Percussion 10 gauge side by side

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  • Last Post 23 December 2013
6pt-sika posted this 04 December 2013

I happen to have an original percussion side by side 10 gauge shotgun and I think I may very well work this one in the mix at some point after hunting season !

 

This thing looks as if it were used very little and I would date it Pre Civil War .

 

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6pt-sika posted this 04 December 2013

We've had this gun something like 20-30 years now and have never fired it . So methinks the time is upon us !

 

And of course it would be great to plow a deer with it next year during the Damage Control hunting .

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delmarskid1 posted this 04 December 2013

Can you guys use buck shot on deer?

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Ed Harris posted this 04 December 2013

Last time I hunted deer in the Virginia Tidewater buckshot was required! I used a Model 1897 Winchester with 30” full choke barrel with 9-pellet 00 and when hit with six pellets the deer actualy flipped over backwards!

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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6pt-sika posted this 05 December 2013

delmarskid1 wrote: Can you guys use buck shot on deer? in my county the only restriction during the actual season is center fire rifkes must be .23 caliber or larger . Shotguns used to be no larger then 10 gauge but that has changed I believe to only for waterfowl and a person who happens to own an 8 gauge can use it for deer (I think). But the buckshot thing is pretty much open !

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mckg posted this 05 December 2013

You know that we're going to need pictures of that gun before you can proceed, right:wnk:?

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6pt-sika posted this 05 December 2013

mckg wrote: You know that we're going to need pictures of that gun before you can proceed, right:wnk:? That would be difficult at the moment since it's in the back of the safe !

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Ed Harris posted this 05 December 2013

Pictures of the 10-ga. percussion hammer gun, PLEASE!!!!!

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Shadowdog posted this 06 December 2013

I've often thought it may be fun to play around with a front stuffer sporting smoothie, but so far the closest I've gotten has been a U.S. 1842 Harper's Ferry .69 musket. Didn't do real well with it as a shotgun, but it was fun with buck and ball!

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R. Dupraz posted this 06 December 2013

I have a nice old Pietta percussion double 12 that is a fine grouse and pheasant gun. It would deffinately clear a saloon and the alley behind when charged with 80 grns. of 2F and 00 buck.

Some time I would like to load the old beast with patched ball and see what she'll do.

RD

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6pt-sika posted this 06 December 2013

Shadowdog wrote: I've often thought it may be fun to play around with a front stuffer sporting smoothie, but so far the closest I've gotten has been a U.S. 1842 Harper's Ferry .69 musket. Didn't do real well with it as a shotgun, but it was fun with buck and ball!

Strangely I happen to have an original Harpers Ferry 1842 . We've had that one about 40 years . Bought it from a next door neighbor actually .

I tried to get an original 1842 Springfield at an auction this past summer . Ran the gun up to a grand and missed out !

 

I had started getting ready to shoot a couple of my original 1861 Contract muskets this spring . Cast a couple hundred 58 mini's even . But then my black powder shooting buddy passed and I lost intrest . I suppose at some point I'll get back to that . In the long run I'd like to kill a deer with one of our original 1841 Mississippi's , one of the 1861 Contracts and perhaps the 1842 Harpers Ferry .

 

We've collected a bunch of different firearms over the last 40 years (my father and I) . And a good many of them have sat in the safe untouched other then to lightly clean every year or so . And now I have a desire to actually shoot a few of them .

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mckg posted this 06 December 2013

How do you guys make sure the load in the second barrel stays put after the first shot (if you do...)?

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6pt-sika posted this 06 December 2013

mckg wrote: How do you guys make sure the load in the second barrel stays put after the first shot (if you do...)? Can't answer that as I've not tried before .

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R. Dupraz posted this 07 December 2013

How do you guys make sure the load in the second barrel stays put after the first shot (if you do...)?

In my 12 gauge, this has never been a problem. It is loaded with one thin over powder card wad, one 1/4” cushion, 1 1/4 oz shot and another thin over shot wad.

The card wads are Circle Fly wads, I think, and are made a hair over size for ML shotguns. The fiber cushions are left over from my early shot gun loading days and before there was such a thing as plastic. They are soaked in neats foot oil. And all wads are fairly tight. The card wads are notched a tiny bit before loading to allow air to escape when ramming. Otherwise, all the ramrod will do is just bounce.

Equal volume of shot and powder.

RD

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6pt-sika posted this 07 December 2013

R. Dupraz wrote: How do you guys make sure the load in the second barrel stays put after the first shot (if you do...)?

In my 12 gauge, this has never been a problem. It is loaded with one .135” card over the powder, one 1/4” cushion, 1 1/4 oz shot and another .135” card over the shot.

The card wads are Circle Fly wads, I think, and are made a hair over size for ML shotguns. The fiber cushions are left over from my early shot gun loading days and before there was such a thing as plastic. They are soaked in neats foot oil. And all wads are fairly tight. The card wads are notched a tiny bit before loading to allow air to escape when ramming. Otherwise, all the ramrod will do is just bounce.

Equal volume of shot and powder.

RD. You ever tried using plastic shot cup wads with some sort of fiber wad between the powder and the plastic shot cup wad ? I was thinking to try powder then a fiber wad followed by a SP10 wad then the shot and a over shot card .

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Shadowdog posted this 07 December 2013

I've never had any luck with a side by side myself, gave up on them years ago. If I ever get a smoothie rock lock or capper, it'll only have one barrel.

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R. Dupraz posted this 07 December 2013

You ever tried using plastic shot cup wads with some sort of fiber wad between the powder and the plastic shot cup wad ? I was thinking to try powder then a fiber wad followed by a SP10 wad then the shot and a over shot card

I spent a little time some yrs ago patterning and trying different things with this S/S. One thing was loading a common plastic shot petal wad much as you describe. What I found was that although the patterns were slightly more dense, the wad became increasingly more difficult to load as the fouling increased if the bore isn't wiped. Also they will leave plastic fouling in the bore.

I have several old ML books that describe how these guns were loaded back in the day. And those methods still produce surprisingly good results with no wiping.

There once was an old BP gunsmith by the name of V. M. Starr who lived in Eden, SD. Starr was known for his jug choking of ML Shotguns and was considered pretty much the guru of the front stuffers. His every day load for the BP ML shotgun was powder, thin card wad, shot and then a second card over the shot. He maintained that any other type of over powder and overshot wads destroy patterns by creating holes. I have found this to be true.

I have several BP books by Sam Fadala wherein he describes many different loads using shot cups for shot and ball. So, I guess it comes down to personal preference and what works for the shooter.

My Pietta S/S is not choked and it will make bottom end modified patterns at 25 yds. when loaded as I described. and I don't have to wipe. If loading starts getting hard, a little spit down the tubes sets things right again.

RD

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R. Dupraz posted this 07 December 2013

6pt-sika;

After re-reading your last post more carefully, I see that you intend to load a fiber wad on top of the powder and then the shot cup.

I would suggest that you first use a proper fitting, thin over powder card wad. The purpose of which is to contain the burning powder gases and flame to prevent them from burning into the fiber wad and beyond. This is a sure way to destroy patterns and accuracy.

RD

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6pt-sika posted this 07 December 2013

R. Dupraz wrote: 6pt-sika;

After re-reading your last post more carefully, I see that you intend to load a fiber wad on top of the powder and then the shot cup.

I would suggest that you first use a proper fitting, thin over powder card wad. The purpose of which is to contain the burning powder gases and flame to prevent them from burning into the fiber wad and beyond. This is a sure way to destroy patterns and accuracy.

RD you stated you had problems getting the plastic wads down the barrel after having shot some . By shots do you mean say 8-10 or was it around two dozen ? I ask because I thought it might be good to shoot a round of skeet with the gun to get used to it a bit .

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6pt-sika posted this 07 December 2013

We're supposed to have a sleet/ice storm tomorrow so I might go down and try to dig the old gun out of the safe .

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R. Dupraz posted this 07 December 2013

6pt-sika:

When I tried the plastic wad in my 12 Gauge Pietta, after the third shot or so and without wiping, it was dang near impossible to ram that cup down again. And when it was rammed, after the first shot with a clean bore, the cup was damaged more each time going down and then more again, coming back up when fired. The patterns also went to hell right shortly.

I have a Trius foot activated clay thrower so that whenever I get the urge I can burn some powder by myself. Then, I'll either use the two card wad method or use an over powder card, a 1/4” fiber cushion and then overshot card.

When using card wads only, I can shoot pretty much indefinitely and the load is easy to ram. Might take a little spit down the tubes once in while. This method has produced the most consistant and densest patterns.

The other method which is almost as good is the over powder card,fiber wad then overshot card after the fiber wad has been soaked in neats foot. Patterns are not quite as good but still works fine for busting clays and for the field.

Another thing that I tried was to use an over powder card, then a soaked fiber wad. After which, I then rammed a shot cup with an over shot card on top. This worked better with the soaked fiber kind of wiping the bore each time but the patterns weren't good. Seems as though, the more stuff one ram's down the bore of these old smokers the worse the patterns get. Think our ancestors figured this out a long time ago.

I made a special ram rod out of a 1/2” hard wood dowel that has a wooden ball on top for range use. Makes things easier when firing multiple shots. The regular RR that the gun carries is reserved for the field.

RD

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