Is this old hammergun fit for the foreshore?

I have recently acquired a double-barreled 10-bore.

It is in good condition, the action is tight and it is nitro-proofed, but it is a hammergun and the barrels are 32in Damascus. I would like to take it out wildfowling. Can you advise on what cartridges I should use?

Even though it appears in good condition, I would suggest that you first have the gun checked over by a gunsmith if you have not already done so. Your description indicates that even if the gun is perfectly sound, it will probably date from the last quarter of the 19th century. Though 10-bore ammunition is readily available, I would strongly advise against using modern commercial loads. If you are able to chamber such cartridges, they will generate pressures far greater than your gun was designed for, and they could well cause serious damage. Furthermore, most commercially available 10-bore loads carry steel shot, which is quite unsuitable for your Damascus barrels.

When you have checked the chamber length and noted any guidance provided by the proof marks, I would suggest that you contact a custom cartridge loader, or you might consider loading your own cartridges. This is both simple and enjoyable and the components are readily available, though if you are not already experienced at home-loading, you should take advice and stick closely to the guidance offered in established loading tables.

I would recommend that you use a slow, progressive powder that is suitable for fowling loads, such as Blue Dot, and that you load bismuth shot rather than steel. About 42g of bismuth should be about right, in four-shot for ducks and three-shot for geese. GD

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE • 57

With a 10-bore with Damascus barrels, it might be better to home-load