Dingelfutz,
It has been a pleasure reading your Posts in response to Mike's questions. I wish that it was possible to meet you and talk about this game in detail!
I will only add a couple of general type comments.
I hit a brick wall in my attempts to have a set of 20ga barrels jug choked. I was told by several in that business that the barrels would have to be seperated and re-regulated after being choked and rejoined.High $$$! My problem was solved by having a friend who is a barrel maker make a set of 16ga barrels choked before joining.I had the right barrel choked full, and the left barrel cyl. It is easier to reach up and back the right hammer than it is the left, and that's the reason I had the change from the traditional left barrel choked format.
I do have a jug choke in a New England Fowler with a 51 inch barrel. The piece patterns very well, and the jug choke does not affect patched round balls.
The fire hazard being greater with a ML'r, I'm not sure about. I've never had a bad experience with any of my activity loading in the traditional way with OP,cushion and OS cards. With patched round balls out of my flintlock rifles I frequently have patches smoulder, but only those that I dry lubed with water soluable oil and only on days with very low humidity. Overall I don't think the fire potential with a conventionally loaded ML shotgun would be very risky.
Mike, you'll have trouble finding 20ga cast round balls, and when you find them the price will be high. Best plan to bite the bullet and spend another $100. and get Ray Rapine to make a mould. On second thought, if you're in California you may be restricted from using lead! You may have to use ball bearings!
You honor me sir! Thank you!
There is no need to separate and re-regulate barrels that are to be "jug choked" unless the barrels need re-regulating to begin with.
I agree with the "left loose, right tight" choke choice. Not only does this combo make hammer aquisition easier but it also makes for more comfortable shooting since a left barrel's recoil comes more "straight back" than a right barrel's recoil does, at least for a right handed shooter. In addition, I have always found it handier to go "back to front" in my use of double triggers than the more traditional "front to back", but that could be just me.
You make a good point about fire hazards. Most of the significant dangers that I have experienced have had to do with either shredded paper wadding or filler wads that were placed directly on powder charges. Still, b/p does tend to generate more "hot gunk" than smokeless powders usually do so precautions are always a good idea.
20-gauge balls are out there. As far as cost is concerned it seems to me that one needs to determine how many r/bs one wishes to shoot. If all one wishes to do is to do a bit of deer hunting and/or one does not have either the equipment or the space to use it then it would seem that going through all the expense and hassle of producing r/bs might not be justified.
If, however, more extensive r/b shooting is to be done then "running lead" might make more sense. Participation in "trade gun" shooting events, for example, can really "up" the use of r/bs in smooth bore m/ls. "Mad scientist" types who simply must try all possible ball diameters in the pursuit of the "perfect load" usually end up being bullet casters, too.
As a "m.s." type (and a known cheapskate) I have found that the simple Dixie Gun Works moulds have a lot to recommend them. These moulds are very inexpensive, they are easy to use (if one handles them using heat-resistant gloves), and they are durable (no sprue plate to get out of order). Even better, they are available in ball diameters that have a range of 1/1000 of an inch. Therefore, if one wants to cast, say, .600", .601", .602", etc., etc, it can be done. The quality of ball that these little moulds cast is usually pretty good, too, though a few Dixie moulds that I have used have required a little minor "tuning" to make them work at their best but, in fairness, I have had more expensive moulds that have required at least that much "tuning". The only major "downsides" of these moulds are that (1) they only come with one cavity and (2) one needs to cut off sprues after the balls are cast with a tool like a pair of side cutters.
Interestingly, ball bearings have been used with good effect from cylinder-bored smoothbore guns. (Versatile beasts, no?) All that seems to be required is sufficient patch thickness and coverage and large enough powder charges to compensate for steel's relative lack of density compared to lead. I understand that "b/b" loads offer relatively light recoil and lots of velocity. "B/bs" are also pretty uniform in their weights in the same diameters. They also can occasionally be reused. (I would be a bit hesitant to shoot "b/bs" though choke bored barrels, however.) What fun!
