doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Herter's Low Recoil Shotshells & Vintage Guns

While shooting sporting clays yesterday I ran out of RSTs shells for my 1882 WC Scott hammer gun. I was on the 2nd to last station so I grabbed some low recoil 1oz Herters to finish the round. To my surprise, the Herters kicked way less than the RSTs (quieter too). They also run run about 1/2 the price. So I'm thinking about using them regularly but was wondering about the PSI on these shells... The 1oz, low-recoil, 1060 fps shells. After shooting them, I would guess them to be very low. But how suitable are they for vintage guns?

The gun I was shooting is a pretty stout piece. .044 thickness on 30" damascus barrels, 7 1/2 lbs, dolls head ext, etc. Chambers appear to have been opened to 2 3/4". The gun is perfect for sporting clays.

Any opinions and insight would be much appreciated.

Adam

According to this older post, it seems like someone had them tested and they were in the neighborhood of 9K PSI. I was one of the unlucky many unable to purchase at 27.99 per flat so no direct experience. Ha.

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=425363&page=2

I wouldn't use them in that gun, Adam, 9K is pretty high for damascus, IMO.

SRH

Adam's took a walk on the wild side...from what I can see she's a nice looking old girl.

A lifted Gunsinternational photo

Dreaded Damascus barrels with lengthened chambers without a reproof (with most likely a good honing er two) and 9000 psi shells ?

Wow... 9000 psi???? I sure didn't expect that from a shell that kicked so little! Oh well. What is a safe PSI to keep under for Damascus barrel? 6k?

Adam

So with a measured .044" wall thickness you guys are worried at 9K? I would not be. What is CIP for a Brit 2&1/2" shell? Very close to 9K. You have very thick walls if measured correctly.....proceed and have fun.

Herter's offers a 1 oz. Field & Target @ 1290 fps, a Select Field Dove & Quail 1 oz. at 1250 fps, and the Target LR 1 oz. @ 1060 fps.
B&P Competition One 1 oz. at 1160 fps is 6530 psi.
I suspect the 9000 psi is the Field & Target.

If the chambers have been lengthened, the wall thickness at the end of the chamber and forcing cone is critical.

I'm with Steve on this one. Nine thou is a bit high, but not egregiously so. If those tubes are indeed 44-thousandths then those shells will never come close to causing this gun a problem (barring a stuck wad, but that's any gun). Moreover, if felt recoil isn't bad then I'd not be too-concerned about the head of the stock either.

"IF" a shell loaded with 1oz of shot to 1060 FPS does indeed hit 9K psi it's going to hit it very quickly in the chamber & then fall off rapidly. I assume the .044" thickness is down the barrel. Pressure is going to be way down by that point.
What is important here is the wall thickness over the chamber & particularly where it joins the forcing cone. With the gun weighing in at 7� lbs I'm betting it's not particularly thin here either. Assuming adequate wall thickness here in the chamber area I would not be at all concerned over a pressure of 9K with that light a load. In fact with that load I don't think I would be overly concerned as to what the actual pressure even is.

I would not shoot cheap shells in nice vintage European gun like that. I would not, however, have any problems putting them through: Parker Bros, Fox,.... Lefever or L.C. Smith with fluid steel barrels. All A.H. Fox guns had fluid steel barrels them rest you have to be careful with.