huntermn, If your W.Richards is the W.Richards of Liverpool,you have a gun by a very good English maker.I have a W.J.Jeffrey & Co.
10 bore hammergun that weighs 11 lbs. 2 oz. with 33" damascus barrels that was chambered for 3 1/4" 10 bore Perfect cases,(engraved on the underside of the barrels),which were thin brass cases that took 9 bore wads and the gun according to "The Gun and It's Development"by W.W.Greener,was proofed for a service load of
4 1/4 drams of black powder and 1 5/8 oz of shot.The proof load was 8 1/2 drams of black powder and 2 1/8 oz. of shot.The gun was built in 1896.The bore dimension at proof was stamped 10/2 which is almost 9 bore.Very big difference between the load of a 2 5/8 shell (1 1/8 oz.) and the magnum wildfowler.
Wonder what the pressure of that load was?? Do you shoot an equivalent load in your gun??
