Saw one of these online and it's in great shape and the barrel doesn't look like Damascus but they don't know the chamber length and with this being a late BP period weapon I wonder would it be safe to fire with some RST 2.5" shells?
Instead of asking online... I'd recommend you have that old shotgun evaluated by a gunsmith who specializes in old weapons -particularly black powder shotguns, if at all possible. If you intend to try to shoot it as opposed to just display it. What little I've read about the shotguns back then -they varied widely in the steels used and how well they were constructed...
I was hoping to hear from someone who has the same model who shoots theirs before I spend any money on it. I've got some shells made to be safe for the old guns anyway
Just curious, but who made and what is the pressure of your shells that make them safe for old guns ? I have three Damascus Parkers, one Damascus Lefever, and six Damascus Remingtons along with three steel barrel Remingtons, all built in the 1800s. I shoot all of them, one or the other, three times a week with nitro powders. All 2 3/4" shells even though all of them are chambered for 2 9/16, 2 5/8, and some 2 3/4. My mild pressure shells [ under 8000psi ] will only go up about 500psi in the short chambers. At least one gentleman tested 2 3/4" shells in a 2 1/2" chambered gun and that's all his shells went up. I'm not telling anyone what to do, just what has been done. Do what you feel is safe. H&A made some of the finest SxSs back in the day. They apparently had the copy rights to some of the best English doubles. My how times have changed. Today they're just a cheap gun. They didn't make them for long but now a days are considered the best of the best. I wouldn't worry about the quality of the barrel steel.
Dunno about the shotgun but i do have an H&A falling block take-down 22. H&A burned down for the final time in 1915 and ceased business. So its at least 100 years old. It is very well made and very well finished. Bore looks like a clay sewer pipe though...
I'm sorry I don't actually know what the exact pressure is. But they are 2 1/2" the ones I buy at least and they are supposed to be loaded to BP equivalent pressure
