doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Tungsten shot news

King, that's right. B and P publishes the pressures for each of their loads in psi and BAR.

Larry, they're saying only 6,000 psi chamber pressure in twist tubes right?? Or are they referring to all older shotguns regardless of barrel construction???

Darn--I knew I shouldn't have posted that quote, because it's confusing.

Treblig, what they're doing is saying that the shells are OK both in guns marked 3 tons (standard 12ga Brit marking, through the late 80's) or 850 bars (standard marking from the late 80's until, I think, quite recently). But you don't arrive at a psi reading by multiplying the British "tons" designation x 2,000. And an 850 bar gun, according to the Birmingham proof house, has an equivalent service pressure of about 10,700 psi. (You can't get there either by "doing the math", because the Brit markings are lead crusher bars rather than electronic transducer bars. It's like the old LUP measurements in reloading manuals vs psi.)

I don't know whether King has inquired about that particular load, but it's certainly under 10,700 psi, and I'd guess more likely somewhere in the 8,000 psi range. One source I have puts the maximum service pressure for a 3 ton gun at 9,000 psi. I think that may be on the conservative side, but then when we're talking pressure, the conservative side is a good place to be.

I've a couple numbers here, Larry. Which Kent were you referring to? I've been using 12ga 2 1/2-inch Kent TM No. 5s, one ounce at 6500 and 1 1/16 at 7500. Paper hull and fibre shot cups.

As far as toxicity is concerned, there is quite a bit of scientific evidence (scientific journals) that tungsten, when imbedded into rats, mice and other rodent tissue, is a very potent carcinogen. I don't know how long birds who might ingest or be winged with tungsten matrix might display these or other toxic effects.

King, I think mine may be your load #2: Kent Gamebore Pure Gold 12ga, paper case, felt wad, 2 1/2", 30 gram. I really like them for pheasants in vintage guns. Shot essentially the same Eley load (Grand Prix) when they were available, although I don't think they were paper case.

Thanks Larry!!!!

Proves nothing but on two occasions last year I gave some to buddies who had run out of steel. One was wide-eyed after his spectacular shot at a smoking black at minimum 40-plus yards, the other's improved performance almost convinced him to give up steel. I was more interested, of course, in their holy conversion from Browning auto and 870 to doubles.

Couldn't agree with you more Quailnut, after seeing some of the business decisions that Ruger and Remington have made over the past few years I wouldn't let their top managers manage a kindergarten class!!!

More bad news. See:

http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/NewsReleases.aspx?ID=12216