new shotgun

What do you mean rag wads? you have peaked my interest. lol


Andy

I just make a ball of that blue shop toweling that comes on a roll. Just tear off a piece that will give a ball about a half inch when balled up, with a little grease lube.

Here is a picture of the wad in the center when I was having patch burn out with one of my smoothbores. The burned patch is on the left without a wad the wad is in the center and a patch on the right after using the wad. I found out the wads work with shot also. Depending on the gauge of the gun determines how much wadding to use.

A bit of history:

In 1971 I bought my first black powder guns.
One of them was a 28 guage shotgun, just like yours except it had a second piece of wood under the barrel making it a "full stock".

I was all charged up about it so I went out and bought a box of 28 guage shotgun shells.

Dissecting some of them to salvage the shot and wads (not the powder), I took my new 28 guage shotgun, shot, wads and black powder out to the desert.
There, I loaded it up with a medium load, capped it and touched it off.

It fired fine but there was a lot of smoke coming from beneath the breech. More than one would expect to see from just the powder gas that blew out of the nipple.

Curious, I removed the lock and barrel, only to find that there was a lot of black powder fouling under the bottom of the breech plug.
It had coated the entire area under the rear of the barrel.

Needless to say, that put a good fear in me so, I took it home and never fired it again.

I am not saying your shotgun will do the same thing but I am suggesting that until the gun proves itself, go light with the powder and shot loads.

Thanks for the heads up Jim. This one appears to have a welded solid breach. Was yours the same? Thanks for the definition and pictures of the "rag" wad. lol


Andy

As I recall, the breech plug was brazed in with the brass filler showing in a few places.

As for welded breech plugs, I'm not a fan of those either.

The better guns use a breech plug that is screwed into the barrel with a large thread.

The threaded breech plugs spreads out the stress created by the burning powder gas out over a large area of the barrel.

A weld tends to concentrate the stress in the weld joint.

As I said, keep the first loads on the mild side and take it from there.

ok thank you will do.

Andy

I recently purchased a Spanish single shot 28ga. I have only shot the 54 cal rb in it with 50 grains of 3f. This is my first black powder shotgun and still reading the threds for proper loads.

I think #7 shot is a little light for squirrels because they have thick skin. #4's or 5's would be a better choice. I prefer 4's. Keep yer powder dry......Robin :wink:

You got me thinking about the fouling and brazed breech plug. I pulled the barrel for the first time and was relieved to find a screwed in breech plug with no fouling. I don't shoot it much anymore, always taking one of my original's into the woods.

I pulled my barrel and it appear to have a screwed in breach plug.

andy

Load it up go get them tree rats, have fun & be safe. :thumbsup:

Yes sir i am ready for it.


Andy

I think #7 shot is a little light for squirrels because they have thick skin.

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Don't tell that to all the ones I have killed with # 7 1/2 shot. :shocked2: My favorite size, I consider it an all-around hunting shot size.

If I recall correctly, Danny Caywood will not jug choke anything under 20 gauge.

Amen :hatsoff:

B.

Have to admit I'm an 'odd' size guy too. 5, 7 and 9...and if I could still get 1 and 3, I"d have them too! :wink:

Wes/Tex said:

Have to admit I'm an 'odd' size guy too. 5, 7 and 9...and if I could still get 1 and 3, I"d have them too! :wink:

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Wes, Ballistic Products still lists #1 & #3 in somewhat pricy nickel-plated, albeit they are actually nearest-size metric 4.1mm and 3.5mm. The twice-barrel likes BP's magnum or copper-plated #5s for most game. Anything bigger is usually for waterfowl and it's bismuth (2s and 4s weigh in about like magnum lead 3s & 5s) or NiceShot time, or else BP's lead Ts or #4 buck if I ever go after coyotes or badgers with it.

Merry Christmas and all the best in the new year from the Great(?) White North,
Joel

Thanks Joel...good to know. You and the "twice-barrel carabine" have a Merry Christmas. Just remember not to stand underneath when Santa flies by! *