Vagrant Viking has covered this topic well. I've been loading 10 gauge black for several different guns and I think that I can flesh out some details.
Availability of suitable 10 gauge cases (hulls) is the biggest hurdle, the options are few and can be difficult to source......
- vintage original paper cased ammunition, usually 2 7/8". This shows up as full or part boxes at gun shows and auctions and has not yet reached full collector status and prices. This stuff is 50 years old or more and may be bulged or distorted or have corroded brass or primers, avoid this imperfect stuff. You will need access to a strong nitro proofed gun to first shoot this ammo off to provide your empties but it takes perfect roll crimps and makes beautiful ammo.
- easiest to find is modern 3 12" once fired cases from hunters, Equipment Exchange can be your friend here. Of course they will need to be shortened to match your chamber length and most brands roll crimp well with the tool I use. The downside is that most plastics are negatively affected by the sustained heat of black powder and they will warp and be hard to reopen for the next go round, some brands more than others.
- brass. Very nearly unobtanium in 10 gauge unfortunately as they are the very best for black powder. I know of no source in Canada, 12 gauge yes, 10 gauge no. They can be found at a few suppliers in the US at about $7.00 US EACH which would make them over $10 each in your hands with our minibucks if you could get them but you can't. US suppliers won't ship these to Canada. Thank Trudeau. Oh well, at $250+ for a box of empties you would really need to want them badly. Sometimes singles will show up at gun shows, usually priced at $10.
As Vagrant Viking said, if the empty cases fit your chambers the tools required are few and basiic. Remember we're talking about an occasional box or two, not cases of ammo. This is what I use.....
Case trimmer. Many tools and improvisations for this job, google it. I use the Trim Doctor from Ballistic Products. Note, guns made in or for the American market usually have 2 7/8" chambers. The British standard 10 was 2 5/8" although they also made 2 1/2", 3" and longer so you must measure your chamber lengths, there is no one size fits all.
Something to reopen and smooth the case mouths, I use a large stepped socket, by hand.
Simple punches take care of depriming and repriming.
A simple dipper type powder measure if loading by volume ( my preferred method), a scale if loading by weight.
Aluminum powder funnel.
A 4" to 6" piece of 1/2" or 5/8" dowel to seat wads.
A crimper of some kind for paper or plastic hulls. The vintage crank type that clamps to a table or board work perfectly for paper, this is what they were designed for. They can often be found at reasonable prices at gun shows or auctions, even 10 gauge. I've never tried these on plastic. I use a roll crimper by Ballistic Products that chucks into a drill, available in Canada from Bilozir.net. He also carries 10 gauge wads in card, fibre and felt, maybe cork, as well as top wads. And he has the correct oversize 9 gauge wads for brass cases.
Loads?
The standard North American 10 gauge black powder loading ( or nitro equivalent) for hunting was 4 1/4 drams of powder under 1 1/4 oz of shot. This is a very brisk load and should be considered maximum in a sound gun, you will probably find 3- 3 1/4 drams under 1 1/8 oz much more pleasant to shoot and will still be equivalent to a good 12 gauge load. Black powder shotguns are just as effective as modern smokeless guns because the shot weight and velocity are the same but they are far more fun, well worth the effort to get them talking again.
Make some smoke and have fun!
