I have a couple of questions about a shotgun i aquired. Its a 12 gauge and i beleive its maker is Greifelt made in the early 1900's All it says on the barrel is made by a first class manufacturer in Belgium. On the other barrel it says Tested for smokeless powder. Under the barrels it says Choke-18.3 & 18.5 Are these chocks imp.cyl. &mod or MOd & full the original owner fired rifled slugs in this gun . I myself also fired some slugs and some 00 buck. I was thinking on using light upland loads in this gun for small game .And was wondering if it was safe to do so? The barrels are made of Damascus twist steel.And they measure 29 5/8 inches long

Are you sure they are Damascus- or is the pattern of finish on the barrels just look like damascus. Generally speaking they did not test damascus twist barrels with smokeless powder.

Tanoose:

For what it's worth, (I am 74 and started shooting shotguns nearly 60 years ago) I would not use "high base" loads out of a shotgun of that age. In the mid 1940s (when I first began shooting shotguns) I learned very early on that "proof tests' even with smokeless powder were unreliable as a measure for such old timers. This was for the reason that smokeless powder in the 1940s already developed considerably higher pressures than smokeless (in its infancy) did. The other reason against relying on those tests was that so called "fluid steel" was also in its early years and just didn't compare to post WW2 fluid steel - for which more modern powders were designed.

I would urge you, at the very least, to not use any "high base" loads (and, definitely don't use slugs or even 00 buck). As I said, take it for what it's worth. My credentials are that I was shooting such turn of the century guns when they were common and luckily, I had a cautious father who insisted that I show each "new" acquisition to experienced gunsmiths. I urge you to do the same. There are real experts in this forum but no one can give you a definitive opinion about the safety of a shotgun without, at least, seeing it.

Tanoose:

I forgot to say in my last post that it's probably perfectly OK to use upland loads. I don't remember ever being told that I couldn't use them in such oldtimers. Still, I would want you to have an experienced gunsmith look over the shotgun.

Thanks for the replies guys, i was also wondering if anyone could reccommened a company that makes Black powder shells as i was told they produce much less pressure. Is this true ? I have found a couple of companys online that make blackpowder shells but wasn't sure if these were reputable companies.

Forgot to say that a had a gunshop owner look at the shotgun and he told me they were damascus but i wasn't sure if he was correct or not as the barrels are marked Krupp Fluid near the receiver , so i thought maybe they were fluid steel barrels made to look like damascus. How can i tell ? Does anyone know of an expert on this subject in the NYC long island area? Or maybe even upstate in the catskills as i have a place up there. Thanks Tanoose

You can tell by polishing off the damascus pattern in a obscure area and etching . If the etching doesn't bring out the damascus it's fake. Or bring it here and let me do it, I'm in the Catskills. In any case it's 100 years old ,be gentle with it such as light target loads.

Tanoose:

I live on Long Island, NY. I have dealt with a gun shop in Mineola, NY for nearly 20 years. The guy to talk to is Randy Smith at Michael Britt,Inc. The address is "Michael Britt, Inc, 89 Mineola Boulevard, Mineola, NY. the tel. no. is (516)248-2010." I think he has a website but I'm too lazy to look it up. (This guy has positioned scopes for me on newly ordered rifles that I never had to change. He sent me to Africa because he told me to take a 375 H&H out to the range and just aim at the hillside (the range was in a sand quarry)I was so pleasantly surprised at the slow shove of the 375 that I knew I was going to Africa!) He knows how to talk to shooters and I can safely promise you that you will not ever get any "pitch' or salesman pressure.

Thanks Gerald i know the shop you are talking about , i didnt know he was still there, i used him once but that was over 25 years ago. I do most of my dealings with T&T from Floral Park who are now in Garden City on Jericho Tpky. I'll try britt if T&T's gunsmith can't help me. Thanks again