Stevens 225 Hammered Double

[cpt dan blodgett]

 Several years ago folks here were able to help me identify an old Stevens shotgun that followed me home from work one day.  I am toying with the idea of shooting it rather than just have it sit in the safe.  Near as I can tell these old guns were actually chambered for 2.5 inch shells.  I can get 1 Oz 1175 fps loads or 7/8 1200 both are light loads.  Think it will matter to the gun or my shoulder for that matter which I get?

[Coffinmaker]

  Depends   

The first question that comes to mind > Damascus Barrels??  Second question > Are you going to try and feed it 2 3/4 plastic hulls??  Are the loads you mention Smokeless or BP??

Damascus barrels are a question mark.  Safe??  If Damascus, should not be shot with ANY load of Smokeless.  Next, it's and old gun.  Do not feed it modern 2 3/4 Plastics.  2 3/4 will open into the forcing cone (not open completely) and generate excess(iv) chamber pressure.  2 1/2 inch hulls are all you should use, unless you have the chamber/forcing cone reamed out.

Now for the "Physics."  The amount of actual recoil as well as the "felt" recoil.  Physics tells us the recoil will be proportionate to the weight of Payload and how fast you are trying to push that payload.  Regardless of the powder charge, expect the heavier payload is going to produce heavier felt recoil.  The heavier payload is also going to produce more chamber pressure in the gun.

Your hands, your Call.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Thanks, it has fluid steel barrels. All loads I am looking at are smokeless.  Guess I will go with the 7/8 loads.  Actually pretty clueless as to what to use the old beast for.  It is pretty stiff opening and closing but then it is about 110 years old plus or minus.  If I make it that far I expect I will be pretty stiff as well if not already a stiff!  In its current state certainly not a SASS gun and given the age even if slicked would not hold up to the amount of abuse SASS puts on a gun.  A single match generally involves more shells thru the gun then most fired in a year back in the day.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Located the serial number of the old beast m477xx. Gun is not as old as I originally figure  Just for drill I stuck some modern spent star crimped shells into the chamber.  Cannot feel any resistance at all it may well be chambered for modern shells. 

[Gabriel Law]

Modern star crimped shells are 2 1/2" long.  So you won't feel any constriction when you dump them into the guns chambers.  But open up to 2 3/4" when you fire them.  In a 2 1/2" chamber, that extra 1/4" of plastic opens up into the bore of the shotgun, which is not relieved to receive it.  Now the shot column has to be compressed into the bore past that restriction, and this jumps the pressure up to dangerous levels, especially in a damascus twist barrel.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Joined the old of roll crimped so can make all kinds of loads for the old beast. Turns out old antique roll crimped ork about as fast and as well as the drill press crimper

[Lucky R. K.]

Joined the old of roll crimped so can make all kinds of loads for the old beast. Turns out old antique roll crimped ork about as fast and as well as the drill press crimper.

I have original hand roll crimpers in both 16 and 12 gauge as well as a 12 gauge crimper used by a drill press. The hand crimpers do a much better job than the drill press model. Trim about 1/8" off the hull, load as usual, and roll crimp,
Lucky 

[Tascosa Joe]

+1 For Lucky RK

[Kent Shootwell]

Did I miss the part were you told us the gauge? The Stevens is a strong action and since you  did say it is fluid steel barrels I'd not worry about smokeless.

[Tascosa Joe]

If you want the real truth on Damascus vs fluid steel barrels and the safety there of, find copies of Sherman Bell's articles in the Double Gun Journal, I don't remember the exact issues the article were printed.  It is a 3 or 4 part series.

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy Cat. Dan,

I found an old, well made Belgian hammer double with steel barrels and short chambers. I took it to a gunsmith I trust and asked if he could lengthen the chambers for modern shells. There was enough thickness in the forcing cone area so he did it. Now it shoots regular ammo just fine although I limit my self to target loads. That was my first CAS shotgun.

The above worked for me.

Rev. Chase