doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Pressures in older lead loads

not only primer degradation, but nitro powder decomposing, it's not black powder, its nitro powder and after many years and decomposing some nitro powders could produce extremely high pressures. Do not shoot them, it's collector item only.

Heck I can't even read my own mind and its mine to read.

Depending upon the condition of the original box some of those paper shells are worth some money to a collector. Why shoot them put them up on e-bay or some other site and sale them.

Have some fun and shoot them. I've shot dozens of boxes and most if not all shoot fine. Occasionally you'll get a dud but almost always that is with Winchester Super Speed with the silver primer. You can't sell ammo on Ebay and if you could I've got easily over a hundred boxes of classics that I would gladly put on. I'll sell all the classics anyone wants for $15 per box plus shipping. Told myself that I'm not gonna die with all this ammo. brdslayr@clearwire.net

I agree with Geno. My experience has been super high recoil. I bought what the dealer at a gun show thought would be low pressure in a roll crimped 12g shell. Shot a few at skeet and cracked my stock. I felt the added recoil but did not have enough sense to stop before the damage.

I've shot many hundreds (and chronographed dozens) of shotshells loaded between 1947-1960....never have I experienced a single instance of greater than expected recoil. I've shot very few pre-War (roll crimped) shells because of FTF's I suspect are related to the primers.The first time I experience it I'll cease the practice. That's not to say it doesn't happen, but if it does it's been infrequent enough that I seriously doubt it has ever been correlated to decomposing smokeless powder. IMHO, smokeless powder will not become more energetic with age and I've found no scientific evidence to suggest otherwise. This rates right there with "modern shotshells will blow up a Damascus barrel." I don't doubt that it has happened, I'm just skeptical of the conclusions people draw from such anecdotal evidence. Everyone's entitled to their opinion; I just can't help pointing out where opinion and fact diverge.

Thanks for being gentle in your reply Mike. It is true that it is anecdotal for the first six shells in the box. There were no markings to indicate an out of the ordinary load on the box and I certainly retired it after that. Have it around somewhere since they were pretty and I have trouble throwing things out. I do not shoot old loads anymore regardless of anybodies results. It was an expensive lesson for me.

It sounds like you were "poles apart"!;)

Сhronograph does not show pressures.
When smokeless powder decomposed, smokeless powder doesn't burn, it tends to explode.