Classic double

I don't shoot a classic double, but that stuff is I believe 18 gr. something or other, thus very heavy on the tungsten so is probably too hard, others might have a better insight on it, but he should be able to find bismuth, and Ballistics products has a tin plated bismuth shot for reloading. That would work in the old doubles. Other then the shot, a lot of the old double guys recommend keeping the pressure down also. Then there is the issue if the chambers are a true 2 3/4 or shorter, if the gun has the shorter chamber, the pressure can rise with the 2 3/4" shells.
Then, to make it more complicated, lol, even if the steel in the barrels can take the pressure, often the stock can't, due to oil saturation, high pressure, and just age.

I looked into getting an old Fox, but unless your shooting the recommended shells it just didn't seem worthwhile to me...YMMV.
 
Alot of classic shotgun people us RST shells
https://rstshells.americommerce.com/Shared/RETAIL-RST-PRICE-LIST-Front-and-back-2020.pdf


http://www.rstshells.com/bismuth.aspx


12 ga bismuth looks like it only comes in 2 1/2 ".
 
RST is the best feed for old doubles you will find -

what is the Fox? a Philly or Savage era.

If its a Philly gun - it very likely does not have 2 3/4 chambers - not an issue with lighter loads

I load my own non tox for most of my old doubles, except the purpose built heavy waterfowl guns like my Super Fox or LC Smith Longrange- they can handle the Kent Matrix non tox which is meant for old full choked pieces

also consider most of these guns are 100 or more years old - make sure the wood can take the recoil of heavy loads
 
patrick mccarthy said:
Thanks
He has shot 23/4 bismuth out of it. Wood is in great condition I think philly gun.
When he and my brother break out the old side by sides I bring the big stick (Remington SP10) just in case I have to clean up.
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that looks like a nice Parker Trojan

and proper doubles clean up is done with an Ithaca Super 10 [;)]



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patrick mccarthy said:
Rick
Is that a 10 gauge SxS?
That could be fun to shoot.
Click to expand...

yes and it is fun - for ducks or clays

the Ithaca Super 10 is a short ten - 2 7/8 chambered - 32" barrels and weighs about 8 1/2 pounds - i believe they only made a few less than 600 before the "magnum" craze started and Ithaca beefed up the design to a 10 pound 3 1/2 chambered behemoth
 
Patrick,

That gun pictures is an early Fox Philadelphia gun . The pin is a dead giveaway. I would be very surprised if it was a 2 3/4 gun, unless it was modified later.
 
It's great to see these guns still doing what they were made to do. I also have Ithaca NID's in both super 10 and 10 Magnum. The short super 10 is actually much more rare but the 3 1/2" big gun has more value even thought they made almost twice as many at around 800 guns.
I also enjoy duck hunting with some older hammer guns, they just go so nice with cork decoys.
All that said I like goretex and outboard motors, I'm not weird about it
 
Geoff Pike said:
Patrick,

That gun pictures is an early Fox Philadelphia gun . The pin is a dead giveaway. I would be very surprised if it was a 2 3/4 gun, unless it was modified later.
Click to expand...

the gun Patrick shows is a Trojan grade Parker - not a Fox

notice the difference in the sculpting on the box lock on a Fox pin gun



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A few of the guys out here are shooting doubles out there. A few are loading black powder loads for the older guns. As a youngster I couldn't hit anything with a double, probably still can't. Think I''l give it try with clays first.
As far as safety of shooting these oldies, I would be fairly cautious. Even gunsmiths won't say it's ok. I have a pair of driven bird guns that one has a bulge at the choke, probably from shooting large steel shot.
 
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