I have considered shell pressure for many years now, resulting from my ownership of some older guns. I just today came across this article published in 2011. Would some of you who have a similar interest read it and give your thoughts? Thanks.

http://randywakeman.com/Why_Shotshell_Published_Pressures_are_Meaningless.htm

It’s only a small subset of shotgun users that need to care about load pressures.

Mostly because all the modern published loads, and the governing bodies, keep the pressures down into safe levels for modern firearms.

If you migrate into using vintage firearms, that may or may not have seen thousands of pressure cycles, there is no governing body to tell you what to do.

I fed an auto loader hundreds of high pressure loads.
They cracked the receiver, and bent the action bars.

I won’t be doing that again.

Pressure matters to:

Those who shoot gas automatics and would like them to work.

Those who shoot in cold weather and prefer the shot load clear the barrel.

Those who shoot older guns, 'nitro proofed' or not.

Those who have a deeper curiosity about interior ballistics than Mr. Wakeman.

News flash: A 3.5" 12 gauge IS a high pressure shotshell. It's all relative, Einstein.

I'll read Mr. Wakeman's "work" when I have more time than I do recently.

I purchased a Win 101 back in the day and it started life on a steady diet of 1 1/4 oz International Trap loads, hammered the head of the stock enough to change the dimensions of the stock and split the forend. New wood and backed off to standard 1 1/8 trap loads, it has over 250,000 rounds through it and you can't close the action on a piece of computer paper.

I now shoot nothing but hand loaded low pressure 2.5" loads and still break a lot of birds and kill my share of game.

The only need for high pressure loads is to cycle a semi auto and while I've spent a little time with them I've never found the need for one.

3.5" shells, rottweilers and pit bulls are for guys that think God short changed them.

Thank you to all.

I am not concerned about pressure related to the barrels (sleeved) but like oskar, I think about the 116 year old stock. I saw some 16 gauge federal game loads, 1 ounce, 2 1/2 dram equivalent, 1165 ft./s. Would the pressure be below 10,000 psi?

All you can know is they are below max pressure saami but recoil breaks stocks not pressure so you are on the right track. Less weight(charge) and less velocity are your friend.

Only way to know for sure is to send five to Tom Armbrust for pressure testing. Sometimes it's well worth the cost. You might even email him and ask if he has ever tested that particular load. I'd offer to pay for the information, if he has.

Armbrust tested 1 oz. 2 1/2 Dr.Eq. loads:
Federal Game Load 1 oz at 1161 fps was 9160 psi in 2001
Federal Game Load 1 oz at 1135 fps was 9633 psi in 2002
Winchester (Australian manufacture) Game Load 1 oz at 1161 was 9300 psi
Cheddite for Herters “Select Field Dove and Quail” 1 oz. at 1165 fps was measured at 1,200 fps and 11,500 psi

Obviously components change in 20 years

I communicated with Tom in 2019, he did not use email, and his phone was 815-451-6649

Stocks are not cracked by pressure, but by recoil which is a slightly different thing. But today's factory shells are loaded to work gas or recoil operated guns and need the recoil to work the action. Load data is slanted to loads which should easily work those guns, with the more modern obsession for velocity which is getting past sane in my opinion. I never thought I missed a bird because my shot was not traveling at 1400 plus fps, but somebody must or they would not have so many hyper velocity loads on the market.

Mr Wakeman discredits himself by attempting to convince us that steel shot is the ballistic equal of lead, or even better. Time spent reading his "work" is time wasted.

Some shooters actually believe that nonsense, even though the density of lead versus steel is hardly a secret. The concepts of retained velocity and kinetic energy are not rocket science. A higher incidence of cripples ought to provide some clues too. It would be nice to think the average shooteer could grasp such simple concepts.

But then again, some shooters actually support people who spend a lifetime attempting to abolish guns and hunting. Go figure. Unfortunately, there are no requirements to exhibit even low intelligence in order to vote.

I can understand why manufacturers pushed steel shot loads to high velocities ......... it was in order to give it a little more lethality and range. Initial steel loadings here in the USA were anemic, and led to a well deserved reputation of non-lethality. But, it seemed to me that when the advancements in loading steel came about, coupled with a velocity of somewhere around 1300-1350, steel became a much better substitute for lead. Not equal to, by any stretch, but usable.

Hyper-velocity lead loads are just ridiculous, however. It seems that marketers play to the same weaknesses that exist in other markets than shotshells, too. Bigger is better!, Faster is better!.

NOT!!!

I have been happy shooting 1200 fps loads in my vintage guns for years. I did pick up a flat of 2&1/2" British shells a while ago with a velocity in excess of 1400 fps, I will say they performed exceptionally well. Very few wounded Roosters.