Old Shells

[Jeff S]

A few years ago, my uncle gave me bag containing a handful of shotgun shells. Most of them were “plastic”, but there were two “paper” shells. Does anyone know an approximate date of manufacture? Any opinions on how a particular shell can have a short shot string? Jeff

[Researcher]

Western Cartridge Co. changed from the FIELD case (left) for their Super-X loads to the somewhat higher brass that is headstamped Super-X (middle) circa 1936/7.

Then about 1948 they quit the Western trademark knurled canular and went to the style on the right.

Short Shot String was an advertised feature of the Super-X load from the beginning --

[eightbore]

Jeff would like to know how a shell can be made to have a shorter shot string than another. Rounder shot would be my idea of "step one". I have not read of the machine that measures shot stringing unless it is a good camera or a Ford station wagon like the one used by Bob Brister. Check out Brister's great book, "Shotgunning, the Art and the Science". I guess a cylinder turning at a known speed, wrapped with target paper, used as a target, would be the simplest "machine" and is probably what the Olin brothers used.

[Researcher]

Here is a circa 1923 Super-X folder that explains a bit --

[eightbore]

The statement that the shot leaves the muzzle in a tight group is a bit confusing to me. I'll bet that all shot loads, whatever the manufacturer, leaves the muzzle in a tight group.

[Jeff S]

Thanks guys. Nice ads.

[Researcher]

The shorter shot string is the result of the gentler acceleration with progressive burning powder than with the old bulk or dense smokeless powders. I would suppose the progressive burning smokeless powder in Remington's Heavy Duck Load/Nitro Express, Peter's High Velocity or Winchester's Speed Loads would do the same thing, but Western being first picked up on the Short Shot String and used it in their advertising for decades. Still mentioning the Short Shot String in 1952 --

[Jeff S]

Thanks again Dave. Like you said, they gave a good explanation, but it would seem that the same would hold true for the other manufacturers. On a side note, in the tri-fold brochure, under 12 gauge specifications, it says that this load is good for hawks. My how times have changed. I don't think anyone would advertise a load that is effective on hawks in today's world.

[Researcher]

Over on the PGCA site RevDocDrew posted a link to a June, 1959 Guns magazine with an article that mentions a couple of Parkers Doc Carver took with him to England in 1878. In looking on through the magazine on page 38 there was an article on rifles for shooting Eagles!! When I cleaned out my late Father's house in 2004, I carefully disposed of all the pairs of Hawk and Eagle talons hanging on the west wall of the basement.

[Silvers]

When I was a kid our PA Game Commission actively urged hunters to shoot hawks and owls on sight and even used the back cover of its monthly magazine Pennsylvania Game News. to pass that word. Both were referred to there as vicious killers of game. Very authoritative words from the PGC back then but we hear the opposite nowadays, how they mainly prey on mice and voles. Wrong back then or wrong now? Must be, the PGC biologists of old had their heads up their arses. Then there are the PGC shoutouts via webinars etc that loss of habitat and the WNV have caused our grouse decline. What do I know beyond that our grouse hunting started to decline when avian predators were fully protected.

frank

[ylwdog]

Here's another variation with steel hull bottom. Must have been manufactured during the war effort .

[Researcher]

One of our members posted a full box of the war time steel head super-X shells not long ago --

A full box of them are up in the current Ward's Auction --

https://www.wardscollectibles.com/viewi ... item=10246