12g Imperial paper hull

Butcherbill

Butcherbill

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Have been back home for a week on a family related trip and was helping my sister go through some drawers, found this old 2 3/4” Imperial paper hull shell I had picked up from someone when I was a kid. Thought I’d post some pics of it, overall it’s in good shape. The laquer is flaming off of the paper but it’s solid and has been stored indoor nice and dry for 30+ years since I picked it up somewhere, couldn’t find any indication of what shot size it holds anywhere on it.

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As stated SSG is a British(possibly European) designation for a size of buckshot. I think it works out roughly number 2 buckshot. There is also SG which is 00, of course I may have them backwards.
 
I have a couple of 5 pack Imperial IVI era 3" 12 gauge cartridges. The end flap says "Special SSG" "00 Buckshot" 15 pellets. A 5 pack of 16 gauge Imperial CIL era buckshot is marked "SG" "1 Buckshot" 12 pellets. With those numbers in mind I would say "SSG" is "0" buckshot. I am not going to open them to measure the diameters as I use these in my camp shotgun. The OP's cartridge is marked " Special SSG" " Long Range" (not magnum)so probably 00 Buckshot containing 9 pellets. IIRC the 2 3/4" Magnum Special SSG was a 12 pellet load of 00 buck. Imperial's sizing has rarely matched any charts I have in my various reference manuals.

Darryl
 
madtrapper143 said:
I have a couple of 5 pack Imperial IVI era 3" 12 gauge cartridges. The end flap says "Special SSG" "00 Buckshot" 15 pellets. A 5 pack of 16 gauge Imperial CIL era buckshot is marked "SG" "1 Buckshot" 12 pellets. With those numbers in mind I would say "SSG" is "0" buckshot. I am not going to open them to measure the diameters as I use these in my camp shotgun. The OP's cartridge is marked " Special SSG" " Long Range" (not magnum)so probably 00 Buckshot containing 9 pellets. IIRC the 2 3/4" Magnum Special SSG was a 12 pellet load of 00 buck. Imperial's sizing has rarely matched any charts I have in my various reference manuals.

Darryl
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Special SSG was different for sure and was 00 You are right on the OP's pic
I missed that. LOL but post 4 is now right :)
I would not open any either. One way or the other they kill and kick like a mule
Cheers
 
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Many thanks fellows, appreciate the info. I left it with my sister for safe keeping. Next trip out I’ll plan ahead and bring it back, and put it on the shelf. Found it this morning and am at the airport bar as I type. Too bad I didn’t have a box of it I’d love to shoot a few off just for the smell of the spent paper hulls.
 
I remember in the late 1960's my dad would buy a box of 25 (it came in boxes of 25 back then) of CIL Imperial SSG. It had the high brass and a plastic hull. The load was crimped with a roll crimp and a blue plastic overshot disc that was pie segmented to look like a fold crimp. These loads were for the deer hunt and winter coyotes. (even though he called them "brush wolves" I miss him and those farm days a lot.

Darryl
 
Butcherbill said:
Many thanks fellows, appreciate the info. I left it with my sister for safe keeping. Next trip out I’ll plan ahead and bring it back, and put it on the shelf. Found it this morning and am at the airport bar as I type. Too bad I didn’t have a box of it I’d love to shoot a few off just for the smell of the spent paper hulls.
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The shot size on those paper shells always did fade away or fall off. I do sort of wish the paper version were still available myself even though they were not as nearly as durable as plastic ones. For one thing, when some butthole just leaves a fired paper one in the bush, they mostly disintegrate in a year or so whereas a plastic one will still be there decades later and the paper ones were simple to re-crimp when doing reloads. But OTOH you did not want to get the paper ones wet very much- I remember the first ads for plastic shells I saw pictured a smiling duck hunter confidently holding one up in the pouring rain, and it did seem like a huge advantage,
 
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3macs1 said:
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SG, SSG, and LG are examples of the ridiculously obscure systems the British in particular and Victorians in general loved to set up in place of something that would allow easy identification of what you had, and if you didn't know the code you were helpless. Another example is the letter system flyfishing lines used to be classified with, something I had to learn at one time when I inherited antique equipment and/or was talking to Brits. I've completely forgotten how it actually worked now, but different weights and tapers were coded with letters, so you'd read something like AAGGGBBF instead of 'forward taper 6 weight floating line.'
 
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