2 7/8" 10ga Reloading Data

[Bill Murphy]

Are #57 primers still made?

[Woodcock survey]

Found this on a reloading forum and it works. Take a SPENT 209 primer and insert it into the 57 opening using your normal press and procedure. Take it out and a new 209 will now fit. I have a case of 16 ga. early Remington plastic cases, no shot collar and fiber wads that I have been reloading this way. Have also done Remington paper 28 ga.

[charlie cleveland]

i ll have to try your method on these primers...bill i know of no one selling new no 57 primers...charlie

[Cory Rams]

Thanks for all the obsolete, impossible to find, load data! I just picked up a lee loader in 2 7/8” and 3.5” . I am trying to find the heaviest “safe” loads possible for my Damascus Charles daly 1873 SxS for turkey hunting. I ordered some BPI nickel plated #6’s and have some chilled #5’s. I have a few RST empty cases laying around. I bought 2 boxes of #5 RST 1 1/4oz which didn’t pattern as good as I would have liked. I also bought a box of #6 RST which I haven’t tried yet. I was given sone various plastic wads to try and have some cushion wads and cardboard shot cards coming. I have 700x, red dot, green dot, unique, FG, FFG, and FFFG powders. What is the max PSI for Damascus barrels? I thought it was around 6,000 and I see loads listed up to 10,000 on the 4 page load table. I would like to load the heaviest load possible. I see the heaviest listed is 1 5/8 oz. any load recipes for 10 gauge RST casing with a 1 5/8oz load? Cant wait! Has anyone ever tried duplex loads? I was thinking of half #5’s and #6’s .

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Cory Rams

Thanks for all the obsolete, impossible to find, load data! I just picked up a lee loader in 2 7/8” and 3.5” . I am trying to find the heaviest “safe” loads possible for my Damascus Charles daly 1873 SxS for turkey hunting. I ordered some BPI nickel plated #6’s and have some chilled #5’s. I have a few RST empty cases laying around. I bought 2 boxes of #5 RST 1 1/4oz which didn’t pattern as good as I would have liked. I also bought a box of #6 RST which I haven’t tried yet. I was given sone various plastic wads to try and have some cushion wads and cardboard shot cards coming. I have 700x, red dot, green dot, unique, FG, FFG, and FFFG powders. What is the max PSI for Damascus barrels? I thought it was around 6,000 and I see loads listed up to 10,000 on the 4 page load table. I would like to load the heaviest load possible. I see the heaviest listed is 1 5/8 oz. any load recipes for 10 gauge RST casing with a 1 5/8oz load? Cant wait! Has anyone ever tried duplex loads? I was thinking of half #5’s and #6’s .

Given your sarcasm for my effort some years ago in gathering all the historical data I could find for loading the short ten all I will say at this point is good luck.

[Cory Rams]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

Given your sarcasm for my effort some years ago in gathering all the historical data I could find for loading the short ten all I will say at this point is good luck.

There was zero sarcasm meant by my post. I was honestly excited to see all the load data! As for PSI....I meant pressure. I see 6,000 to 10,000 pressures listed( I called it PSI). I was asking if all of these listed loads were safe for Damascus barrels. I cannot find any load books listing Damascus load pressures. From other readings I was under the impression that 6000 was the max load pressure in Damascus 10 gauge barrels. I’ve been reloading and casting for over 20 years but have never loaded shotgun shells.

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Cory Rams

There was zero sarcasm meant by my post. I was honestly excited to see all the load data! As for PSI....I meant pressure. I see 6,000 to 10,000 pressures listed( I called it PSI). I was asking if all of these listed loads were safe for Damascus barrels. I cannot find any load books listing Damascus load pressures. From other readings I was under the impression that 6000 was the max load pressure in Damascus 10 gauge barrels. I’ve been reloading and casting for over 20 years but have never loaded shotgun shells.

Has your gun been evaluated by a competent to do so gunsmith who deemed it is safe to shoot? What is the chamber length, are you certain it is 2 7/8"? The heaviest 10ga load available at the time your gun was built was most likely 1 1/4 ounce of lead with a velocity around 1150 fps.

The spreadsheet lists all the published and tested 2 7/8" 10ga loadings I could find and their sources noted. No I do not consider all of them safe to shoot in composite barrel guns. There were 10ga double guns produced with fluid steel barrels, notably the Ithaca NID Super Ten that was designed to shoot the heaviest of 2 7/8" 10ga loadings. What a Super Ten will handle and what your gun will handle are different.

Working up the heaviest loading you can find for a near 150 year old gun is unwise and potentially dangerous IMO. A 1 1/4 ounce loading at 1150 fps out of a 10ga will take down any bird provided the choke and shot size are correct and the range is inside 40 yards. Good luck.

[OH Osthaus]

Peter - the rest of us appreciate your efforts

as for the max pressure question - scientifically - I think its just a few PSI under where your barrels blow out - let us know

[OH Osthaus]

no one can tell you what is safe for damascus barrels - condition is everything and will vary. the British proof houses will proof them with modern loads if they pass the preliminary inspection

really - it's not much different than antique fluid steel barrels - how much pitting, have they been honed -

those of us that shoot them do so at our own risk, based on judging the measurements and condition- and our perceived level of self knowledge

[Cory Rams]

They have not been honed and there is some pitting. Thanks for the reply. I guess the question I should’ve asked is what is the load pressure rating for Damascus 10 gauge barrels.