Bought a Manton 10 gauge this morning and I gots some questions

[Wawyasto]

Range Report:

Forgot to grab #8 shot at Scheels last time I was there, so all I had was #5 shot for testing. A square load of 80 grains 2F and #5 using the Skychief load was a definite squirrel and turkey killer at 25 yards, though it seems like it patterns both barrels about a foot high of center at the same distance, is this a thing or should I be looking for something I'm doing wrong?

Has anyone run roundball out of a 10 guage? Guess i need a source for balls and where to start load wise.

I think I will try Triple 7 in this, cleaning it tonight was the opposite of fun. I think I had more fouling in one barrel than I've cleaned out of all my rifles in a year!

 

[Britsmoothy]

'Urban legend'? does steel compress ? No look at fired shot you might get in a cooked rabbit its dented & flatted by the other shot & contact with the barrel. Lead gives Steel dosnt..wheres the urban legend it that ? Do you load your blunderbuss with hands full of pebbles & brocken glass ? another' urban ledgend.'
Rudyard

All metals can be formed. Otherwise we would not have stuff! Some metals do indeed get compressed to an extent.
The flats on lead shot you find in game is not necessarily compression as you put it but from deposition of lead or leading of the barrel.
The dimples in retrieved lead shot are evidence of forming. Steel will also do the same with enough pressure. Whether that is achieved via a muzzleloader is debatable but one must not overlook how shot behaves. It behaves very much as a fluid and within limits flow and conform to the barrel. If it didn't we would be in trouble...often!

 

[Brokennock]

Range Report:

Forgot to grab #8 shot at Scheels last time I was there, so all I had was #5 shot for testing. A square load of 80 grains 2F and #5 using the Skychief load was a definite squirrel and turkey killer at 25 yards, though it seems like it patterns both barrels about a foot high of center at the same distance, is this a thing or should I be looking for something I'm doing wrong?

Has anyone run roundball out of a 10 guage? Guess i need a source for balls and where to start load wise.

I think I will try Triple 7 in this, cleaning it tonight was the opposite of fun. I think I had more fouling in one barrel than I've cleaned out of all my rifles in a year!

How thick are the barrels?
I personally would not risk Triple7 in a nice vintage gun like this. If you do, start lower than average in powder charge and work up slowly.
I've never found real black powder to be any harder to clean than fake stuff,,, and often easier. Use a good lube, make sure you have good tight fitting wads.

As far as shooting high goes.
Does the gun fit you properly? Of you look at something while holding the gun at port arms or low ready, close your eyes and mount the gun,,,,,, is it pointed where you were looking when you open your eyes? Are you seeing a lot of barrel/rib in the lower part of your vision?
Are you lifting your head at the shot, or not getting your face down on the stock enough?

May we please see a picture of the patterns you got?

 

[Wawyasto]

How thick are the barrels?
I personally would not risk Triple7 in a nice vintage gun like this. If you do, start lower than average in powder charge and work up slowly.
I've never found real black powder to be any harder to clean than fake stuff,,, and often easier. Use a good lube, make sure you have good tight fitting wads.

Wads may be my issue then. The wads I have are old and the nitro cards almost drop down the barrels. Ordering some Circle Fly 9 gauge wads tomorrow.

As far as shooting high goes.
Does the gun fit you properly? Of you look at something while holding the gun at port arms or low ready, close your eyes and mount the gun,,,,,, is it pointed where you were looking when you open your eyes? Are you seeing a lot of barrel/rib in the lower part of your vision?

Doing that, I'm pointing just above target and seeing a lot of rib. The bead on this is also very low, it's almost worn away over the years. It's maybe less than a quarter the height of the ribs on my other smokeless SxS shotguns. FWIW I compared the stock to my 2 Stoegers and my old Stevens 311. The LOP is about a quarter inch shorter than my Stoegers and the Drop at Toe is a good inch.

Are you lifting your head at the shot, or not getting your face down on the stock enough?

May we please see a picture of the patterns you got?

Head's down, I shoot shotguns like I do my rifles. I'm no serious wingshooter by any means.

I didn't save my patterning board, But I'll try to shoot a pattern in the next couple days and post.

 

[Lorne Johnson]

Looks like Birmingham proof marks (19th century) on the barrel flats. (You can find pictures by googling that.)

 

[Wawyasto]

Not from the proof marks. But the style suggests 1850-60. A picture of the buttplate return and the triggerguard finial would help zero the date in.

With that hardware it could date as late as the 1870's, long after breech loaders came on the scene. Nothing wrong with that though, I have owned several that late.

Interesting. I ran the gun by a guy who's also a hardcore CW reenactor. He thought it was post Civil War but he said there's a couple guys he knows who do Bleeding Kansas era state militia and guerrilla personas with nearly identical shotguns that pass historical muster.

My guy also said that considering it's great condition I could easily double what I paid for it in those reenactor circles if I ever wanted to part with it. I politely declined.

 

[Brokennock]

Doing that, I'm pointing just above target and seeing a lot of rib.

There's your high shot pattern. Might not be a horrible thing of your pattern is good and has good edges. Take your birds on the rise and it will probably be fine. Otherwise you may need to shave the comb down a bit. Or, adjust the p.o.i. by filing some relief across the top edges of the muzzles.

 

[Feltwad]

99% of guns that shoot high are built for one purpose and that is live pigeon from traps they are very straight in the comb and the heel. Most were single barrel percussion, but they were also built in sxs double I have restored several in percussion which became more so in the breech loader, I do still have a family heirloom which belonged to my grandfather a sxs breech loading hammer gun which won many a match for him, it is full choked both barrels and is very straight like putting a broom shank to your shoulder .A good gunsmith to give the gun more lift should be able to bend the stock to remove wood from the comb I do not recommend it is a poor way of solving the problem and will ruining the look or character of the gun
Feltwad