishell to tip (for lack of a better word) muzzle down when they are on the carrier. These are also the guns which can use an adapter block -although there is little market for most models. If the carrier is solid, like on an 870, it cannot use an adapter, but should not need one. Interestingly, carriers on guns like the mossberg could be modified -by a gunsmith -to utilize either type of ammunition simultaneously. But there will still be the ever-present risk of the shell tumbling in the receiver. Basically, these need a special short-action pump design to work reliably
I'd use the mini slugs in a double barrel shotgun for home defense. With those low velocities, could be ideal without over penetration, I would assume.
Dunno how they would perform in the real world, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they will *under* -penetrate. From what the people who really know about these things, the best choice for 12 gauge home defense is standard power (not "high brass" or other hotter shells) No 4 buck. That shot size and power level has the ideal balance between sufficient penetration against two-legged varmints without jeopardizing your neighbors or loved ones in adjacent rooms, as can be the case with the vaunted 00 buck or slugs.
PinkOld 3/4 ounce lead slug at 800 fps is NOT going to under penetrate. That's nearly 400 grains at over 60 caliber diameter. Many 45 act rounds expand to 60 caliber and don't underpenetrate and that's with 150 grains less weight, similar diameter and the same speed. If these were merely more accurate then I'd say they'd be excellent home defense loads. Sure they're not the freight trains on steroids that a magnum slug is, but they're still almost twice as powerful as a .45 acp and leave a larger entrance and exit wound due to not needing expansion to work. If it mushrooms at all, now it's an 80 caliber to 1 inch hole. That's nothing to sneeze at.
Thing is you do NOT need slugs or buckshot for home defense, a 1.5 ounce plain old hunting bird shot load coming from a full choke 12gauge barrel inside of 20 feet will make one big fist sized hole thru human flesh and bone, and pretty much make mushy hamberger out of a guys chest, you people have no clue about the effectiveness of what you speak because you have never shot anything living with these things, well I have (lots of wild animals during my 40 years of hunting), and a good old 12 gauge birdshot load from a good tight full choke barrel at 20 feet is game over for whatever it's aimed at, you need nothing else, no slugs, no buckshot, no stupid gimic shells, just a good old 2 and 3 quarter inch 6 shot 1 or 1 and a quarter ounce load and uless the guy is wearing body armor he's done for.
Well, I said it in the first part of the Mini Shell testing... In terms of power they are about on par with most .410 shotgun loads not including those specifically meant for performance in guns like the Judge/Governor albeit some of those even out of an 18 inch barrel perform VERY similar to this while I feel have less recoil overall. You are absolutely correct about them having a limited niche role, considering there are 12 gauge adapters that allow you to use .410 or 20 gauge in a 12 gauge, however a single shell adapter is about $30 last time I looked and its clear that was more meant for single shot and double barrel guns, however they do work reliably in pump actions(tested in a Mossberg 500, Winchester 1300, and Remington 870). Said adapters dont increase capacity, but do allow for you to train people on the same 12 gauge platform without giving them 12 gauge recoil. Only problem with that is you cant train yourself to handle "more recoil". While you can get used to how it feels and try to compensate for it, it doesnt change the fact it's going to have the same recoil regardless. And as a result, it may yield less range time due to the pain from felt recoil, it may result in poor groups on target as you're just trying to "tough it out", and etc. I still do see their use in single/double barrel guns but that's about it. Now in my personal experience I'd tested Mini Shells in some various shotguns that I did have success with, and that could have just been pure luck with those guns just like some people get a miracle gun out of a line of guns known for being utter crap so take that with a grain of salt. However, they do make shorter shells with reduced recoil that increase capacity that DO work reliably. I know Remington used to make a short shell, dont know if they still do. Most of those short shell were a 2 inch or 1 3/4 inch shell, Nobel Sport from Italy makes such a shell that is still pretty readily available that I know of. I believe Federal makes one, but like Remington it's possible they discontinued it. So, there are options out there to solve that problem, but realistically if the issue is finding a gun everyone in the house can use effectively and reliably, you're better off finding a .410 or 20 gauge for those needs.
I agree. Some say biased, I say he is basing it on what he has available and his experience with it. If some have differing experiences (not differing ideas), feel free to request that Paul try them out.
Really nice run up. Even though I liked the idea of mini shells, originally. You have convinced me of the novelty of the item. One thing I hadn’t even considered was the price per box.
@@jesmcalli .. I just bought some Aguila Buck shot minis out here in California. I was happy I was able to find something with Buckshot... ILL TAKE WHATEVER I CAN FIND IN BUCKSHOT TODAY!😊
@@SmithsnMoz that's all the 12 gauge defense ammo i could find in Illinois too. I had to wait outside for an hour just to get into the store on a slow day.
@@electromech7335 .. GOOD FOR YOU! I shot some rounds a few weeks ago. They still have lots of POWER! Very soon, these new gun owners will be taking them off the shelf as well. I STOCKED UP ON THE BUCK SHOT AND SLUGS OF THESE !
Great video as always Paul. In the first video, you mentioned that a key purpose for the buck shot mini shell was home/personal defense. The meat target showed that it performed acceptably at this task. However, the question I still have in mind is how does it deal with over penetration with interior walls. I remember you ran a video a while back where you tested Bird Shot, 00 Buck and slugs against walls. It seems to me that a perfect niche for the mini shell buckshot rounds would be home defense where you have just enough power to get the job done, but not so much as to over penetrate into other rooms or apartments.
Thanks for the update Paul. I was looking for a non-biased evaluation of the OpSol adapter. Your video basically reinforced my decision to just stick with #4 buckshot 12 gauge ammo in my Maverick 88 12 gauge shotgun (with 00 buckshot, a slug, and a birdshot shell in the side-carriage). I was really rooting for the OpSol adapter and the mini-buckshot shells, but perhaps Aguila needs to team up with a company willing to manufacture a shotgun specifically designed for their ammo. I think there is a niche market for that for someone who wants 20 gauge recoil but with much more ammo capacity and at an affordable price. Imagine a Mossberg Maverick 88 designed specifically for these shells for example. I could definitely see a market there. Likewise there is a huge market for those who own the Mossberg Raptor shotguns who want something powerful but with less recoil. So the market IS there. It's just not fully developed. I like Aguila's concept, but I'm a bit on the fence on committing to their ammo without more research on the OpSol adapater and reliability.
I think the Mossberg Shockwave is the purpose of the Aguila: low recoil and increased capacity in a short gun you can't shoulder.
Yeah it's a woods gun. I look at it as a powerful compact weapon where other hikers may not bat an eye at a shotgun, but would possibly alert the authorities if you were carrying a MK18
Yes and now with the 590s model you don't need the adapter.
I bet they'd make the Serbu Shorties more fun.
It was made for this odd South African pump from the 80's. I think it's on Forgotten Weapons.
That in the small glitch
Paul: "If all you have is a 12 gauge, and you are starting out a novice shooting a shotgun, you want something with less recoil."
My dad when I was eight years old: "Hey Jason, shoot this 12 gauge, three inch magnum, 000 buckshot..."
Me after pulling the trigger: Why am I laying down???
My dad was "taught" this way too. Side by side 10 gauge, set to go off at a single trigger pull. Idk what he was supposed to learn from that but 1950s were wild.
I wasn't given this opportunity, but I had a classmate in 4th grade whose father was a cop. One day he had a giant bandage on his shoulder from firing a 12 gauge for the first time. I guess it was as if his shoulder had been dragged across concrete.
full house 12 and 10 gauge to a kid? That's just mean.
Hahahaha, my dad would never do that, he loved me.
Just like my dad! LOL! Did it to me with the 000 buck in the farm gun AND did it to me with the 308 rifle LOL. He asked me if I was ready to "learn" how to swim... I said Yeah! We walked to the end of the dock and I was pushed in... learned how to swim in a hurry. Are you surprised I joined the ARMY and did very well? GOOD ol' dads =] I'm sure "today" someone would call child services or something like that and although I'm taking a different approach with my children, I'm glad he did things the way he did. Helped me survive incredibly harder challenges in life and combat.
Remember the velocity on the box is muzzle velocity, and slugs can lose around 10% each 10 yards (give or take) I thought part one was pretty solid and conclusive.
TAOFLEDERMAUS like to see your group on these shells just to see the results.
Don't they generally use test barrels instead of production guns? Marketing being what it is I bet a 26 inch, no gas system barrel would boost things.
Thanks. BTW...love your channel, hugely!
Aren’t the test barrels they use for the advertised velocity 30 inches or more?
I have no intention of firing my home defense shotgun 10 yards. My longest room is my living room and it is 21 feet long. The 383 grain slug at 890 fps has about 674 foot pounds of energy in a .68 slug. Very few .357 rounds develop that kind of energy at the muzzle and none of them expand to .69 when they do. If anything, I want a shotgun round with less power and this has far less recoil than the .357 to put it on target again. A .357 will go through an aggressor and kill my neighbor when it has 674 foot pounds of muzzle energy. Do I need more rounds? No. I think a low recoil slug in 2 3/4 " shell is more appropriate.
WITH that, this is the most informative and thorough evaluation I have seen of these Aguila mini shells across the board from anyone on UA-cam. Thank You Mr. Harrell.
I've gone through 5 boxes of minis in two cheap pump shotguns without a hiccup. I am however racking in each shot at human speed with a Shatner-esque pause in between each round.
hahahha Shatner-esque.
I'm glad to hear that, because this guy looks like he had it in for the Aguila mini shots from the get go. Most other videos dont have cycle problems with the adapter.
AlterKshon Now yeah I hate to say it but Paul seems biased in this video. He probably doesn’t want to make the first video look bad.
@@anthonyng3006 ...
Nothing wrong with him stating a FACT! If you can find a Opsol Adapter for your SHOTGUN which fits... These Minishells are a Great addition for your Home Defense Shotgun!! .. It really is that simple!
Do you still use them ?
I agree that Aguila minishells are a good training aid. Especially effective if for no reason but to help someone new to shotgun over the psychological anxiety of a powerful shotgun. If they see you loading mini shells vs a low powered conventional length shell, they will subconsciously (or consciously) be less apprehensive, and they see they can handle the recoil, slowly transition them with lower powered full size shells.
Hotrod Dave here,just bought some minis hello the other day,gonna try them in my double barrel tomorrow.
I like these videos. He's a professional.
Agreed...I know I will prob get crap for this, but I have to say what my experience has been with the mini shells. They work flawlessly with the keltec KSG. I have put about 400+ of them through the KSG with no issues. It also makes the the capacity increase to a total of 26 shells not incl if you want one in the tube. Other than that I agree 100% to stick with the 2 3/4 shells. Just my 2 cents. Thanks Paul.
What do you want it's Russian
Ryan R. I have a shockwave and run the Opsol adaptor and mini shells through it and have never had a jamb or hang up either. I’ve cycled hundreds of rounds through it before I started using it for home defense.
*Good to know about your KSG/Mini Shell success.*
*Capacity is always an advantage.- Gangs invade homes too.*
*Imagine how many minishells would fit in a KSG-25?!*
*Thanks for that report.*
I have a ksg also, never had an issue. I keep one tube with 00 buck and the other with mini slugs for home defense
@@bigalfrombrewster1842 (He's talking about a *Kel-Tec* Shotgun, not a Kalashnikov).
Thanks for the follow upon the slugs, and adaptor.
Charles Miller i
The "follow up" lol
I had never heard of a short round adapter before, but like he said he could not find one for other models, and although it did improve the feeding, it still was not up to the reliability level of 2 3/4 shells. Only one model, I believe the Winchester 1300 has a different shell lifter that seems to work pretty well with mini shells. Unfortunately they are out of production and not many of them were made, so they are probably hard to find. They seem to have a 50/50 chance of working, some guns are alright with them, others turn into single shot pump guns.
David Marquardt They work flawlessly in the Browning BPS.
Yes, they seem to cycle reliably in my Winchester 1300 without any adapter, but I haven't put them through the paces. I'm still skeptical.
I've (as far as I can remember) never had a hangup with the mini buck rounds and the mini clip in my 500, out of probably 500 rounds. My 500 is just past broken in and very well taken care of, so that could be a factor. I also wasn't satisfied with the security of the friction fit of the adapter to the shotgun, so I drilled a small hole in either side of the loading port and through the mini clip, and drove a well-fitting roll pin through to make it semi-permanent (I have other shotguns to fire regular ammo, this one will only use the mini-shells, and I don't care at all about resale value on a Mossberg 500). I did the same to my mom's Maverick 88, and also noticed no malfunctions. The sturdier retention of the clip may be another reason it's performed flawlessly for me.
My mom is 63, and not experienced with firearms, so 12-gauge recoil can be too much for her with most buckshot loads. She also lives in town, making overpenetration a concern. My 500 has the Shockwave grip and a Crimson Trace laser saddle, and lives in a scabbard mounted to my bedpost, so you know what its purpose is. I can't think of a better home defense firearm.
Why not a 20 or 410 for mom?
DuketheMyth Predominately terrible ammo selection, mediocre ammo availability, poor aftermarket support, and overpenetration (though my mom's house is a hundred-year-old brick/plaster house, so less of a concern than in some).
I've been watching Paul Harrell videos for about a year now and I have to say, Paul knows more about weapons and ballistics than I ever will, but thanks to his videos I can honestly say I now know more than the average bear.
Thanks, Paul.
Whatever the numbers say, the Mini Shell may be what I’m stuck with and the Opsol adapter works pretty well in my 590. The Mini Shell is at the very edge of what my rebuilt shoulder can tolerate. For CAS even my extra low powered handloads are too much and I have to shoot my double left-handed, something I haven’t really been able to smooth out very well with a pump. I’ve wondered for years if something like a Mossberg SA20 might work for me but haven’t found one available to try out. I know, “training issue”, keep working on shooting left-handed. Ugh!
damn man. hope youve been able to shoot the way you used since you wrote that
Thanks to the adaptor donor and the patrons who make these happen. I appreciate it.
Thanks for presenting Aguila Mini-Shells: Part 2, featuring the OP Sol 'mini-clip' adapter for Mossberg shotguns.
Thank you very much,, sir!! You saved me both time and money with your mini shell tests. As always, top notch production. Valuable information, professionally done and plain English narration. OUTSTANDING!!
"THAT was really embarrassing" lol Paul is a funny man
Fascinating. In a business that is 98% hype, Paul gives it to us straight with EXPERIMENTAL DATA.
Works for the vax!! And it comes from those EXPERTS.
Videos like this show why you host the best gun channel. You actually responded to your comment section with a follow up, and addressed the questions raised conclusively. Thank you!
They now have a new and improved Opsol Mini-Clip 2.0 Flex. On top of an exciting addition to the Mini-Shell situation, specifically there's now competition. Federal came out with their version, that was about 20% cheaper than the Aguila MiniShells, which has caused Aguila to lower their own prices to match. Finally a third manufacturer has come along, Challenger Ammo, and undercut both to make mini-shells at least in the same price range as reasonably priced 'normal' shells.
Defender Tactical makes a much better adapter for these mini shells that requires some assembly but improves on OPSol issues.
Thanks for that. I had been considering giving these a try, but it looks like the mini shells will remain a novelty.
Though we often seem to weigh pros and cons differently, I do appreciate the high volume of good data vs BS ratio this channel offers. 👍
The Mossberg 590 Shockwave with the adapter and the Aguila Mini Shells is one of the greatest home/farm defense systems ever made.
Excellent. You pretty much demonstrated what I figured these Aquila niche shotgun shells are all about, but never cared enough to do what you did. Good job. I like the oranges/ribs/clothing mock up. Brilliant.
Man Paul has better vision than me 😂 I have same chrony and barely see it at 10 yards... Exceptional weapon experience ... Great video Paul you do some of the best videos on you tube ... Keep up good work God bless,
mr. Right but sometimes wrong yea that would scare me to death putting my chronograph out that far lol
gunfighterzero true
I was thinking the exact same thing. I was like where the fuck is he reading them from!??
Then I noticed, he was reading directly off the chronographer.
He has to have slightly better than 20/20 vision.
What's messed up for me is I have better than 20/20 in one eye and then the other may as well be made of glass.
It's apparent to me because whenever I focus on something visually my head tilts to one side to centre my one good eye. That way I have a centred perception. Like a fucking cyclops or some shit.
He already has the results,, he is shooting then reading the results he arrived at before hand.
Well said and thank you for the video.
You gave it more of a fair shot and still pointed out pros/cons.
old videos are as relevant as new ones and for one applaud your efforts.
What a great follow up, Paul. Very well done. Thanks for taking the extra time for this informative video.
Thanks for the 2 reviews. I watched them right after getting my setup. :) I picked up a Mossburg 590 Shockwave, Crimson Trace LS-250 Lasersaddle, and OPSol adapter to go with #4 buck shortshells. My main purpose is home defense, and I'm thinking the lower velocity will probably be better, since I'm in a mobile home park. Hopefully I never need to put that to the test.
Enjoying your videos from Iraq
Jerome Hunt slay bodies.
chipchipersonmdphd always a holiday here...
chipchipersonmdphd my Friday routine is have a coffee and watch Paul’s videos.
chipchipersonmdphd government contractor. Retired Navy
is it really true that donald trump lifted the rules of engagement from the military? if so has that had a profound impact on your experience in conflict overseas?
another awesomely educational video by Paul.
my 2 cents.... Minishells are for women/kids/people who have had shoulder surgery and for fun, if you can get past malfunctions. my Mossberg barrel says 2 3/4 and 3 inch... not 1.75 inch. You are not supposed to shoot ammo thats not what your weapon is chambered for. Which is the factor for the reliability problem. Its not made for it. If you cant handle the recoil of a 12 gauge, try a 20 gauge or get a nice recoil pad. on my mossberg (12Gauge) I got the houge rubber overmold stock with a 12" LOP and put on a limb saver air-tech slip-on pad(size small). still pushes me back but my shoulder is not bruised and sore... at all... and i can shoot it all day long. If that's to much recoil, maybe a shotgun is not the best option for you. I have heard the KSG likes minishells, but don't quote me on that I might be lying to you. For me the whole purpose of a 12 gauge is raw power, stop the threat beast mode style. If i want high round count I will get a carbine with a 30 round mag. But seriously, if 8 regular shotshells wont do it... what will? certainly not 12-14 minis.
If only the Aguilas were more consistent (I wonder if it's a QC issue). I hope that more, and easier to install adapters start showing up for more shotguns. The lower velocity probably isn't a bad thing in a home defense situation. The KSG, the UTS-15 and a few others have no issues with these, but they're not typically what people own. A KSG-25 loaded with 41 (consistent) minis when the zompocalypse strikes?! YES PLEASE!
The feeding issue is just the design of the shell. They're small and have a tendency to flop around in the chamber.
That wildly varying velocities and several hundred feet under advertised velocity is clearly a QC issue (probably because they ramped up production)
*Effective enough for anti personnel, and higher capacity, is why I bought Aguila mini shells*
*I definitely have to run them through my 870 before I rely on them.*
*Or switch out my 870 for a more efficient KSG-25.*
*Living in southern California where gangs flourish, capacity IS a big thing to me, and I will always want more.*
*Thanks for the heads-up on minishell malfunctions.*
Best Firearms Channel on UA-cam 😀👍🏼🇺🇸 Thanks Paul for Clarification of the Use of the Mini Shells
Thank you Paul. The honest and fair reviews are great. Watching your show saves me money.
What, its not raining or snowing? How can he function?
It's raining in Oregon now...
i bought a couple boxes for my nephew, who has a browning pump. It did not feed. On the other hand we had great success with Sellior & Bellot 2 1/2 inch shells. They fed with no problems, gave you a couple more in the tube, were lower recoil, and we all were keeping them on a pie plate at 75yrds. i have searched in vain to find more of these.
You do not need an adapter for the Ithaca 37. The Ithaca 37 feeds in a way that it will feed shorter shells without issue, at least in my experience. Another shotgun that will feed these without an adapter is the KSG (Kel-tec ShotGun). I mean, both shotguns use a similar feeding system so that makes sense. Kind of funny because it turns the longer version of the KSG into about a 50ish shot capacity weapon, ha.
the mini slugs work fine in my 870 as well never tried the mini buck
With the mini shells the Kel-Tec holds 41 plus 1.
@@j____sit2154 Yup I have the tac 14 and they cycle without problem. I intend to stuff it full of Aguila minis and use it for home defense.
Same with benelli supernova, no adapter needed.
@Jimm Crowe you can figure on 3 minis for every 2 full size shells. IIRC the shockwave and tac14 hold 4 or 5, so should hold 6 or 8.
Paul, thanks for bringing up the 'new shooter' scenario. I was one of the people that said that, but I hadn't looked up the cost on the mini-shells. Think I will just keep teaching my kids with my 20-gauge.
Hey everybody, I have a Shockwave (with a red dot, and the rubber adapter). I have run hundreds of the Aguila mini shells (3 different kinds) never had a failure. Not once.
Still the best teacher despite passing on. Thanks so much
Paul never misses. It is that damn ammo!
I know people in that target niche segment, believe it or not! Great video!
Coming from a very different perpective: I could see a use for survivalists with the Agila Minishells. If you carry a single- or doublebarrel shotgun the Agila would drastically increase the amount of ammo you can carry because it`s lighter and smaller, while still being a hunting/self defense viable option. Due to the style of shotgun it would still run reliably.
It`s basically the shotgun equivalent of the survivalist who prefers 22lr over other rounds because he can carry more of it. Now one mayor downfall of the Agila in this regard is price, as stockpiling large amounts of it would be very expensive :/
Ehh...Id use them if it was all I had with a single or double barrel.. To buy them, no. The unreliability issues, losing or breaking an adapter you have to keep track of. You would need the extra ammo for making up lack of accuracy outside of 20 yards, not to mention possibly wounding an animal and it running off on ya.
exactly
German Survivalist I have a double barrel(coach),and I find these shells(like tits on a bull useless)the whole idea is larger capacity,but I do get what you are saying.
This might interest you if it is still on UA-cam: www.patreon.com/StepOneSurvival/posts.
Sub gauge/caliber adapters like the short lane adapters would also aid you in versatility/availability as well as weight savings for ammo.
I was curious about these "minis". Thanks for the vid.
The niche seems to be "manageable recoil" in pump, front break or side by side 12ga that would work well for seniors, women, young shooter and travelers. (14.75 known as a 14).
(with modifications for recoil to the grip on the 590s, vids online)
A red/grn dot combo with in-line stack picatinny rail lazer might be an add option.
I have watched unfamiliar shooters "half stroke" the forend. Where they have to relearn of full strok.
Scenerio: driving through high pine country road when you get a flat tire. Wife in the passager side, extra eyes and eyes. A pak of hybrid coyotes, javalina, boar, take your pick.
Other option hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping, etc...
From my understanding the Shockwave 590s will do minis, 2-3/4, and 3". Very manageable for males maybe not so for wife, thus the mini. Enough to deter a pack.
As for training with minis, ppl are more apt to actually use them over the 2.3/4 or 3" (left for an extreme situation).
As for my research the reg "shockwave" would use the 2.3/4 prior to the minis on the scene. The forend strap, rocks at forearm (it pivots) when fired, still having retention to set up follow up shot.
590s reminds me of the old musket pistol in 12ga.
Once again thank you for your method of data collection.
Great video Paul. I think ill stick to to the 2 3/4 inch shells
Paul, thank you very much for your thorough, even handed reviews.
I use the Aquila minishells in a Mossberg 590 Shockwave with a red-dot laser. I have had no malfunctions. For the intended use of home defense (ranges ~5 yards), this combo works well. Other uses? Not so much.
Regards.
I’d love to see a comparison of the Aguila to the new Federal mini shells.
Thank you for a very informative film! Well put together and still relevant for help two years later. Thanks for saving me the headache of buying mini shells.
Paul is awesome. A year and a half or so running a pistol braced Shockwave with both Agilla and Federal minis. I haven't measured velocity but penetration is respectively low through drywall/lumber and kinetic energy will still break bone at 21 feet.
Possibly the only time we are lucky, but reliability has never been an issue with the adapter and these little shorties. No headaches here, just an improvement in my wife's effectiveness in our HD drills.
I have a Keltec KSG, and I bought some Aguila slug & buckshot rounds a while back. The buckshot is buckshot. My patterning was a little more circular than yours, and I also had a couple of missed loading cycles. Less than you had in your guns though.
My groups with the slugs were similar to yours, or worse. I attributed the spread to the oddly shaped slugs getting squirrelly as they dropped into the transonic regime, but if you’re getting subsonic speeds out of the 20+” Mossberg, then my 18.1” KSG surely isn’t sending them transonic.
I’ll keep them for in house defense use. Projectiles that won’t blast through a stack of doors and walls and endanger the neighbors if I have to use them are good. I won’t trust the slugs accuracy beyond 7-10 yards though.
FWIW I also have #4 buck 20 pellet 2 3/4” shells that I keep in one tube also.
Love your videos. They are very educational. Thank you for all of the teaching that you have done for all of us.
You missed! You never miss!
Wow , two videos in the same week. I just wet my pants. Thanks Paul. Glad it was not raining on you again.
I would agree these have a limited range of use, indeed the slugs are not ideal for anything in my opinion. With that said, I've run several boxes of the slugs and one box of the #4 buckshot through my Shockwave with the OPSol adapter without a single cycling issue. My Shockwave is strictly for home defense use do to the ability to shot from the hip with the aid of the Leapers UTG Bulldot; my personal belief is that the mini shell #4 buckshot is ideal for a close quarter encounter where the likelihood of roommates and neighbors require an extra ounce of over-penetration protection. Just my experience, result may vary ;-)
It's possible that he received a counterfeit adapter and not the real thing. Opsol had to sue Amazon for allowing counterfeits on their site. That issue has now been resolved.
Very in depth research and results can't be challenged. That said, my 55+ wife that is a non shooter can comfortably defend the homefront with her 12 ga Shockwave and Aguila buckshot minishells. She will not shoot full size 12 ga. shells. Both videos proved the Aguila shells are sufficient for home defense.
I agree with Paul in a dangerous situation I want something dependable . I will stay with the 2 3/ 4 inch shells. Have a nice day !!!!
Thanks for listening and following up paul.
I enjoy your precision in not only firearms analysis, but language and logic, also.
A friend of mine had an old single shot 12 ga and was afraid to shoot it but wanted to to see if it worked. I got him a box of 7.5 shot of them shells cause they are less powerful. He fired five rounds and was happy and gave me back the left over shells. They do bust skeet just as good as normal shells.
Paul is like watching your favorite professor lecture...informative, accurate, and entertaining...what's not to like?
After I seen the effectiveness Aguila Minishells on the meat target in the last video, that gave me some hope for them. On paper, the effectiveness, reduced recoil, and additional capacity are great, but it's such a shame the downsides outweigh these benefits in my opinion. They seem to suffer major reliability issues even with the adapter, reduced accuracy, and the price... Is frankly unbelievably bad. After looking around it seems these are, on average, 3 to even 4 times more expensive than ordinary shells. I've read countless stories about people's adapters working flawlessly however, so maybe it's possible Paul got a bad adapter. Between the reliability issues and the price, I have to conclude these seem like a very overpriced, mediocre product.
9:50 ""Aguila Minishells might be useful for competitions""
This is pure speculation from my research. The additional capacity is definitely useful since reloading shells individually takes so much time, but the accuracy loss and chance of malfunctions could also be disastrous in a competitive environment. But it's potentially a cheaper solution than, say, buying a $700+ XRAIL system or god forbid dropping 3+ grand on a Benelli M2 with one integrated into it.
Man, Paul needs to do another of these videos with a 590S Shockwave, since they come with a built in adapter for mini shells. I have one, with an SB Tactical brace, running mini shells - and BOY is it fun to shoot! It's also a good home defense setup in an urban or suburban environment where overpenetration is a huge concern.
I bought some NobelSports mini-shell 00 Buck ammo. Thought it would be good for my wife. Each shell has 6 balls. Velocity is 1390 FPS out of a 20" barrel. That would be like 6 simultaneous hits form a 9mm. Should be effective. Recoil is milder.
Strange that the Aguilla is milder than advertised and the Nobel is hotter.
Not exactly. An individual 00 buckshot pellet is about 60 grains. Common 9mm bullet weights are 115, 124 or 147 grains. Even if the velocity is slightly higher, the power of a single 00 buckshot pellet is not equal to a 9mm bullet.
@@Deltaworks23 OK. 6 shots from a 32ACP
Excellent content as always, Paul. I appreciate you weighing both sides of the equation with each presentation. Common sense tactics. Well done, sir.🇺🇸
I've got a suggestion for a future video: reviewing one of the Short Lane adapters that allows you to use handgun ammo in a break action shotgun.
Thanks for the video, Paul. Very informative. I have seen those shells advertised and wondered if they were worth a damn. The reliability issues we saw in part 1 and 2 settled it for me.
Good part two, thanks Paul!
I just put the OPSol mini clip into my Mossberg 590 and took 2 boxes (40 rounds) of Aguila minishells to the range. It cycled them 40 out of 40, no hiccups. It works for me.
I've regarded the Aguila minishells as a novelty and this video (and others) simply confirm this for me. On the subject of shotgun ammo, what about doing a video comparing low recoil, or "law enforcement" shells with regular loads?
They are for almost all applications, I'm pretty certain they were specifically designed for the MAG-7 originally. I could be wrong about that.
Chris in Indiana they are great for cowboy shoots
I think I'd run "tactical" (low recoil) loads for cowboy shoots, or buy dedicated cowboy ammo because it's cheaper.
@@kynaston1474 There's actually a more specific round for the MAG-7. They just happen to fit into the MAG-7, but also cause reliability issues in it as well.
I don't see much use for them for SD beyond low recoil in a double barrel 12 gauge when you want your 12 gauge to be manageable for someone of small stature and ability to handle recoil. They may also make much less noise if fired indoors for home protection.
I have a Keltec 12 gauge that my wife relies on for home defense when I’m not home. She is small framed and prefers it. She uses the Aguilla mini shells; alternating buckshot and slug. She’s comfortable using them so that’s a winner in my book.
*I wonder if he tested the original OPsol or the newer OPsol 2.0 that is suppose to have resolved reliability issues.*
looking at the date of the video, i think he may have had the first gen
Interesting.
Hope he sees this and compares first gen with the second gen.
Maybe the person who sent him the adapter, replaced his with a 2.0 version. I bet he did.
The most amazing thing about this test, and part 1, is that the white plastic tables survived. No bullet/slug/shot holes. I see those tables in a lot of videos, they are really lucky tables.
Seems like the best use for Minishells would be in a Shockwave for home defense.
digital trucker I would not trust my life to those even in this configuration. It reminds me of the RIP ammo: cool, practical looking and interesting on the advertisement and the forums but dubious, unreliable, useless and weak in real life.
I hear ya. I'm not saying they're the best option, just the best use of them.
digital trucker in that case you might be right actually.
@Kevin Brown I agree wholeheartedly. The reduction in recoil is especially helpful in a hand held 12 gauge like the shockwave. Increased capacity is also a big plus. Not to mention, in a home defense situation, you're talking a 5 to 7 yard distance to target and I would bet very effective in bringing down the threat. My shockwave should be here tomorrow and i'm looking forward to testing it out this weekend.
To the guys shooting shockwaves and saying that the mini shells provide less recoil and increased capacity...the decrease in reliability of the mini shells and reduced stopping power are not worth the trade off. If you want increased capacity get a full sized 18 inch barrel tactical 7 plus 1 shotgun. Less recoil should not be a problem, shooting a full size shotgun, when the adrenaline is pumping because a thug is knocking your front door down. You need reliability, firepower and high capacity.
You need the new 2.0 adapter. 220 rounds no hangups. Also the mini shells are good for the 590 shockwave for home defense.
I think that the minishells have their applications, slugs are not ne of them. I did not liked the velocities variation with the minislugs. But if with the adapter it work good then short range home defense may be a possibility.
the mini-slugs have greater weight and comparable velocity to a .45 ACP FMJ with a calibre of around .60 without mushrooming so the slugs have the potential of doing a lot of damage with a lesser risk of OP and with a reduced felt recoil, with the trade of an elevated ammo cost, and maybe some reliability problems in some shotguns.
for the reliability part, people have reported that in shotguns using a similar magazine system to the Ithaca 37 (like the KSG and the Supernova) do not need the shell adapter and works very well with the mini-shells.
As for problems with the adapter, looking at the date of the video it would appear he used a first gen OPsol miniclip adapter, there exist now a revised version (Opsol Miniclip 2.0) which is said to resolve the reliability problems encountered with the original adapter.
Federal now makes mini shells, which should have much better consistency.
Anything a 16 or 20 gauge can do a 12 can do better. A 12 gauge can be "loaded down" to mimic either of those 2 gauges and still put more shot out in front. Thanks for the the honest and thorough assessment of the Aguila shells.
I’ve noticed with your chronograph that it seems very consistent that the second shot is almost always lower velocity than the first, the 3rd slower than that, then the numbers pick back up to roughly equal or higher than the initial shot. Any idea what would cause that pattern? Seems to be consistent across all weapons and calibers I’ve seen for your videos
Paul must have an eye like an eagle to see those readings on chronographs so easily so far away. No wonder he is a good shot....he has microvision like Superman. My old eyes are not close to be that good, but I can admire the performance.
I wish danish shooting ranges were similar, not room for experimenting because everything has to be done a certain way..
240FP Am I wrong when I assume you are american? The culture is very different in Denmark, there are different laws too. For example; The range I go to every week is very loose on the rules, basically if you use your firearms in a safe manner and pose no safety risk to anyone or anything, you can do almost whatever you want. As long as you do not violate basic safety rules. But... The pistol range is just paper targets, 25 meters range (if I'm alone I sometimes leave the stand and practice "rapid fire"/recoil control at about 10 meters). The rifle range is different, it's 200 meters target shooting. No IPSC with rifles since that is illegal in this country, you can propably imagine how difficult it was for me to get a permit for my AR-15.
And you are not allowed to use shotguns at this range either, because it isn't "rated" for use of that type of firearms. Besides the only type of shotgun ranges here are for skeet/trap shooting, flying clay pigeons in general.
240FP And by the way I didn't mean the range wasn't big enough for experimenting, the laws and rules prohibit it.
Evilstorm11 Unfortunately that's illegal too.
martindude - I've been to many ranges here in the US. I've yet to be at one in which you would be allowed to shoot at cement blocks, bring drywall simulation, etc. Many have only recently allowed the steel plates. Of course, that's not to say every range is like that. But, in my experience, most have rules and regulations which need to be followed. Of course, there are many that simply don't follow the rules. I've had the unfortunate pleasure of having to clean up cement blocks, ovens, propane tanks, computers, and any other garbage people get "inspired" to shoot [in large part thanks to Hickok45]. It's not fun when you are trying to mow the area and the mower blade hits some concrete, metal bracket or other item that you can't see.
northof50now I completely understand your point, I also clean up after myself (put new targets on the frames when I'm done shooting, sweep up spent casings, etc.) I like to leave the range in the same state if not better than when I arrive, it's the only correct way to go about it if you ask me. But you know, sometimes it would be fun to shoot at stationary targets with shotguns, and short range targets with rifles, mix things up a little. We can't really shoot steel with shotguns here because lead shot is banned, we use steel shot in all our shells. Wouldn't want 200 birdshot bouncing all over the damn place, you could risk taking your own eye out! (Buckshot and slugs are also banned) -.-
Thank you for your analysis and insight. I initially thought mini shells would be a solution for my Shockwave. However after much research and your analysis, I do agree that there are more reliable options out there such as reduced recoil loads.
great video paul
Paul, just want you to know you are my absolute favorite person on UA-cam. Love your personality, and all of your work. I watch them over just for fun. My absolute favorite moment was “You want that Cheeseburger to go?! It’s GONE!!!” 🍔
Is it true that these shells are reliable in the Remington 870, and that's why they don't make an adapter for it?
This pretty much matches my own tests using a KelTek KSG. It feeds the mini-shells reliably, but the slugs are really inaccurate at longer ranges. I’d use them at 5-7 yards, but wouldn’t trust them further out. Looking at the shape of the slugs I’m not surprised. Lots of opportunity for uneven airflow on the things. Buckshot I’d use, since I don’t have the feed problems you did with the Mossberg.
Using Federal 2 3/4 slug shells claiming 1600 FPS and using a red dot sight I was getting hand size groups at 100 yards weekend before last. Surprised the heck out of me considering it’s a smoothbore.
I have some other slightly longer mini-shells with 0 pellets. They feed fine too, and spread to a little under 2” at 5 yards. 10 per tube in the KSG. I’m keeping 7 Federal slugs in the other tube.
Fantastic! Can we get a part three now that OPSol (adapter company) has released a "2.0 flex" model?
Also...Federal now makes, "shorty" shells. The buck on the shorties has 15 pellets of #4 only. They also have a shorty slug. I would love to see how they compare to the Aguila and see if the adapter (1.0 or 2.0) fares any better in a Mossberg 500.
Thanks again Paul. I have fired hundreds of Aguilas. The slugs are not that accurate, for sure. But, while you mentioned a malfunction firing the slugs, the first malfunction that is actually on video is not an Opsol malfunction..it looks like you short stroked the round. You can see the shell is already engaged in the bolt. An Opsol malfunction is if the shell flips when the ammo tube ejects the shell into the mag well. After that, its all about the operator and the shotgun mechanics.
As for cost of the rounds....very expensive. You can actually thank the Opsol for that too. No one used the Aguilas much before because they could not get them to work well in a pump. Hopefully, minshell demand will drive prices down as more suppliers start making them. Aguila is already ramping up production to meet demand.
If your thing is making a double-barrel shotgun into a short-barrel 'shotgun pistol' like as seen in movies these things are probably ideal... but again it's more for novelty than anything else.
I ran into another issue with mini shells in my old Gibson store break over. The extractor skipped over the rim on the first round, I pried it out and the next round was the same. This old shotgun has had no failure in over 20 years.
hello from Makedonia. wow you can see the digits on the chronograph from such a distance? (Y)
It's not as far as it looks and the numbers are big.
Most issues are caused by open-bottom carriers, which allow the minishell to tip (for lack of a better word) muzzle down when they are on the carrier. These are also the guns which can use an adapter block -although there is little market for most models. If the carrier is solid, like on an 870, it cannot use an adapter, but should not need one. Interestingly, carriers on guns like the mossberg could be modified -by a gunsmith -to utilize either type of ammunition simultaneously. But there will still be the ever-present risk of the shell tumbling in the receiver. Basically, these need a special short-action pump design to work reliably
I'd use the mini slugs in a double barrel shotgun for home defense. With those low velocities, could be ideal without over penetration, I would assume.
Dunno how they would perform in the real world, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they will *under* -penetrate.
From what the people who really know about these things, the best choice for 12 gauge home defense is standard power (not "high brass" or other hotter shells) No 4 buck.
That shot size and power level has the ideal balance between sufficient penetration against two-legged varmints without jeopardizing your neighbors or loved ones in adjacent rooms, as can be the case with the vaunted 00 buck or slugs.
Paul Harrell, we need a meat target demo with the minislugs. Please!!
PinkOld 3/4 ounce lead slug at 800 fps is NOT going to under penetrate. That's nearly 400 grains at over 60 caliber diameter. Many 45 act rounds expand to 60 caliber and don't underpenetrate and that's with 150 grains less weight, similar diameter and the same speed.
If these were merely more accurate then I'd say they'd be excellent home defense loads. Sure they're not the freight trains on steroids that a magnum slug is, but they're still almost twice as powerful as a .45 acp and leave a larger entrance and exit wound due to not needing expansion to work.
If it mushrooms at all, now it's an 80 caliber to 1 inch hole. That's nothing to sneeze at.
Thing is you do NOT need slugs or buckshot for home defense, a 1.5 ounce plain old hunting bird shot load coming from a full choke 12gauge barrel inside of 20 feet will make one big fist sized hole thru human flesh and bone, and pretty much make mushy hamberger out of a guys chest, you people have no clue about the effectiveness of what you speak because you have never shot anything living with these things, well I have (lots of wild animals during my 40 years of hunting), and a good old 12 gauge birdshot load from a good tight full choke barrel at 20 feet is game over for whatever it's aimed at, you need nothing else, no slugs, no buckshot, no stupid gimic shells, just a good old 2 and 3 quarter inch 6 shot 1 or 1 and a quarter ounce load and uless the guy is wearing body armor he's done for.
check out his “shotguns don’t suck for home defense” vid. #4 buck is more accurate and reliable and doesn’t need an adapter
The new opsol 2.0 flex is the best. I ran the minishells on the maverick 88 and it cycles like a dream
I have a box of mini shell slugs...good thing I have a single shot.
Well, I said it in the first part of the Mini Shell testing... In terms of power they are about on par with most .410 shotgun loads not including those specifically meant for performance in guns like the Judge/Governor albeit some of those even out of an 18 inch barrel perform VERY similar to this while I feel have less recoil overall.
You are absolutely correct about them having a limited niche role, considering there are 12 gauge adapters that allow you to use .410 or 20 gauge in a 12 gauge, however a single shell adapter is about $30 last time I looked and its clear that was more meant for single shot and double barrel guns, however they do work reliably in pump actions(tested in a Mossberg 500, Winchester 1300, and Remington 870). Said adapters dont increase capacity, but do allow for you to train people on the same 12 gauge platform without giving them 12 gauge recoil. Only problem with that is you cant train yourself to handle "more recoil". While you can get used to how it feels and try to compensate for it, it doesnt change the fact it's going to have the same recoil regardless. And as a result, it may yield less range time due to the pain from felt recoil, it may result in poor groups on target as you're just trying to "tough it out", and etc.
I still do see their use in single/double barrel guns but that's about it. Now in my personal experience I'd tested Mini Shells in some various shotguns that I did have success with, and that could have just been pure luck with those guns just like some people get a miracle gun out of a line of guns known for being utter crap so take that with a grain of salt. However, they do make shorter shells with reduced recoil that increase capacity that DO work reliably. I know Remington used to make a short shell, dont know if they still do. Most of those short shell were a 2 inch or 1 3/4 inch shell, Nobel Sport from Italy makes such a shell that is still pretty readily available that I know of. I believe Federal makes one, but like Remington it's possible they discontinued it. So, there are options out there to solve that problem, but realistically if the issue is finding a gun everyone in the house can use effectively and reliably, you're better off finding a .410 or 20 gauge for those needs.
Well, you can't say Paul is unwilling to give an idea a fair shake. We suggested it and he tried.
He is nothing if not thorough.
I agree. Some say biased, I say he is basing it on what he has available and his experience with it. If some have differing experiences (not differing ideas), feel free to request that Paul try them out.
Really nice run up. Even though I liked the idea of mini shells, originally. You have convinced me of the novelty of the item.
One thing I hadn’t even considered was the price per box.
Paul Harrell I would still like your opinion on carrying a backup gun as a way to arm a stranger in an active shooter event the pros and cons
Joseph Markovich lol
Paul has done a video on this subject already, one of his older videos
Doug Krultz on backup guns yes but not for the purpose of giving the gun to a stranger
That’s not legal to give to a stranger
depends who you ask a lot of people claim it falls under good Samaritan law that's why id like Pauls take on it
Thanks for going back to the more professional intro, Paul. I feel that it gives the best first impression of the content you have to offer.
still a lot of power in home defence situation
Tomasz Zajac Exactly. I hope Aguila expands this line to include Buck #1, flechettes....
@@casualobserver3145 Their buckshot shells are a mix of 7 #4 and 4 #1 shot.
@@jesmcalli .. I just bought some Aguila Buck shot minis out here in California. I was happy I was able to find something with Buckshot... ILL TAKE WHATEVER I CAN FIND IN BUCKSHOT TODAY!😊
@@SmithsnMoz that's all the 12 gauge defense ammo i could find in Illinois too. I had to wait outside for an hour just to get into the store on a slow day.
@@electromech7335 .. GOOD FOR YOU! I shot some rounds a few weeks ago. They still have lots of POWER! Very soon, these new gun owners will be taking them off the shelf as well. I STOCKED UP ON THE BUCK SHOT AND SLUGS OF THESE !
Great video as always Paul. In the first video, you mentioned that a key purpose for the buck shot mini shell was home/personal defense. The meat target showed that it performed acceptably at this task. However, the question I still have in mind is how does it deal with over penetration with interior walls. I remember you ran a video a while back where you tested Bird Shot, 00 Buck and slugs against walls. It seems to me that a perfect niche for the mini shell buckshot rounds would be home defense where you have just enough power to get the job done, but not so much as to over penetrate into other rooms or apartments.
Mini shells for my mini humans mini shotgun right?
Thanks for the update Paul. I was looking for a non-biased evaluation of the OpSol adapter. Your video basically reinforced my decision to just stick with #4 buckshot 12 gauge ammo in my Maverick 88 12 gauge shotgun (with 00 buckshot, a slug, and a birdshot shell in the side-carriage). I was really rooting for the OpSol adapter and the mini-buckshot shells, but perhaps Aguila needs to team up with a company willing to manufacture a shotgun specifically designed for their ammo. I think there is a niche market for that for someone who wants 20 gauge recoil but with much more ammo capacity and at an affordable price.
Imagine a Mossberg Maverick 88 designed specifically for these shells for example. I could definitely see a market there. Likewise there is a huge market for those who own the Mossberg Raptor shotguns who want something powerful but with less recoil. So the market IS there. It's just not fully developed. I like Aguila's concept, but I'm a bit on the fence on committing to their ammo without more research on the OpSol adapater and reliability.