doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A Great Day Waterfowling With Bismuth!!

Finally went duck hunting on the right day this year. After a 1,5 km walk to river, found lots of ducks and geese had come in overnight. Had a 1914-made Husqvarna M48 12X65 hammer double and a bunch of Bismuth 1,0 oz, 1300 fps, #5 shot "2,5 inch" loads. Killed geese and big ducks like lightening at about 40+ yards or so (paced off distance to where a 90 degree passing goose and one duck fell).

First time I have used this load in light 12 gauge hammer double and it worked just like its 16 gauge twin. Sure is nice to carry a 6,2 lb gun instead of a 7,5-8,0 lb gun .... and still watch the birds fold and fall at the shot. Have not patterned this gun but, it powders clays at 18 yard trap and other similarily dimensioned, original Husqvarna barrels pattern bismuth at 70-80+%. Birds killed today sure had plenty of shot holes, even at 40+ long paces, sometimes too many. As usual, next to no feathers pulled into breast flesh and excellent penetration.

Yes, I am buying and hoarding ANY shotshells loaded with #5 bismuth. Sure hope someone starts making it again!!

Was a little surprised when I measured the fired hulls -- 67 mm, NOT 2,5 inches. Guess 2 1/2 is a designation, not a dimention.

Niklas

Sounds like a great day! Hope that you can replicate it several more times before the season's end.

Niklas:

Good to see you posting again. Glad you found some cooperative waterfowl. Ya have to love bismuth in older doubles.

Niklas;

It is my understanding the 2½" designation has been more or less simply a designation for a great many years. Both Greener & Burrard mention the chambers themselves going to 2 9/16" (65mm). According to Burrard after the introduction of the fold crimp in England in the late 30's all nominal 2½" shells so crimped have had a length of at least 67mm (2 5/8") with some being a true 2 3/4" (70mm). All were of course loaded properly for the "Nominal" 2½" guns.

Niklas,

Great hearing about the old Husqvarna's doing what it is meant to do! At 6.2 pounds, that is a lot lighter than my model 103 CS. I always enjoy your posts. Thanks for sharing.

Take care,

Mike

M48 is lightest I have found for Husqvarna hammer doubles. For some time I thought that someone had filed down barrels on this M48 but since have come to think that M48s were made that way. There were not lots of them made, so is hard to find others to compare with. Still do not have solid proof that no external filing of barrels was done, however. Nominal barrel wall thickness is adequate. Nice to have a 12X65 that weighs what my Husqvarna and Sauer 16X65s and 16X67s weigh. Found this M48 at Simpson Ltd, after looking through way too many 16X65s, all with at least one eliminating defect. It handles way better than a nice 16X70 M1310 they had, lighter too.

When I first moved to Colorado I had 3-4 years of great waterfowl hunting, all with M15 12ga and M51 16ga Husqvarna hammer doubles and bismuth and some Kent T-M ammo. A few hundreds of ducks and some geese have folded and fallen to shots from these guns. However, recent years have been most notable for saving lots of expensive ammo.

I sure do not feel handicapped shooting these old hammer doubles and bismuth. If anything, I like bismuth better than even Cu-plated hard Pb shot, except for the cost.

Thanks 2-piper for info about reality of British hull lenghts for "2 1/2" inch guns. For one accoustomed to 65 mm and 67 mm chambered guns actually having 65 and 67 mm chambers, and 65 and 67 mm shotshells actually being that lenght, this will take a bit of mental adjustment, perhaps a special compartment for "excentric Brits". But, then, there are those Remington and Fiocchi 16X70 labeled ammos that actually have 67 mm hulls. For a simple Swede it might just be best to think of hull lengths as varying from 0,0 mm to +5,0 mm. Kinda contrary to common advice of fitting hull length precisely to chamber lenght

Niklas