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Joined: Oct 2006
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,225 |
I first posted on this on 6/4/2021 . . . When my father passed I inherited his 16 Ga Western Field Model 30 pump shotgun. He bought it on his 16th birthday in 1947. A guy in the local gun club had inherited a 16 Ga double from his grandfather a couple years earlier as well as a box of shells grandpa had loaded, probably 400 +/- shells. He asked me if I wanted them . . . How could I say no? My conundrum is - I have no idea what powder and shot load is in any of them without deconstruction. All the shells are "plastic" hulls (Remington-Peters) and the top 2 layers (at least) are high base and 8-star crimp. The fella that gave them to me said grandpa used to shoot a lot so he got into reloading them. The grandson wasn't into shooting shotguns but wanted to hang onto grandpa's shotgun.
Would it be safe/advisable to shoot these in dad's shotgun? It needs a good cleaning but otherwise is in good shape, no rust at all and cycles flawlessly. Dad used it regularly for about 35 years and I for at least 15, but hasn't been shot for at least 20 years. What say you? Comments more than welcomed. Thanks to all who offered advice and/or opinions and I have decided to follow the majority and NOT shoot these in my dad's shotgun at this time. I am, however, going to disassemble some of them to determine if they might be safe to try - therein lies the problem. Is there a method to do so without #1 destroying the hull, #2 getting the current wad out and still be useable and #3 resizing the hull without depriming??? IF #1 is nearly impossible, #2 & #3 become moot. Then comes the next problem (as most already know), hulls and primers are next to impossible to find. I have been able to locate wads but not the others. Any ideas??? Thanks to all once again . . .
Someday I hope to be the person my dogs think I am . . .
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
Someone once said "a nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves."
Shiloh Sharps . . . there is no substitute.
NRA Endowment Member
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Joined: Jan 2017
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I'd atleast salvage the shot. Weigh the shot charge , size the shot. It will give you and idea what they were made to do. Pretty iffy to ID the powder. Damned tedious to pull apart 400 loads. The old composite basewad Remington-Peters hulls are no loss, I only load them once. More importantly the primer is probably the old small diameter one made for these hulls. You could spend alot of time dicking with this.drop the shot out of them and toss the rest or test fire one and use if acceptable( grandpa thought they were safe and he used them ) your choice and responsibility
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" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Joined: Oct 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,225 |
MB - thanks, I have essentially come to the same conclusion. It took me nearly an hour to release the shot from 2 shells last night. I was trying to be careful and 'pry' the crimps in order to possibly reload those hulls . . . tedious for sure and unsuccessful by the looks of things. The salvaged shot is 5 or 6 and each weighed right at 1 oz. I will further deconstruct them and weigh and try to identify the powder. My 'guess' is they are loaded for shooting clay birds, not for hunting unless for doves.
Now the search for hulls, wads and primers continues . . .
Someday I hope to be the person my dogs think I am . . .
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
Someone once said "a nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves."
Shiloh Sharps . . . there is no substitute.
NRA Endowment Member
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Joined: Jan 2017
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Campfire Outfitter
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Otter like a lot of guys I allways thought that generation of RP hulls was neat but the facts paint a different picture
Small diameter primer, no biggy if you have some. But what is a real biggy is when you reprime and your reprime punch will distort and possibly fracture the composite base wad. That s why in reality they are just a one shot Suzy. I try not to leave any hulls in the field it's litter. Those are litter after the factory firing. Take a razor blade knife cut the folded hull around the frt separate and pour the shot into a can or jar for reuse..You didn't say but at this point if that wad is a discontinued R-16 (1 oz. Power piston) sneak a needle nose in there and pull the wad it will work fine in a fed hull with 1 oz. Loads. Powder reclaimed for the garden, because you really don't know what he used. Unless you have other old rem hulls you have no use for the small primer. Mb
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Joined: Nov 2021
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New Member
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New Member
Joined: Nov 2021
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I use a pair of needle nose pliers to uncrimp hulls. Work around the top of the hull, gently squeezing the shot column enough to bulge the crimp, but not so much you smash the hull. Then use the pliers to get under a section of the crimp and pry up. Really not that hard. Might scratch up the plastic, but not damage it.
Use the same pliers to grap the wad. Depending on the crimp and the temperature of the plastic, pulling the wad can be taugh. I usually do it in the summer when the plastic is more pliable.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I use an ice pick to uncrimp. Poke into the center hole and gently pry up on section after the other.
'Four legs good, two legs baaaad."
----------------------------------------------
"Jimmy, some of it's magic,
Some of it's tragic,
But I had a good life all the way."
(Jimmy Buffett)
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