Spanish 28ga

[Andrew Bradley]

I recently bought a Spanish 28ga for my 8yr old. It's light enough for him to hold up vs my 56 renegade. I was just seeing if anyone had used one of these, and if so how stout are they? Didn't want to blow the boy or gun up. I was thinking 50-60gr of 2f and about the same amount of shot. Also would a roundball load be out of the question?

Thx
Andrew

 

[ohio ramrod]

I don't know what one you have, But I have an early one that navy arms brought over in the late sixties. It needed some "beefing up" of the tang and lock mountings but is still safe to shoot over forty years later. I use 55 grain FF and 3/4 ounce of shot over two leather wads. For candle shoots I load a 530 patched ball and 45 grain FF. The gun has accounted for many rabbits and back in the early seventies a lot of pheasants. I have never tried to "push" a round ball load for maximum velocity. The gun did drop two deer the first year Ohio had a primitive weapons season at approximately 35 to 40 yards. :idunno:

 

Guessing without seeing it that it is one of the ones sold by Century Arms in the late sixties and early seventies, the load you gave is about right. The one I have (19.95 for a half stock in 1969) is made at least as well as current offerings from Spain.
Back then I was young and dumb and used modern plastic wads - I think they were called Power Pistons. When I went hunting I would fill the cups on the wads with shot and fold a piece of newspaper over it that was held in place with a rubber band. I used a Zouave flask and charged (that young and dumb thing again) directly from the flask. I then removed the newspaper, poured the shot in my left hand, loaded and rammed the wad home with my right hand, poured the shot in my left hand down the barrel, and then rammed the newspaper down for an overshot wad. Sounds complicated, but a lot of tree rats died because of that gun.
The barrel walls are thick enough that with a reasonable powder charge round balls should be no problem. Mine even has a crude rear sight on the front of the tang.

 

[Zonie]

Glad to hear your Century Arms 28 guage worked OK.

Back in 1971, I bought a Century Arms 28 guage shotgun. It had a 2 piece stock on it with a piece of brass sheet metal covering up the joint.

It also had a small "sea shell" cap box on the butt.

Lacking any 28 guage wads I found a box of Federal shells and removed the shot and plastic wad.

Loading it with about 45 grains of DuPont 3Fg, the wad, and shot and a wad of newspaper for a overshot wad, I touched her off.

It fired with no real problem except there was smoke coming from the stock at the breech.
That worried me so I didn't shoot it again.

When I got home and removed the barrel I saw the wood in the whole area around the breech plug was covered with powder fouling.

I never shot it again and when I sold it I told the buyer my story and suggested it would make a nice wall hanger.

 

I know a couple of people who had the shotguns or pistols. The breaching looked the same on both. I never knew of anyone that had problems but that doesn't mean anything.
I bought a Ruger Old Army when they first came out. Mine had a serious chain fire problem that, as it turned out, was caused by a hole big enough to stick a paper clip through in one of (or is it two of) the chamber walls.
Problems slip through quality control in even the best companies.

 

[DickS]

Glad to hear your Century Arms 28 guage worked OK.

Back in 1971, I bought a Century Arms 28 guage shotgun. It had a 2 piece stock on it with a piece of brass sheet metal covering up the joint.

It also had a small "sea shell" cap box on the butt.

Lacking any 28 guage wads I found a box of Federal shells and removed the shot and plastic wad.

Loading it with about 45 grains of DuPont 3Fg, the wad, and shot and a wad of newspaper for a overshot wad, I touched her off.

It fired with no real problem except there was smoke coming from the stock at the breech.
That worried me so I didn't shoot it again.

When I got home and removed the barrel I saw the wood in the whole area around the breech plug was covered with powder fouling.

I never shot it again and when I sold it I told the buyer my story and suggested it would make a nice wall hanger.

I have one of these. Shot it quite a bit without any problems. Paid $29.95 back in the '70s.

 

[steinauge32]

I had one of those that Dixie sold in the mid sixties.I shot it a lot with both shot and ball.I used 40 gr 3f for ball and shot iirc and the little gun worked fine.I killed a few squirrels and lots of beer cans with it.

 

[Andrew Bradley]

Thx everybody. Gun shoots fine. Definitely have to keep the loads on the lighter side for recoil. Haven't tried any round balls since this one seems to have som choke, a 530 ball won't pass the muzzle.