Here's what we've got so far, and thanks to those who contributed!
A
L.C. Smith Syracuse hang tag from 1887 states the 12g gun had been patterned at 35 yds. using a 24” circle with 3 Drachms powder with 1 1/4 oz. No. 8 shot.
After about 1912 the 12g guns (unless otherwise requested by the purchaser) were patterned at 40 yds. using a 30” circle with 3 Drams and 1 1/4 oz. Tatham’s chilled No. 7 1/2 shot (431 pellets in the load). Black Powder or Bulk Smokeless were not specified.
From
Remington hang tags, until at least 1899, guns were targeted with a black powder load of 3 1/2 Drachms F.G. Powder with 1 1/4 ounce of #8 chilled shot.
A 1908 hang tag for a 12g Remington Hammerless states that the gun was targeted with 24 grains ( 3 1/4 Dram Eq.) of Infallible in a 2 5/8 inch UMC Nitro Club shell with 1 1/4 ounce of #8 chilled shot. The maximum recommended 12 gauge loads were 3 1/4 Drams of Bulk Smokeless or 26 grains ( 3 1/2 Dram Eq.) of Infallible or Ballistite Dense smokeless powders. (Courtesy of David Noreen)
A 1900
Parker hang tag states that 12g 2 5/8” chambered guns were patterned at 40 yds. in a 30” circle using 2 3/4” shells with 1 1/8 oz. No. 7 chilled shot and 40 grains (3 1/4 Dram) of DuPont Bulk smokeless powder.
1904-05
Baker Gun & Forging Co. “Baker Gun Quarterly” state that guns were patterned with No. 8 shot in a 24" circle at 35 yds. but do not specify the load.
Flues era
Ithaca Gun Co. 12g “Lightning Lock” hang tags state the guns were patterned with No. 8 chilled shot in a 24” circle at 35 yds using 3 Dram “New Schultze” Smokeless powder and 1 1/8 oz. shot.
All of the makers advertised their guns with Pattern Welded barrels as "For Nitro Powder"
The 1933 edition of ”Smokeless Shotgun Powders” by Wallace Coxe and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. reported the LUP pressure for 1 1/4 oz. 3 Dram Eq. of DuPont bulk smokeless at 9,600 psi which would be close to 10,500 by modern transducers.
I believe we have a pretty good answer to the question "What loads (and at what pressure) did the makers intend to be used?" which of course is not the same question as "What load should I (now) use?"
More here
https://docs.google.com/a/damascusknowle...fUOZEFU/preview
