Just bought a BP 10 gauge Damascus...

Don't know where to buy shells, but it sure would be nice to see a photo. I have a 12-bore Damascus double that shoots 2 & 1/2 " shells so I have to roll my own.
 
Likely going to be a handloading proposition.
After determining if the gun is in shootable condition, the next thing to do would be to measure the chamber length.
 
I haven't got it yet, but it looks to be in very nice condition. Seller says it is tight, and it looks good in the pics.

I will post some later, I am sure his ad will be pulled soon.
I really just got it for the craftsmanship. It is very nicely engraved.

If you hurry:


http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=664107

222-2274_IMG.jpg

222-2278_IMG.jpg


This one looks nice too, and uses modern shells.
A bit more money, but very nice!

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=670642&highlight=Claybrough
 
I got to handle a couple of really nice Parker S x S's the other day. One had been refininshed (nicely) & we visited about the original / refinish thing.
We are so leary about refinishing; an good double that was owned and used in England might have been professionally refinished several times.
If you are going to use it and are going to spend the money to get it done right, crack on.
If you are only going to leave it in your safe / gun room until you sell it again; then never / ever refinish it.
But do you suppose an English gentleman would be seen afield with a poorly finished gun?
I don't think so; it'd be sent in for a freshen up...STAT
IMO
 
tokguy said:
.....professionally refinished several times.....
Click to expand...

The cost of a professional refinish by a trained English gunmaker would be several times what this particular double sold for.

004.jpg

001-1.jpg

003-1.jpg

005.jpg


This one is old, has been used a fair bit and its original finish has faded. Perhaps I should polish it up, and strip and refinish the stock.
 
Is the sarcasm font req'd on this one, LOL.
I somehow doubt you will be spending much time hunting with that beautiful gun.
IMO , if you are going to use it and I mean use it...like, it's the piece I'll be using for goose hunting next fall; and you can afford to get it done properly...then fill your boots.
I know some hardcore skeet shooters that will spend upwards of 5 K $ on a browning skeet gun. Not my thing but ...hey whatever works.
By the same logic, if you want to invest 3 or 4 K in refurbing a beautiful S x S that will get used by you and possibly even your children...go for it.
I've got a mid-grade Belgian double 10 laminate bbl that's going to get redone, and why not? I can afford to get it done & I don't have much use for safe queens.
Guns should be used, not just brought out to show off to friends.
IMO, no offense intended
 
I was being a bit flippant.
I've not used that Wilkinson 16 bore yet, although I am very tempted to. The bore is shiney, as is the face of the breechplug. There is no mechanical reason not to shoot it. It has been used a fair bit, judging from things like the surface of the frizzen. I would feel sick if a spring, etc, were to break, But given that they haven't broken in 189 years, they are probably not going to now. It was certainly made to be used.
One of my favourite ml shooting doubles is a 14 bore Birmingham gun engraved "Manton". Not the Manton, I suspect the one who was a retailer in Montreal. It is too good a gun to have a spurious name. It is in more or less modern vg condition. Not so fine to be afraid to use it, but very sound. I would date it in the 1850s.
Anyway, I'm not big on refinishing antiques, although some of the work illustrated in Double Gun Journal is impressive. I think though, that there is a big difference between doing a modern style refinish, and a sympathetic restoration.
 
id get some all brass shells for it and load bp the only place that makes brass 10ga is rocky mountain cartridge there about $75 for 10 but there real nice and will last for ever with bp loads as long as you clean them

you dont even need a reloading press just a punch a BP measure and your shot,wads and powder
 
mooncoon said:
check with Mystic Precision, one of the sponsors at the top of the page. I suspect they can supply Starline brass at a much lower price

cheers mooncoon
Click to expand...

i dont think starline makes shotshells starline seems to be mentioned alot when thay dont even mak that product and most of that seems to be done by you mooncoon RMC is the only place i know of who still makes 10ga brass shotshells

plastic shell can be use but thay like to melt with BP and in a damascus that has not been proofed for smakeless BP is the only way to go

with BP you also dont want to use plastic wading you want card wads as plastic wads melt even more with BP
 
camerl2009 said:
i dont think starline makes shotshells starline seems to be mentioned alot when thay dont even mak that product and most of that seems to be done by you mooncoon RMC is the only place i know of who still makes 10ga brass shotshells

plastic shell can be use but thay like to melt with BP and in a damascus that has not been proofed for smakeless BP is the only way to go

with BP you also dont want to use plastic wading you want card wads as plastic wads melt even more with BP
Click to expand...

Jaysus... use punctuation and spell check! Frankly, I'm having a hard time you're going on experience here. Sounds a lot like a you're just repeating verbatim or are really bad at providing context to explain the situations you're discussing.

Personally, from my limited and very half-arsed experience with black powder 12ga loading, plastic hulls will work. I loaded mine lightly and kept the shot weight down to minimize chances of screwing up. I figure if I could hit a clay they'd probably work for that at most. I didn't reload my bp hulls more than once with BP (used my old smokeless hulls that I cleaned up from hunt), but also didn't notice any significant signs of melting on the hulls or in the bore and have no problem using plastic in my guns. Maybe time will change that, I dunno.

My next project is to determine which commercial smokeless light trap loads are low pressure enough to shoot in my old 12 gauges... I love them, but they've got too many places for BP soot to get into and cause problems. :p
 
H Wally said:
Jaysus... use punctuation and spell check! Frankly, I'm having a hard time you're going on experience here. Sounds a lot like a you're just repeating verbatim or are really bad at providing context to explain the situations you're discussing.

Personally, from my limited and very half-arsed experience with black powder 12ga loading, plastic hulls will work. I loaded mine lightly and kept the shot weight down to minimize chances of screwing up. I figure if I could hit a clay they'd probably work for that at most. I didn't reload my bp hulls more than once with BP (used my old smokeless hulls that I cleaned up from hunt), but also didn't notice any significant signs of melting on the hulls or in the bore and have no problem using plastic in my guns. Maybe time will change that, I dunno.

My next project is to determine which commercial smokeless light trap loads are low pressure enough to shoot in my old 12 gauges... I love them, but they've got too many places for BP soot to get into and cause problems. :p
Click to expand...
I'd disremembered til now but we reloaded a bunch of BP for an old Damascus 12 ga when we were in high school. Other than making the bbl's awesomely dirty it worked fine
 
H Wally said:
Jaysus... use punctuation and spell check! Frankly, I'm having a hard time you're going on experience here. Sounds a lot like a you're just repeating verbatim or are really bad at providing context to explain the situations you're discussing.

Personally, from my limited and very half-arsed experience with black powder 12ga loading, plastic hulls will work. I loaded mine lightly and kept the shot weight down to minimize chances of screwing up. I figure if I could hit a clay they'd probably work for that at most. I didn't reload my bp hulls more than once with BP (used my old smokeless hulls that I cleaned up from hunt), but also didn't notice any significant signs of melting on the hulls or in the bore and have no problem using plastic in my guns. Maybe time will change that, I dunno.

My next project is to determine which commercial smokeless light trap loads are low pressure enough to shoot in my old 12 gauges... I love them, but they've got too many places for BP soot to get into and cause problems. :p
Click to expand...

i load bp shells for my Husqvarna with 2.5" chambers and with a normal load for 2.5" shells it will melt plastic hulls these are not downloaded by any means 80gr of ffg and 1 1/8oz #4 shot i get about 1050fps

id not use modern loads in any double not proofed for smokeless if its old(pre 1900) and id never shoot anything but BP in a damascus shotgun
 
Chap at Double Gun Journal did some fairly extensive pressure testing of the pressures generated by black and smokeless for black loads. These were working loads, not magnum level. Pressures were determined two ways, with a strain gauge on a shotgun, and with a universal receiver test bed setup. Guess what? There isn't much difference in pressures. Lots of folks categorically state that black produces lower pressure than smokeless. Just isn't so. Now there are modern loads that produce pressures a lot higher than modest everyday working loads. And there is no way of knowing exactly what pressure is produced by a given factory load. But do not make assumptions or generalizations.
Same chap also did deliberate overload testing of damascus barrels. Guess what? Looks as if sound ones will take significant abuse.
So what if there is a bit of melting when BP is used in plastic shells? They're cheap, discard them. It will be necessary to make wadcutters to get wads the correct diameter. But this is true of brass shells as well. Remember paper shells? They burn through with black. Once again, they were cheap and easy to replace.
With 80gr of powder and 1 1/8oz of shot in a 2 1/2" shell, what wad column are you using? What crimp?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom