Husqvarna Cape Gun

[BSA Jack]

Well yesterday I added another Husqvarna to my collection. A seller at a local gun show had this on his table and I kept going back to it and finally gave in to temptation. I have wanted one for a long time to go with my Laucheux action husky shotguns. It is the model 17 B, The bores are excellent The shotgun barrel is 16 gauge as most are I think and the rifle barrel is 12.17 X 44 or similar to 50-70 gov. There are 20 loaded rounds of fire formed 348 Win. with 29 gr. of AA 5744 powder and 445 gr bullet. When spring comes I want to do some shooting with BP loads so will have to shoot these off. and get myself a lee mold and maybe a set of dies. think this mold will work http://www.titanreloading.com/molds/bullet-molds/5070-caliber/-lee-dc-mold-515-450f- Will have to slug the bore and get an idea on sizer. Guess if I get some 16 gauge brass cases and round ball mold I will have a bear gun. Anyway does anybody on here load for and shoot this cartridge and have any tips. Also do you think it's safe to shoot those rounds off with the 29 GR of AA 5744 - or should I just pull the bullets if my bullet puller will work., What would you guys do. The seller had no idea about the guy that loaded them, just what is marked on cartridge box. All comments and advice appreciated . Here are some pics. Cheers

 

[Pete04]

Nice gun congrats
IMHO pull the bullets and reload yourself. You have no way of knowing for certain what is in those ctgs.

 

[antiqueguy]

you would be better off sticking to shot with the shotgun barrel the sights are only regulated for the rifle barrel so a round ball would be a real close range thing and brass will not work well with slugs or ball eveyone thinks it would be like making a big rifle round nope the brass is over sized so for a 16ga you need 14ga wads and you can only load BP in the magtech/cbc stuff as its balloon head. if you do load round ball i'll tell you a donut wad works wonders these you have to make your self its a card wad with a hole dead center in the middle about 3/8" or so for the bigger guns the ball will center it self in this then it can have a star crimp or roll crimp ( buffer can be added around the ball)

best bet work up a load till it shoots good with no pressure signs and yes id pull the rounds dump the powder id also stay away from smokeless if it has not been proofed for it

 

[BSA Jack]

you would be better off sticking to shot with the shotgun barrel the sights are only regulated for the rifle barrel so a round ball would be a real close range thing and brass will not work well with slugs or ball eveyone thinks it would be like making a big rifle round nope the brass is over sized so for a 16ga you need 14ga wads and you can only load BP in the magtech/cbc stuff as its balloon head. if you do load round ball i'll tell you a donut wad works wonders these you have to make your self its a card wad with a hole dead center in the middle about 3/8" or so for the bigger guns the ball will center it self in this then it can have a star crimp or roll crimp ( buffer can be added around the ball)

best bet work up a load till it shoots good with no pressure signs and yes id pull the rounds dump the powder id also stay away from smokeless if it has not been proofed for it

That's interesting stuff, I've done a lot of things but never shot 16 or 12 gauge BP ball loads, no big deal, really I am not going bear hunting I rough measured choke and it is .629 , I have always understood that choke for shot is kind of a varied thing because it is the % less of the bore size to the restriction at the end. But when it comes to putting a lead ball through the restriction is pretty important. Is that right.? I have about a thousand of the old CIL card board wads in a couple thickness , that would work with a hole punched in , now what is this buffer around the ball. Yes I am going to pull bullets, very brave with my own reloads but not so much with unknown stuff, Thanks much any good info on the 12.17 X 44 and loading for it much appreciated. Cheers

 

[mooncoon]

I would hesitate to use round ball in a full choked shot barrel. In the late 1870s to the mid 80s shotgun barrels were stamped "not for ball" because people were still in the mindset of open bored guns. Maybe you could come up with some sort of compressible patch or sabot to get past the choked muzzle

cheers mooncoon

 

[antiqueguy]

That's interesting stuff, I've done a lot of things but never shot 16 or 12 gauge BP ball loads, no big deal, really I am not going bear hunting I rough measured choke and it is .629 , I have always understood that choke for shot is kind of a varied thing because it is the % less of the bore size to the restriction at the end. But when it comes to putting a lead ball through the restriction is pretty important. Is that right.? I have about a thousand of the old CIL card board wads in a couple thickness , that would work with a hole punched in , now what is this buffer around the ball. Yes I am going to pull bullets, very brave with my own reloads but not so much with unknown stuff, Thanks much any good info on the 12.17 X 44 and loading for it much appreciated. Cheers

id use a .600 round ball as that choke is around full(the donut wad will keep it centered) 1/8" wads are over powder 1/2" fiber are cushion wads and thin ones are over shot ive used a just fiber wads as donut wads(over powder under) and ive also used a stack of over powder fier and then a over powder turned into a donut wad this was mostly with smokeless card wad loads

a idea with BP is the wad stakc with donut wad and them ball then BP lube can be poured around tha ball(tight fitting wads are needed) and then a crimp or over shot card if roll crimping is to be done or a brass hull is used

 

[tiriaq]

A charge of buckshot would be worth considering. If it clustered around the poi of the bullet, it would be quite workable.

 

[BSA Jack]

A charge of buckshot would be worth considering. If it clustered around the poi of the bullet, it would be quite workable.

Thanks--You guys! You keep on coming up with this good stuff there,s no lions around here so I may have to shoot a bear with my ole cape gun. There has been a few old cougers spotted in the hills here though, one by the hotel just the other nite.
I was looking at 16 g brass cases on Buffalo arms but know what you are saying Antique guy about the thin brass and wads not fitting tight.( Have fooled with 410 brass cases in the old days) Here is what I have , an old , I think it,s a lyman 16 gauge loader, with star crimp, as I said lots of cardboard wads over shot and over powder, really short- quarter inch plastic wads and fibre over powder wads half inch or more. A young friend that is an aspiring gunsmith and has ordered the full set of choke reamers from Brownells,( hope this included 16 gauge) So could get rid of some choke , after he practices on a cooey or something.
Lee makes a .600 mold and Titan reloading has them in stock, great guys to deal with by the way if you want Lee stuff, good price and cheap shipping if you just ship usps.----Mail
So three drams of powder and double .600 ball loads. just like the old days.
Anyway my real quesstion is and you guys will know all this -- what are the best hulls to look for to shoot BP in 16 gauge. Cheers

 

[cyclone]

Looks like quite the firearm !.....



Just wondering where you'd rest the support-hand ?......

 

[BSA Jack]

Looks like quite the firearm !.....



Just wondering where you'd rest the support-hand ?......

Thanks cyclone, I shoot my shot guns like that quite a bit , I have two 16,s and a 12, it is a funny feeling holding that under lever in your hand but they point nice and you get used to it. One 16 is fully engraved with damacus barrels, I don,t shoot it anymore as it has some pitting inside and quite thin barrels, the other two are minty with fine steel bores and of course short chambers but I shoot huns and have shot ducks when we could still shoot lead, with heavy loads. Shot a trap competion last fall with the 12, didn,t hit a lot but I competed.

 

[antiqueguy]

Thanks--You guys! You keep on coming up with this good stuff there,s no lions around here so I may have to shoot a bear with my ole cape gun. There has been a few old cougers spotted in the hills here though, one by the hotel just the other nite.
I was looking at 16 g brass cases on Buffalo arms but know what you are saying Antique guy about the thin brass and wads not fitting tight.( Have fooled with 410 brass cases in the old days) Here is what I have , an old , I think it,s a lyman 16 gauge loader, with star crimp, as I said lots of cardboard wads over shot and over powder, really short- quarter inch plastic wads and fibre over powder wads half inch or more. A young friend that is an aspiring gunsmith and has ordered the full set of choke reamers from Brownells,( hope this included 16 gauge) So could get rid of some choke , after he practices on a cooey or something.
Lee makes a .600 mold and Titan reloading has them in stock, great guys to deal with by the way if you want Lee stuff, good price and cheap shipping if you just ship usps.----Mail
So three drams of powder and double .600 ball loads. just like the old days.
Anyway my real quesstion is and you guys will know all this -- what are the best hulls to look for to shoot BP in 16 gauge. Cheers

with a donut wad you could go with brass what i said before was people thing that can crimp a slug or full bore sized ball in like a rifle round

id stick with a shot load and sub a ball in a .600 round ball is only about 3/4oz this is a good read for anyone trying round ball loads http://guns.connect.fi/gow/historia4.html

 

[mooncoon]

I think you would be foolish to open the choke on the shotgun barrel or at least I would leave that barrel as a shot barrel for grouse while hunting deer. When I load black powder shot shells, I use muzzle loading cushion wads. On the few occasions that I use brass shells, I just give the wad a smack with the hammer and it expands out to fit the shell (doesn't have to be hit particularly hard) The lube in the wads does not seem to harm the black powder and while I don't use them so far, a card wad before the shot and on top of the cushion wad seems like a good idea. I suspect at least a few pellets imbed in the cushion wad.

cheers mooncoon

 

[antiqueguy]

I think you would be foolish to open the choke on the shotgun barrel or at least I would leave that barrel as a shot barrel for grouse while hunting deer. When I load black powder shot shells, I use muzzle loading cushion wads. On the few occasions that I use brass shells, I just give the wad a smack with the hammer and it expands out to fit the shell (doesn't have to be hit particularly hard) The lube in the wads does not seem to harm the black powder and while I don't use them so far, a card wad before the shot and on top of the cushion wad seems like a good idea. I suspect at least a few pellets imbed in the cushion wad.

cheers mooncoon

far easier just to buy one gause bigger of wads its recamended with magtech 16ga hulls 14ga nitro cards and fiber wads and 13ga over shot wads

i got it easy with my 12ga brass i can make my own with a 3/4" wad punch i use thick non coragated cardboard for the nitro cards and 1/2 cork/fiber board for the sushion wads and a stiff paper for over shot cards(office folders work well or only pop can cases)