Are plastic shells safe to use in old shotguns?
- Thread starter Oleg Volk
- Start date
It gets complicated, Oleg....
Older shotguns are oft chambered for shells shorter than those commonly used these days. The Brits used a 2 inch 12 ga shell, a 2 1/2", a 2 3/4" and even a 3" load for waterfowl guns.
Older 16 gauges are oft chambered for a 2 9/16" shell, and so on.
A modern plastic cased shell of appropriate length, loaded lightly to ease stresses on old shotguns is safe in shotguns that are up to being used.
ALL OLD GUNS SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT BY A COMPETENT SMITH BEFORE FIRING!
NOTE:
When we say a 2 3/4" shell, for example, that means the shell is 2 3/4" or less in the fired state, not as loaded.If the crimp doesn't have enough room to open properly, in the chamber and not abutting into the forcing cone, pressures skyrocket.IOW, using too long a shell can make an old shotgun into a grenade.
Also, some older guns are as tight in the chamber as in the bore, especially European guns. This doesn't matter much unless one is using reloads that haven't been sized.
Otherwise, modern ammo works in old guns PDG.
Older shotguns are oft chambered for shells shorter than those commonly used these days. The Brits used a 2 inch 12 ga shell, a 2 1/2", a 2 3/4" and even a 3" load for waterfowl guns.
Older 16 gauges are oft chambered for a 2 9/16" shell, and so on.
A modern plastic cased shell of appropriate length, loaded lightly to ease stresses on old shotguns is safe in shotguns that are up to being used.
ALL OLD GUNS SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT BY A COMPETENT SMITH BEFORE FIRING!
NOTE:
When we say a 2 3/4" shell, for example, that means the shell is 2 3/4" or less in the fired state, not as loaded.If the crimp doesn't have enough room to open properly, in the chamber and not abutting into the forcing cone, pressures skyrocket.IOW, using too long a shell can make an old shotgun into a grenade.
Also, some older guns are as tight in the chamber as in the bore, especially European guns. This doesn't matter much unless one is using reloads that haven't been sized.
Otherwise, modern ammo works in old guns PDG.
Of course you know about damascus or twist bbls. Damascus were made of layers of steel/iron hammered together under heat and thereby welded. The twist was a flat strap welded around a mandrel. Rust had a way of getting between the layers and making a weak spot. No smokeless powder in them, regardless of chamber length.
Nanaimo Barr
New member
well, I've been running plastic shotshells through my 1906 win 97 pump for over a year now with narry a problem..
A case can be made,Big G, that the 97(and its predecessor the 93) was the first modern shotgun design. Like all JMB designs, it's overengineered.
No current design has the safety margins and tolerances of those older ones.While the classic SXS makers like Purdey and Fox raised gunbuilding to a high art, JMB made it a science.
Again, even the 97, or indeed any older shotgun, should be checked out by a competent smith before firing.
And, since life is short and can be made shorter by carelessness, I've fired more than one older gun by a string tied to the trigger and pulled from behind cover. I'm careful,m which is exactly why I'm here today.
Have a Glorious 4th...
No current design has the safety margins and tolerances of those older ones.While the classic SXS makers like Purdey and Fox raised gunbuilding to a high art, JMB made it a science.
Again, even the 97, or indeed any older shotgun, should be checked out by a competent smith before firing.
And, since life is short and can be made shorter by carelessness, I've fired more than one older gun by a string tied to the trigger and pulled from behind cover. I'm careful,m which is exactly why I'm here today.
Have a Glorious 4th...
Nanaimo Barr
New member
well, he asked about "older" (pre 60's), and yes, it was checked out by a good 'smith, in fact, I bought it from my regular gun pusher, who's hobby is collecting "old west" firearms. he sold it because I wanted one and he already had 12..
NB
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