A little off topic but I’m gonna be getting the letter for my gun and was unsure on the butt type. Mine just has a metal butt plate would that just be considered a recoil pad?

no a metal butt plate is not considered a recoil pad....a recoil psd is usally made out of rubber or some thing soft to help absorb recoil... charlie

Ok so what would it be classified as? A DHBP or a skeleton? Per the research letter request for?

re: butt plate
 

Plain metal
Skeleton
Dogs head

Jacob,
Smokeless does not work very well in brass hull loading. There needs to be constant pressure put on the components and powder for ignition of smokeless powder to be consistent which is hard to do when gluing in the components into the brass. Black powder ignites easier and with a smaller primer. The other problem you run into with smokeless is knowing the pressures of what you are loading. If you stick with standard black powder loads you do not need to worry about high pressure, but with smokeless you won't know what you are getting for pressure. If you decide to go smokeless you need to find tested recipes and get the components for those recipes. Don't let having to clean up the barrels after shooting deter you from black powder. It is fun to shoot and load.

I have three different Parkers, a 10 ga. Lifter, a 12 ga. Lifter and a 16 ga. Lifter, all chambered for metallic shells that I regularly shoot 2 3/4” modern plastic-hulled shells in… without harm in any way to the barrels. I shoot low-pressure loads exclusively.





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Dean,
I shoot low pressure smokeless loads all the time in my Damascus barreled Parkers as well. The problem at the moment is in regards to 10 Gauge and being able to get the components to do this. That's one reason I do shoot black powder in 10 gauge. The components for black powder shooting have been more available.

Jacob, I shoot BP shotgun loads in BP events and occasionally for hunting. If you are shooting a break-action gun, just remove the bbls from the action, boil some water in a teapot, slowly pour the boiled water down the bores in a slop sink. I use a "Tico Tool" type bore swab and swab the very hot bbls. Then I'll run a few dry patches through followed by lubed patches to coat the bbls with a good oil such as Clenzoil. It's really a quick and easy clean up that takes less than 5 minutes (not including boiling the water). The hotter the water, the easier the clean up as the hot water basically evaporates off the bbls.

As for smokeless shells in Damascus guns, as long as the bores haven't been honed thin and the bores are not badly pitted, you should have no problem shooting 2 3/4 dram 1 oz shells in a 12g and 2 1/2 dram 7/8-3/4 oz in 16 & 20g. Avoid heavy field loads and you and you vintage stocks will be fine.

What would be a good load for a 10 gauge? Say for just regular clays shooting and a good turkey hunting load. That’s my main plans for this gun, fun shooting and turkey hunting maybe pheasants also.

22.5g Unique, SP 10 wad with a 16g 1/2" wad set in the shot cup followed by 1 1/4 oz shot. Topped with a fold crimp. If using a roll crimp top the shot with an overshot card then roll.

I also have data for using 7625, but that powder is discontinued. If you have some I can give you those recipes.