doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com SHOOTING SMOKELESS LOADS IN BLACK POWDER GUNS

some say never! some say sometimes. some say why not? what say you?

You need to define black powder guns, Ed, do you mean twist barrels?

i would define black powder gun as any gun designed to shoot shells loaded with black powder. that would include those guns fitted with cast, twist, damascus and laminated steel barrels. did i miss any?

There were far more breech loading double barrel shotguns with Damascus, Laminated and Twist barrels that left Fulton, Syracuse, Ilion, Meriden, Batavia, and Ithaca, that were at the time guaranteed for nitro powders than were ever said to be for black powder only.

Here is the kind of breech loader shotgun that was for black powder only --

If one sticks with appropriate pressures, and especially since Bell pretty much destroyed the theory that BP has a significantly different pressure curve than smokeless, I don't see why not. If it's safe with one, it should be equally safe with an equivalent load of the other.

We are all fortunate indeed that the makers of a century+ ago didn't have to wait on Bell. As smokeless powders came into general use they simply insured their guns had adequate thickness in the "Breeches" & guaranteed them for smokeless. I truly wonder where they found this out.
By the early 1920's of course E I DuPont De Nemoures Had those pressure curves well drawn out, but the Gunmakers practise of wall thickness proportions had by then long since been established.

"All Bored For Nitro Powder" c. 1895

I shoot moderate pressure loads ( 5500-7500 psi) in all of my
"Black Powder Guns" as well as all of my associates. The only burst bbls have been in three steel bbls guns that I have seen.
It is an "overblown" myth and worry.
Read Sherman Bells DGJ articles with proof loads in some of the old damascus guns if you are nervous.

In 12 ga black powder damascus I regularly shoot 5000 psi 1oz loads. One can probably go higher than that depending on the gun, but I drew the line there and so far (knock on wood) there have been no issues. Look at SR7625 loads in Federal Gold Metal Hulls and you should be ok.

I use RST and Polywad cartridges in my composite barreled guns. I just tried a box of RST short tens in my 'New Baker' hammer gun with 'one iron crolle' barrels. Until I start loading for my short 10s, I have no problem with the aforementioned ammunition. Cheers!