I guess I should have been more complete in my discription of the gun. It dates to 1874 and has damascus barrels. It has not been nitro proffed, hence my desire for low pressure loads to duplicate the performance of black powder. It would be nice to be able to send the gun to England and have it nitro proofed, but I can't justify the expense. The gun is sound and I'm not worried about shooting it as nitro proof consists of nothing more that assuring the gun is sound, then firing proof loads through it. It's a great idea, but not if you live in the states and have to face the expense of having it done. I'm sure it would wind up costing close to $2000 with all the newer laws concerning shipping and handling now in place.
I appreciate your loading data, but what I want are 1 oz. and 1 1/8 oz. loads. While the gun is heavy and fits me perfectly, I have a severe recoil problem from years of shooting skeet using very light English doubles then shooting registered skeet for about 25 years. I can't shoot heavy loads without flinching, even in the field. I've also found they are not needed for the type of shooting I do as one can only kill a bird so dead!
I've read the article in The Double Gun Journal concerning 2 3/4" loads in 2 1/2 inch chambers. I'm still a little hesitant to shoot loads that don't match the chamber length. I've had to put to many guns back on face. I know there are many things that can cause that condition, but still feel improper ammo can be a culprit. JMHO. Thanks and keep the suggestions coming, Don Hansen.
