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Dixie Gun Works 28 gauge

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Sorry about not responding sooner.

No, there is no mm stamp I could find directly on the visible part of the barrel, but I did check the bore size with a set of cheap metal mechanical calipers. It took a few measurement checks to get a proper measure because of a bad angle reading, but the rough measurement came out to about .546875" or 13.89mm. If I wanted to I could run a patched .535 round ball in it, but I still would be reluctant about it. I believe my shotgun to be a cylinder bore which I think is far more common in BP shotguns.

Patterning was accomplished by varying the loads. Less powder than shot by volume was one way a tighter pattern was accomplished for cylinder bores.

The .52 caliber was used in the 19th century. I really don't know if that helps but there might be wad cutting punches reproduced somewhere for that caliber. Then again with the advice given earlier from others your shotgun is more than likely equipped with a choke.

Here is a neat link below with advice from the days of fusil users when most wads where made from tow fiber.

http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/shotgun.html

Cpl.A, this is a bit late but thanks for web site. I had not seen that one before. Thanks again.
 
Smokey Plainsman, 3/4 ounce over 55 grains of powder is listed as a heavy load for a 28 gauge. I'll let someone else reply about a one ounce load. I've never shot that load and do not recommend going over listed heavy loads. A one ounce muzzleloading load is getting into a 16 gauge.
 
Can a 28 gauge (.54) shoot 1 oz of shot?
A one ounce load of shot weighs 437.5 grains.
While .54 rifles can shoot slugs that weigh that much, they have much thicker barrels to take the high pressures these heavy slugs create.

With a shotguns thinner barrel wall, I sure wouldn't be loading something that weighs that much in my 28 guage if I had one.
 
View attachment 10594 View attachment 10595 View attachment 10596 Some years ago I bought a Dixie Gun Works 28 gauge single shot shotgun. Dixie said these were made in Spain and imported in the 1960's & 70's. Mine has a "clam" shell patch box. The ramrod is a small diameter steel rod that goes into the stock only exposing about 8 inches out of the stock. I had always wanted one of these 28 gauge shotguns. In my early teen years, these were advertised in outdoor magazines. So in my excitement I bought 28 gauge wads only to find out they would not fit! What the heck! I measured the barrel and it came out .526 not the .550 or .560 I expected. I cross checked the millimeters on the barrel and yup it comes out .526. So even though I have a Dixie marked 28 gauge shotgun, it is really a 32 gauge. Lucky for me Circle Fly sells the wads and overpowder cards.
So does anyone else have one? Have you tried a PRB?
about an astounding 58 years ago i remember sending about $12 to DGW for one on these kits. Was quite an adventure at 12.
 
about an astounding 58 years ago i remember sending about $12 to DGW for one on these kits. Was quite an adventure at 12.

I remember these ads well, as a teenager but I had no experience in BP and no one who knew anything about it. 60 years ago I bet you had a real adventure with that gun. Times were very different then. I had a buddy bought a gun magazine in the 60's because he thought the cover said "Guns of Black Powder". He gave it to me read about BP. But he read the cover wrong. It actually said "Guns of Black Power". It didn't help us get started in BP, lol.
 
I remember these ads well, as a teenager but I had no experience in BP and no one who knew anything about it. 60 years ago I bet you had a real adventure with that gun. Times were very different then. I had a buddy bought a gun magazine in the 60's because he thought the cover said "Guns of Black Powder". He gave it to me read about BP. But he read the cover wrong. It actually said "Guns of Black Power". It didn't help us get started in BP, lol.
about an astounding 58 years ago i remember sending about $12 to DGW for one on these kits. Was quite an adventure at 12.
I finished it but the tang broke off due to a casting flaw. I took it to a "gunsmith" who charged me $10 to fix it. Never gave me a quote but said it wouldn't t be much. Right. His "fix" consisted of grinding off the tang completely and cobbling up crude "L" shaped replacement. The coup de gras was installing it by 2 drilling holes completely thru what was left of plug. Still makes me mad 58 years later. When i complained he replied "its a junk wallhanger anyway --you wern't really gonna shoot it right??" !!!!!
 
I finished it but the tang broke off due to a casting flaw. I took it to a "gunsmith" who charged me $10 to fix it. Never gave me a quote but said it wouldn't t be much. Right. His "fix" consisted of grinding off the tang completely and cobbling up crude "L" shaped replacement. The coup de gras was installing it by 2 drilling holes completely thru what was left of plug. Still makes me mad 58 years later. When i complained he replied "its a junk wallhanger anyway --you wern't really gonna shoot it right??" !!!!!

I can understand you being upset. I think anyone would have been. Unfortunately you were probably not the last person screwed over by that "gunsmith". Do you still have it? If so a real gunsmith might be able to resurrect it.
 
Can a 28 gauge (.54) shoot 1 oz of shot?

I have loaded my 28 ga. with 90 grains of powder and a 100 grains setting for shot.
100 grains of shot is equivalent to ~1 3/8's ozs. of shot.
I loaded with Pyrodex, used compressed newspaper and cotton balls as wadding and also experimented with modern plastic wads.

For comparison, modern high brass Winchester 28 ga. hunting shotshells contain 1 oz. of #8 shot and have an advertised velocity of 1205 FPS.

POWDER MEASURE SETTINGS TO THROW OUNCES OF SHOT:


 50 grain setting = 3/4 ounce of shot

 60 grain setting = 7/8 ounce of shot

 70 grain setting = 1 ounce of shot

 80 grain setting = 1 1/8 ounce of shot

 90 grain setting = 1 1/4 ounce of shot

 100 grain setting = 1 3/8 ounce of shot

 110 grain setting = 1 1/2 ounce of shot

 120 grain setting = 1 5/8 ounce of shot


Here are a few equal volume loads:

oz. shot-----Dr. powder-------Grains

3/4-------------2--------------55

7/8-------------2 1/4----------62

1---------------2 1/2----------68

1 1/8-----------2 3/4----------75

1 1/4-----------3--------------82

1 3/8-----------3 1/4----------89

1 1/2-----------3 1/2----------96

1 5/8-----------3 3/4----------102

1 3/4-----------4--------------109

1 7/8-----------4 1/4----------116

2---------------4 1/2----------123

2 1/8-----------4 3/4----------130

2 1/4-----------5--------------137
 
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I have loaded my 28 ga. with 90 grains of powder and a 100 grains setting for shot.
100 grains of shot is equivalent to ~1 3/8's ozs. of shot.
I loaded with Pyrodex, used compressed newspaper and cotton balls as wadding and also experimented with modern plastic wads.

For comparison, modern high brass Winchester 28 ga. hunting shotshells contain 1 oz. of #8 shot and have an advertised velocity of 1205 FPS.

POWDER MEASURE SETTINGS TO THROW OUNCES OF SHOT:


 50 grain setting = 3/4 ounce of shot

 60 grain setting = 7/8 ounce of shot

 70 grain setting = 1 ounce of shot

 80 grain setting = 1 1/8 ounce of shot

 90 grain setting = 1 1/4 ounce of shot

 100 grain setting = 1 3/8 ounce of shot

 110 grain setting = 1 1/2 ounce of shot

 120 grain setting = 1 5/8 ounce of shot


Here are a few equal volume loads:

oz. shot-----Dr. powder-------Grains

3/4-------------2--------------55

7/8-------------2 1/4----------62

1---------------2 1/2----------68

1 1/8-----------2 3/4----------75

1 1/4-----------3--------------82

1 3/8-----------3 1/4----------89

1 1/2-----------3 1/2----------96

1 5/8-----------3 3/4----------102

1 3/4-----------4--------------109

1 7/8-----------4 1/4----------116

2---------------4 1/2----------123

2 1/8-----------4 3/4----------130

2 1/4-----------5--------------137

Articap, I think you said you were using a 28 gauge shotgun. Or was it a 28 gauge smoothbore rifle? I might add shooting any of these loads would be at the shooter's own risk. Different firearms digest loads differently.That being said, I'm going to try some heavier loads. Did you mix your shot sizes to increase the density of the pattern. For instance number 6's and 7 1/2's?
Thanks for this info, Articap. It is very formative.
Phill
 
I converted a 13 gauge damascus double to a cargo gun, 50 caliber right barrel and 28 gauge left. A one ounce load of shot with equal size or a little less FFG is my 28 gauge load and works great. Really patterns best with Skychiefs load.
 
I converted a 13 gauge damascus double to a cargo gun, 50 caliber right barrel and 28 gauge left. A one ounce load of shot with equal size or a little less FFG is my 28 gauge load and works great. Really patterns best with Skychiefs load.

theoldredneck, Converting that double really sounds interesting. Maybe you could explain the process.
Thanks
 
I think I did when I was doing it a few years ago. Was getting back into muzzle loading and joined this forum for information and help. Basically got liners from TJ's and lined the damascus barrels on the old double. Had been doing cartridge guns for years before getting back into muzzleloaders. This site is a wonderful source of information.
 
I think I did when I was doing it a few years ago. Was getting back into muzzle loading and joined this forum for information and help. Basically got liners from TJ's and lined the damascus barrels on the old double. Had been doing cartridge guns for years before getting back into muzzleloaders. This site is a wonderful source of information.

Thanks for the timely response. I'm not familiar with TJ's. Are they listed somewhere on this forum?
 

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