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Cuz: Don't underestimate your new gun or the low pressure 16-ga. ammo George suggests. Together, they will absolutely hammer pheasants at reasonable distances, as long as you aim where the bird is (or where it's about to be). Happy hunting! TT

Let's expand this discussion. I have a few doubles, both US and European, made in the 30's. Does the caveat on high pressure shells extend to guns of this late a date? Primarily I hunt dove and quail and use light loads. I'm afraid I'm getting worried and frustrated. First I buy dogs I can't afford to feed. Now I buy shotguns I can't afford to feed either. Your experience is appreciated.

Well, my take on your question is that US guns built after the mid-twenties were intended for 'modern' saami spec ammo, but they are still pretty old and the wood might be brittle. The Euro-guns built before WW-2 were usually not built for high pressure US loads.

The point of high pressure shells is to generate enough 'oompf' to cycle the automatic guns America came to love after John Browning's creations became available. The high pressure doesn't add much to the killing strength of a shotload, imho, and isn't pleasant to shoot in a double ( or a light pump either), so as long as lower pressure shells are available for reasonable prices, my choice is to use them...Geo

There have been exhaustive discussions about which is most detrimental to vintage guns high chamber pressures or excessive repeated recoil. To be on the safe side I follow the following rules of thumb for steady diet of Factory ammuntion in my vintage double guns. 12 gauge 1 1/8th ounce maximum at 1200 fps, 16 gauge 1 ounce at 1200 fps, 20 gauge 7/8th ounce at 1175 fps. These loads stay within safe (SAAMI)chamber pressure range and the recoil is not overly abusive. For lighter guns such as Parker "O" frames, Foxes with #4 weight barrels and Ithaca Flues models or guns made before about 1925 I would strongly recommend dropping the shot charge down by 1/8th of an ounce and the MV to 1150 fps.