doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com old doubles and no lead lead shot?

The CA ban had to do with condors eating lead. Maybe it will spread to other states, but if it does, it won't be because of the condors! I remain fairly optimistic that lead will be with us for quite some time.

That being said . . . Marc, with current steel shotshell technology, you can probably shoot steel, down to #4 shot at least, in most vintage doubles with relatively open chokes (nothing tighter than mod) without damaging the barrels. However, pressure will remain an issue. I don't know enough about reloading steel to comment on whether it can be done at pressures that won't harm vintage guns. As long as the regs remain pretty much as they are, I probably have enough Kent TM on hand, in 2 1/2" Gamebore shells, to last me the rest of my life, no more hunting than I do on areas that require nontox.

So, as Mark asked, what are you going to do with your $50K worth of old SxS's or are you going to put $5K into restoring another one? Lets get down to the real issue. I love my old guns and I do hunt them but mostly I shoot clays like most of us here. I keep finding nice stuff and buying them but should we stop? And, yea I know, my kids will have to deal with them when I die but maybe I might need the money for the nursing home.

The only thing I can come up with is Teague sleeving and none of my guns are worth enough to justify that expenditure.

I happen to agree solidly with Sharpsrifle. While lead will eventually be banned or become outdated like DDT, mustard gas, leaded gasoline, vacuum tube TVs, etc, something new will come along, urged on by market forces.

I wouldn't give up on your classic guns yet!

I remember all the doom sayers whining that all our old classic cars would be ruined by no-lead gasoline. Ever been to a classic car auction lately?

Perhaps someone can clarify for me.

Since steel shot goes down the barrel in a plastic cup it shouldn't affect the barrel walls. I assume the damage occurs when the cup hits the choke area. Normal lead shot will deform while being compacted to go through the choke whereas steel shot will not compact, therefore bulging the choke area. Do I have this right?

A vintage gun with no choke should have no problems?
Will choke tubes solve the problem?

Also I've heard that some non tox is just as hard as steel, true?

Thanks, Rob

Most of the non toxic is harder than steel. The exceptions, as far as I know are/were bismuth,impact tungsten matrix and "nice shot" (does it come with a pink bow?).

Hevy shot "classic double" is another but there is not a lot of background on it yet.

Steve,
SD makes in the area of $75-100 mil in the first couple weeks from hunters, nearly all from non-res. However, SD has had a lead ban on stateland hunting, of phez at least, for at least the last 3 yrs that I know of.

While I know about the state land prohibitions, I just don't see that carrying over to privately held land. Just one guys take.
Steve

Johnny Cash is alive. He is just taking a bit of downtime and staying with Elvis in his tasteful condo on Mars.


Marc:

My crystal ball says that, with emotion ruling politics, politically correct shot is not going to go away. It is just a matter of when. I also agree that with a market driven economy the demand for PC shot will be met at a price that the market will be able to bear.

As for shooting steel through open choke vintage guns, it ain't a good thing but if you get enough shots at grouse to ruin a gun, methinks you will have wore out that new dog as well.

Glenn

I've been hoping Sherman Bell will test steel in some of those old damascus guns he tried blowing up (and failing to) months back. If the chokes are open and the shot cup thick where would the harm come from?