DutchmanDick
Member
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2006
- Messages
- 179
Well, I test-fired my pre-1892 Belgian SxS today. Probably the first time the old girl has been fired since before WWII, so needless to say the test-fire was by "remote control" (gun tied to a heavy table and a LONG rope tied to the trigger)! The gun survived quite nicely, with no apparent loosening of the action, no barrel bulges/splits, and no extraction problems. The only thing that was a little off was there was a little bit of primer back-out, but nothing terrible. The loads I used consisted of Magtech 12-gauge 2-3/4" brass shells (yes, that old gun has 2-3/4" chambers, and it's not the only "pre-star-crimp" 12-gauge I have with *apparently* original 2-3/4" chambers), Winchester standard large pistol primers, 3-1/2 drams FFG American Pioneer Powder, 11-gauge overpowder card wad (.110" thick), 11-gauge pre-lubricated fiber cushion wad (had to split the cushion wad down in order to get the full volume of shot in), 1-1/4 oz. #7-1/2 shot, and a thin card overshot wad held in with "Gorilla Glue". This was a "heavy" 12-gauge blackpowder load, according to old tables, and it filled the brass hull right to the mouth with just enough room for the overshot wad and glue.
The gun is choked cyl/cyl, with 30" barrels and has backaction half-cocking (not rebounding) locks, a side-lever and a straight "English-style" stock (which I had to replace, as the old one was dry-rotted beyond salvage). It was a cheap gun when it was brand-new - fluid steel barrels instead of twist, roughly finished locks marked "W. Richards"(to deceive the ignorant), and the original buttplate was just a thick piece of leather held on with small nails. I saw a nearly identical gun in the reprinted Monkey Wards Winter 1894-1895 catalogue selling for something like $6.25 or so. The proofmarks put my gun at 1892 or older.
I am looking for some load suggestions. I've checked out T. Bullock's site (which is where I got my initial load info), but I'd like suggestions for the following:
1) Cowboy Action loads. Needs to have enough "oomph" to activate reactive targets, and enough density to hit flying pop-cans (one of the reactive targets our group uses has a disk at the top of a balanced arm: hit the disk with the first shot, and it throws a can of soda into the air for the second shot!), but hopefully not be too punishing (I don't know how hard my "heavy" loads kick. I only loaded 2 for the test-fire, and they were fired from a safe distance...)
2) Hunting loads, especially turkey, upland birds, and small game. Maybe bismuth for waterfowl. This question is mainly for academic curiosity, but who knows - I may get a "wild hair" and try it some day...
3) Home defense loads. Granted, there are better guns out there for the purpose, but you never know...Antique guns will likely be the last ones we have to bury, much less register!
4) "Punkin' ball" loads. I've never found any info on how to properly load roundballs in blackpowder shotshells! Being a cylinder bore, it should be OK, and a challenge come deer season...
Any input, anybody?
The gun is choked cyl/cyl, with 30" barrels and has backaction half-cocking (not rebounding) locks, a side-lever and a straight "English-style" stock (which I had to replace, as the old one was dry-rotted beyond salvage). It was a cheap gun when it was brand-new - fluid steel barrels instead of twist, roughly finished locks marked "W. Richards"(to deceive the ignorant), and the original buttplate was just a thick piece of leather held on with small nails. I saw a nearly identical gun in the reprinted Monkey Wards Winter 1894-1895 catalogue selling for something like $6.25 or so. The proofmarks put my gun at 1892 or older.
I am looking for some load suggestions. I've checked out T. Bullock's site (which is where I got my initial load info), but I'd like suggestions for the following:
1) Cowboy Action loads. Needs to have enough "oomph" to activate reactive targets, and enough density to hit flying pop-cans (one of the reactive targets our group uses has a disk at the top of a balanced arm: hit the disk with the first shot, and it throws a can of soda into the air for the second shot!), but hopefully not be too punishing (I don't know how hard my "heavy" loads kick. I only loaded 2 for the test-fire, and they were fired from a safe distance...)
2) Hunting loads, especially turkey, upland birds, and small game. Maybe bismuth for waterfowl. This question is mainly for academic curiosity, but who knows - I may get a "wild hair" and try it some day...
3) Home defense loads. Granted, there are better guns out there for the purpose, but you never know...Antique guns will likely be the last ones we have to bury, much less register!
4) "Punkin' ball" loads. I've never found any info on how to properly load roundballs in blackpowder shotshells! Being a cylinder bore, it should be OK, and a challenge come deer season...
Any input, anybody?
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