Shotshell pressures circa 1906

[charlie cleveland]

mighty nice ithaca showed here...looks like those boys in 06 was shooting about the same loads of pressure that we do today... i ve been shooting damascuss gun s for about 55 years with no problems lots of old green remington high brass as gone down the barrels of these old guns ive owned with no problems other than maybe a sore shoulder....charlie

[Drew Hause]

The 1933 edition of ”Smokeless Shotgun Powders” by Wallace Coxe and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. reported the LUP pressure for 1 1/4 oz. 3 Dram Eq. of DuPont Bulk Smokeless at 9,600. Modern piezoelectric pressure would be about 10% higher.

In the 1928 edition, Coxe reported 3 1/2 Dram Eq. 1 1/4 oz. loads:
DuPont Bulk Smokeless powder - 11,700 psi
Schultze Bulk Smokeless powder - 11,800 psi
28 grains of Ballistite - 12,600 psi
Note: Pressures are beyond the modern SAAMI recommendation for 2 3/4" 12g of 11,500 psi.

DuPont Bulk, Schultze, "E.C." (all bulk) and Ballistite and Infallible (both Dense) were available in most c. 1906 shells, and 3 1/2 Dram Eq. with 1 1/4 oz. shot would be a common "Pigeon Load".