Black Powder shotgun

[w1spurgeon]

First, please forgive my ignorance on this subject.

My adult son has indicated a desire to own a sxs hammer gun (a Christmas hint I suppose). He is an admirer of my old Winchester rifles so I would like to get him one with some history. I saw a nice Richards that was listed as an antique 12 ga black powder gun. Other than the antique term, I don't know what this means. Are black powder shells available? Also, there are some old Remington 10ga guns around. Are these considered shootable?

Thanks for any help.

[Little Rooster]

You can buy commerically made Black Powder shotshells. There pretty east to roll your own with a minmun amount of equipment. 10 Ga maybe a different story. I have several friends using 10's for Cowboy action.

[Hammerslagger]

Without writing my sometimes near page length explanations: I DO NOT CONSIDER MOST PRE 1910 DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS AS BEING SAFE TO SHOOT WITH ANY AMMO INCLUDING BLACK-POWDER AMMO!

By the onset of WW II there had been so many failures in the USA of older (especially Damascus barreled) double barreled shotguns that warnings were being issued by ammo makers and gun makes that some guns were definitely unsafe with smokeless powder ammo, which was usually all that was commonly available to most shooters at the time of the published written warnings.

More recent and scientific research seems to indicate that some of the shotgun barrel failures, THAT BEGAN IN THE LAST HALF OF THE BARREL TUBE, were attributable to the typically higher pressures PRESENT "in the last half of the barrel" using smokeless vs Black Powder.

More recent research (using three piezoelectric transducers) seems to show that Black powder and smokeless powder pressures are nearly identical in the first 12 inches of the barrel for the same projectile weight and velocity load.

The fact is than many old double gun failures have taken place in the first 12" of the barrel. Thus, it is reasonable to infer that defective barrel material rather than the powder type accounts for such failures.

I could go on with a lot more details and reason not to shoot 100+ year old shotguns and some old revolvers. However, if one does not understand the foregoing statements of fact; then nothing that I or anyone can likely write, or say, is likely to have any effect on your actions.

[w1spurgeon]

Sorry I rattled your cage Hammer! If you reread my question I already pleaded total ignorance on this subject.

Don't mean to piss you off further, but I do need more info. Remington has advised me that my Model 1889 hammer gun, made in 1902, has "nitro" barrels and was designed to shoot smokeless powder shells. It is excellent used condition but 've never shot the gun. Do you know of a history of failures of this model and wuld you include this gun in your "unsafe to shoot" list?

BTW, I am seriously impressed that you seem to know what a "piezoelectric transducer" is. Altho I have no clue, I will be looking for any opportunity to slip that term into the usual bar talk during happy hour at the officer's club.

[BobMcG]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Right.

I can't tell you what to do or not to do, only what my experiences have been. For decades I have owned and fired over a dozen different old hammer doubles from 16 to 10 gauge. I don't buy wrecks and I don't use smokeless powder. I do use moderate, not maximum, B/P loads that I load myself. All I can say is that it's been a delightful hobby of mine and have had no mishaps over many years and many hundreds of rounds. Am I at risk? Perhaps, but I doubt nearly as much as each time I get behind the wheel and head out onto a highway.

[Little Rooster]