doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 20 ga loads

I have a light weight 20 ga. Ithaca Flues with damascus barrels. So far, all I've been shooting is 2 dram of 3F black behind 3/4 oz. of shot. I would like to use the same load but in smokeless. What PSI is considered "light" for a 20 ga? What powders give those kind of pressures with 3/4 oz of shot?
Thanks,

Jack K

Jack,
When I last looked into 20g 'low pressure' loads, I found just a couple or few in my book "Reloading for Shotgunners" (Fackler & McPherson). But, it did come up here on the bbs and I acquired some data from another member. I don't recall the source nor did I have occasion for using the data. However, there are at least a couple low pressure loads in the book I referred to above.

Chuck H posted a recipe over a a year ago and I treid them and they are quite comfortable. I would post the recipe but I am in the wilds of Missouri and won't be home until friday. I can post it then.

Regards, Gordon

Don't push the old girl to hard.Some of the flusies in 20 bore have thin action walls and develop a crack in the bend where the standing breach meets the watertable.Nice little guns to be sure.

Jack,
Your gun is probably 2 1/2" chambers also. I know a lot of people hear say it is alright to shoot 2 3/4" shells out of it, but why take the chance. RST and a few others are making low pressure, low velocity 2 1/2" loads for these old guns.
Also if you are using 2 drs. black powder , the same would be true for smokeless, 2 dr. equivalent.
I have reloaded some Remington Game Loads, Gun Clubs,(same insides as STS, Premiers) cut down to 2 1/2" using Unique powder but with 7/8 oz shot, 7525 psi and 1050 fps. Roll crimped. I haven't tried any out yet so can't verify anything.
This load was tested in 2 3/4" 6 crimp, so the 2 1/2" hull takes up the same area with the roll crimp as the 2 3/4" 6 crimp.

I have loaded one of the low pressure 2 1/2" loads in the book Chuck referenced and when I have some empty hulls I will load another one. Both are 3/4 oz loads using Unique. One in a Fiocchi hull, the other in a Win AA hull. They use the BP SG20L wad and the pressure ratings are 6,100 psi and 5,400 psi @ 1160 fps. What I like about them is they don't require any fillers.

Skip

JDW
various 2 dram loads in 20 gauge with smokeless can have wildly different pressures. 2 drams doesn't mean anything for pressure just velocity

Sorry I can't provide any proven low pressure 20 ga. loads, but I'm sure the guys here will help you. I'm wondering how thick damascus barrels in a 20 ga. Flues are. I have four 20 ga. Flues that are fluid steel, and two are parts guns due to blown barrels. Both let loose just ahead of the forend and the walls are quite thin there. I know nothing about the loads that popped them or whether bore obstructions were involved. Because of those thin walls, dents may have been a factor. I recently found and fitted a set of barrels to a 16 ga. Flues that was also blown in the same area, and also very thin. On the flip side, I witnessed a friend (many times) fire factory 3" magnum loads in his dads' Flues 20, and he got away with it. I'm sure this did nothing to extend the life of this gun.

I would always expect a bbl burst out around the forend to have had an obstruction unless absolutely proven otherwise. The other most likely cause (seldom encountered) is an internal flaw in the metal, actually more apt to be in the form of a seam in fluid steel, than in damascus.
As to the strength of the frame it will be more influenced by load than PSI's. The frame would much prefer a 3/4-7/8 oz load not exceeding 1200fps @ 9k+ psi than a full oz of shot @ 1300 fps, even if the psi's were held to 7.5K. Where max "Chamber Pressure" is important is "In the Chamber".

I've had the chambers checked and they are 2-3/4". If need be, I can load 2-1/2" with roll crimps. The friend I bought the gun from used to shoot the Wally World "low brass" shells and AA skeet shells; I knew they were way too hot. The gun weighs under 6 lbs and I think it may have the thin frame walls. In anycase I didn't want to take an unnecessary chance on cracking the frame. That's why I used 2 dram of black and 3/4 oz of shot and have turned here to see if anyone can help with a smokeless equivalent. Those loads using Unique sound good. I do not need any load faster than 1200 fps. Most have read the "Finding Out for Myself" series from Sherman Bell where he discusses 10 and 12 ga pressures although he doesn't talk about smaller gauges and what is considered low pressure for them. The pressures talked about here, 5500 thru 7500, psi at least give me an idea of what would be "low pressure".
I do not know how thick the barrels are around the fore end but at the muzzle they aren't very thick.

Jack K