doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Pre-WW1 16g ammo question...

FWIW, the 1895 review of shotgun shells linked above notes that the winner of the LC Smith Cup in Illinois that year, used Peters shells.

Dave: The L.C. Smith Trophy was awarded to State Pigeon (later Inanimate and Amateur) Champions starting about 1895

Earliest 16 Gauge
Serial Number 2126 (April 25, 1896), No. 5E submitted by Stan Middleton.

From our LC Smith Collectors Assoc site...

CB

My thought in noting it, was that since this gun is an Elsie of about that vintage, it would be resonant to get a box of Peters shells.

It's a very nice trophy, too.

Get some all brass shells. They are period correct, look great, work great and are great conversation starters. Magtech, Alcan and others are avaialble.

You can even shoot them as oposed to just looking at the "vintage" stuff.

The "vintage" stuff can be shot, too. I do so occasionally, for grins, in my vintage doubles.

I have gotten a reputation in this area for wanting old paper shells. People bring them to me often. One friend that works in a builders' supply brought me 11 boxes of vintage 16 ga. shells that a widowed customer brought in and gave them just to "get rid of, since her husband died". Many of them will be shot in my Susie.



SRH

I've shot a lot of WWII era stuff, the pre WWI stuff gets iffy. The paper often is the part that starts to swell and the shot sometimes has fused together.

I believe Mike Campbell contacted Tom Armbrust about pressure testing pre-WWII loads in the early days of the 16g Society. He'd already done so and the results were quite inconsistent. Occasionally, possibly related to hardening of the wad or paper hull, the pressure was increased. He felt that the primers failed before the powder. I would certainly check the bore after each shot.

I agree with Drew. My safety and/or the damaging of a fine shotgun is not worth it. Using Polywads or RSTs in an antique, in no way, diminishes my enjoyment. I believe we are all doing a commendable job researching, maintaining, and enjoying our shotguns. They will certainly be here for the next generation. The vintage ammunition won't be. I guess I am looking at this from a dedicated collector's view. Why shoot, or attempt to shoot, collectible ammunition. To me, that is akin to licking the adhesive on 70 year old, unused postage stamps to mail in my dues to the AARP.

Yeah or shooting the old Chinese firecrackers like I collect without at least saving the artistic labels.