doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Low Pressure Shells Pressure?

A few years ago, I was more active on this board and then more or less went MIA for a couple years before "re-upping" last year. Please forgive me if the question I'm about to ask is now considered "old hat" because it was discussed ad nauseum in my absence.

Anyway, back in the early-mid 2000's the question of just how much pressure was generated by the low pressure 2 1/2" 12 bore cartridges we were using in our vintage guns was discussed greatly. For whatever reason, none of the ammo we used made public their pressures.

Gamebore/Polywad, RST, Lyalvale (Westley Richards) were just a few I recall. I believe a company by the name of ArmsAmmo, or some variation of that, DID publish their 12 ga 2 1/2" ammo as generating less than 6,000 psi.

Anyway, as of TODAY, 1/11/11, does anyone know all the names of these shells now available and the corresponding pressures they generate?

I recently inquired with RST & Gamebore in regard to their 20 ga. shell pressures, and I found them more than happy to oblige me.

Winchester & Remington on the other hand.........[sound of crickets]...........

Ok....the suspense is killing me......What were the pressures for which 20 gauge loads?

RST Shotshells:
20 ga. 2 1/2" 7/8oz. PSI=7200
20 ga. 2 3/4" 7/8oz. PSI(2 1/2 dram eq.)=7200, PSI(Lite)=6200

Gamebore:
Trad. Game & Hunting, 2 1/2" 20 ga., 7/8 oz. PSI=8410

Does anyone know what is the pressure of the 12 gauge 2 3/4 " Winchester "Low Recoil Low Noise" shells? I have not been able to get this information out of Winchester.

Atticus

Here you go Atticus, from actual pressure testing:

3 Dr. Eq. 1 1/8 oz.
Winchester Trap Load
1,202 fps 9,600 psi

AA Xtra-Lite 1 oz WAAL12
1189 fps 8000 psi

AA 'Low noise Low recoil' 15/16 oz
980 fps 6,200 psi

Drew, where do those pressure measurements come from?

Tom Armbrust, but I don't have the reference.

Are the Federal vintage loads still available? thought they were a Midway exclusive but did not see them there.

Thanks,
Mark

Here's a reference for the Win AA Featherlites found right here on doublegunshop.com in "Other Useful Information" (see the bottom of this page) "Copy of Letter from Sherman Bell (DGJ Author) on Pressure values Winchester Feather Lites". It is Sherman Bell stating that the pressure is 5950 PSI.

In my book that pressure would be fine in any shootable vintage gun.