Gun weights and loads at the First DuPont Grand Smokeless Championship Handicap Live-bird Tournament October 1895
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/53082The 1898 Trap Shooting Rules by the American Shooting Association (courtesy of Randy Davis) still listed 10g:
Charge of powder was unlimited
Shot was limited to 1 1/4 oz. by Dixons measure
Weight limit (there was no weight limit in 1890 or 1893) and naked was not stated:
10g - 9 lbs. 4 oz.
12g - 8 lbs. 4 oz.
16g - 7 lbs. 12 oz.
20g - 7 lbs. 8 oz.
Single target rise.Double target rise:
10g - 18 yds16 yds.
12g - 16 yds....14 yds.
16g - 14 yds....12 yds.
20g - 13 yds....11 yds.
Sporting Life.
John L. Lequin. secretary of the Interstate Association, writes us under date of Feb. 25, 1898 as follows:
We have received inquiries from most all directions recently from a number of shooters who are probably desirous of entering the Grand American Handicap next month, concerning the weight of guns, and whether the handhold and recoil pad will be counted as a part of the gun when weighed. The subject has been placed before the Tournament Committee of the association, which committee has decided that the guns will be weighed naked.
(Weight still limited to 8# but to be weighed without the barrel guard or recoil boot.)
Sporting Life, Feb. 11, 1899 Interstate Association Rules for 1899
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/44329 The standard turn-of-the-century Live Bird and Inanimate Target load was 12g 1 1/4 oz 3 1/4 Dr. Eq., though many Live Bird competitors used 3 1/2 Dr. Eq. Early 1900s some target shooters used 1 1/8 oz 3 Dr. Eq.
c. 1914 DuPont started a advertising push to standardize the 1 1/8 oz. load
Forest & Streamhttps://books.google.com/books?id=kB4cAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA835 https://books.google.com/books?id=kB4cAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA867 In 1919 the Executive Committee of the American Trapshooting Association voted on whether to establish the standard load a 1 1/8 oz. 3 Dr. Eq.
The proposal failed.
Not until April 1940, did the ATA disallowed 1 1/4 ounce loads.
