Show By BJ Ted In these days of greatly cur cur- curtailed curtailed tailed manufacturing a very great number of shooters are resurrecting I old shotguns that have been in the possession of many many them or their families for many years and putting them to use rears In n many cases there is an ele ele- element ele- ele element ment of grave danger about this warns Col Townsend Whelen well-known well authority on guns Fifty years ago this country was more or dr less flooded with cheap single shotguns turned out by a number of ob oh- obscure firms finns long since out of existence These guns often bore fancy names and quite general general- generally generally ly they were sold by mail mall order houses Almost Invariably they were a flimsy construction and made of cheap materials If a single barrel gun does not bear the name of a reputable manu manu- manufacturer manufacturer still in business it should positively not be fired There are also a great many fine old double guns gunsby gunsby by reputable manufacturers and still in first rate condition but having Damascus laminated or twist twist- barrels No matter who made these guns their original cost or their condition they should positively not be used with any present day smokeless shotgun shells not even with the lighter field loads All such shells give over twice the breech pressure of black powder er shells and these old barrels simply do not have the tensil strength to stand such loads It t IlU II old gun has already b been fired with five or such modern Hili shells The factor of safety is entirely too small Sooner or later the barrel will burst and the th shooter will be b lucky if his left hand does not go too But these fine old guns if in good condition are perfectly safe with black power shells I Very probably our large tines tion manufacturers will not load any more black powder shells but there is no reason why a shooter cannot load his own or have a custom hand- hand loader do do it for him There The Is nothing wrong with such shells For all practical purposes ps a load of 3 4 1 drams of black blaek powder and 1 2 1 ounces of shot in a gauge 12 shell is just justas as good to 40 yards as a modern shell it kills just as well and it does not give appreciably more recoil The smoke is never noticed except perhaps on a windless damp day The practice of fitting these guns with with new barrels of mod mod- modern modern ern steel is most difficult time consuming and therefore an ex ex- ex expensive expensive pensive job for a I There are very few men in Am Am- America America erica competent to make and fit new barrels and the cost would be prohibitive |