doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Chamber pressure standards at London Proof House

Small Bore, it's once again--I think--a common language that divides us Yanks from you Brits. For us, any 2 3/4" 12 bore load is "normal" unless it's marked "magnum". We do have 2 3/4" magnum loads, with shot charges as heavy as 1 1/2 ounces or even a bit more. And all 3" loads are "magnums". However, they all--including the 3" loads--conform to the same SAAMI pressure standard, which is 11,500 psi. Not until one goes to 3 1/2" shells does the pressure standard increase (to 14,000 psi).

On your side of the pond, when you move up to 3" loads, you go to significantly increased service pressure and proof standards. That's the old 1200 bar proof, now marked Superior. Once more, unfortunately, we're not singing off the same sheet of music.

Douglas, what loads were you thinking of firing in a 6lb 5oz gun? You will be limited by recoil and comfort more than anything else.

In my 20g guns of around that weight, I shoot as high as 1 oz loads at 1300 fps. That gun weight and load is not uncomfortable in hunting situations where a box of shells is fired in a day. I wouldn't shoot 2 or more boxes a day of such a load in my gun on a regular basis and not expect to pay a price of either a sore shoulder or flinching or both.