doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 2000 rounds/yr through vintage English Double?

W J Jeffery BLE 16 gauge circa 1936-39. Tight on face and recently disassembled and ultrasonic cleaned and serviced by vintage double gunsmith. I reload and shoot 2.5 inch
3/4 oz low pressure loads (6400psi) at 1100fps at Skeet, SC, and 5 stand. Would 1500 to 2000 rounds/ yr be too much? I am 70 years old and don't think that I can wear this jewel out but like to hear from others and their thoughts and experiences. I just recently purchased this gun so don't know any history other than it performed well for me on a recent West Texas wild quail hunt.

with those loads you could shoot most Mattel guns I owned as a child and not wear them out....

If the gun checked out sound like you said I would keep the proper places lubed and clean, and in between cleanings try my dead level best to make it wear out before you do. What an accomplishment that would be. We all need a goal or two before us, even in the Autumn/Winter years. Make yours to shoot the gun loose before you quit.

Bet you won't do it with those loads, but you'll have a blast trying.

SRH

You refer to your Jeffery as a "Jewel" and then state that you and the gun performed well during a hunt, my suggest is, if it does wear out, fix it.

I have a number of friends who shoot driven birds, throughout the season, using only their Hollands, Grants or Beesleys. On some shoot days they may be putting up to 500 rounds through those guns. They were built to take it and still are, some 80 odd years after their guns were built.

I really don't think you need to worry about putting 2000 rounds through a Jefferey and I hope that you have a great deal of enjoyment doing so for many years yet.

Tim

Worst case the gun goes off face in 20 years or so. So you get it fixed and keep on shooting.

That is an excellent plan.

Dennis

I put way more rounds than that through a Webley & Scott 12ga (1924) over the past year. I did have to have the strikers replaced. Other than that . . . still working fine.

Just keep the action and barrel lug clean and greased and with those loads it should go "forever".

Hey, I see you live here in NC home of the Southern Side by Side event! Me and some of my friends shoot often , most Saturdays at different places here in central NC and shoot vintage side by sides. I have seen broken top lever springs on some of their Purdeys and broken ejector. I had a left cocking spring break on my Spring Opener Henry Atkin a couple of years ago and also a top lever spring. As you may be aware of that spring is almost if not identical to the Purdey.
It was expensive to make for sure.
I don't always shoot the same gun but try to rotate mine around.
Just make sure you maintain it and clean it properly and it should last a long time.