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I thought this was a curious topcard. Can anyone explain the references to east and west?

In that I don't have a life, I searched thru a number of my books today!! Finally in the little 64-page booklet titled Shotgun-ology by Capt. Chas. Askins, A Handbook of Useful Shotgun Information, published by United States Cartridge Co. in July 1926, I found an answer. On page 58 is a table of buckshot numbers (Eastern Size and Western Size), Diameter in inches, and number to the pound. Eastern No. 3 is Western 8 or 9, .25", and 299/lb. Eastern No. 2 is Western 7, .27" and 238/lb. Eastern No. 1 is Western 5 or 6, .30", and 175/lb. Eastern No. 0 is Western 4, .32", and 144/lb. Eastern No. 00 is Western 3, .34", and 122/lb. Eastern No. 000 is Western 2, .36", and 103/lb.

There is an * next to the Western Size heading and the footnote states "Western Size markings are now being discontinued and all American loading companies are standardizing their Buckshot loads on what have hitherto been known as "Eastern Sizes.""

Thanks, Researcher!

Oh, and BTW....you're welcome

Love this place... where else would you run across this?

I have charts showing this difference in Easern & Western buck but off hand don't recall for sure where. As Researcher has already answered will not bother. Note also that back around the turn of century (1800/1900) different towers used different specs for their sizes. Was fairly common to specify shot by number as well as by tower, as Fred Kimble once mentioned using St Louis 3's for duck in his 6ga ML. Eventually Tatum/Tathum Bros NY (have seen spelled both ways) was accepted as standard & is still used today.

I found severl charts of the different shot sizes from the New York, Baltimore, Chicago, St Louis, etc. in books by Money, Leffingwell, et al. But, it took quite a while to find that chart on buckshot.

In Guncraft, by William A. Bruette, copywrite 1912, there is a size chart that gives the number of pellets per ounce of shot from Tatham Brothers, New York; Le Roy Shot & Lead Co., New York; Colwell Lead Co., New York; Chicago Shot Tower Works, Chicago, Ill.; Sportsman's Shot Works, Cincinnati, Ohio; Omaha Shot and Lead Works, Omaha, Neb.; Thomas W. Spark, Philadelphia, PA.; and The James Robertson Mfg. Co., Baltimore, Md. Just picking one shot size, #7, the number of pellets per ounce were -- 291; 286; 291; 363; 323; 291; 338; 323; 305; and 350.

An 1892 Lefever Arms Co catalog has a shot chart in it & lists;
Merchants Shot Tower Co, NY #7 = 225/oz
Tateham Bros, NY #7 = 291/oz
New York Lead Co, NY #7 = 278/oz
The Leroy Shot & Lead Mfg Co, NY #7 = 278/oz
Thos W Sparks, Philadelphia, PA #7 = 305/oz
St Louis Shot Tower Co, St L MO #7 = 306/oz
Dubuque Shot Mfg Co, Dubuque IA #7 = 323/oz
Selby Smelting & lead Co, SF, CA #7 = 303/oz
Chicago Shot Tower Co, IL #7 = 323/oz
St Louis #3's were about half way between Tatham #'s 3 & 4 @ 116/oz.
I haven't checked but I believe Dixie Gunworks catalogs have a comparsion between Eastern & Western Buckshot. A long time ago I picked up a 5lb bag of .32cal buckshot for use in a .32 cal ML squirrel rifle & it was marked #4. I think I got it on a trip by Dixies.