Load for 20 gauge pistol

[frogwalking]

I have just finished a 20 gauge pistol that has been in the works longer than I want to admit.  It is built around a Ketland type English flintlock that someone on the website sent me drawings for over a year ago.  The question is; what powder charge to use, and when loading with No 4 buckshot, how many to use.  I have some .60 round balls and will, of course, try some of them too.  Has anyone used the buckshot in this type of pistol?  What were your results?  I understand this load was used by shipborne personnel during boarding operations. 

Thanks,

Frog

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

25 grains FFg, 1/2 of the thickness of a fibre wad lubed with vegetable oil, crisco or some such, same volume of shot, and an over shot wad.  Range - probably get all the shot on a man sized target at ten to fifteen yards...

Same load with .600 ball but with .018" thick  lubed denim patch and probably the same effective range.

But fill your boots.  Experiment and have fun.

[Daryl]

Taylor and I did some buck and ball shooting with our single shot flint pistols at the range one day. We used B27 targets (man silhouette targets) set at about 12 to 13 yards.  My slow twist rifled .54 barrel made impressive results, with the main ball centred and the 3 accompanying balls striking radially around the main ball hole. Effective was my only thought.
Taylor's .58 smoothbore did almost as well but of course being smooth, the main ball did not always strike on top of the front sight- however the others struck as they should - radially around the main ball.  We loaded the main ball, then the 3 "0" buck on top of the ball with a patch holding them in place. We didn't try with just paper wads.

Seems to me, if memory serves, we used around 30 or 40gr. of powder.

[frogwalking]

what fun!    30 grains of powder, 12 no. 4 buckshot or a .60 round ball and lots of destruction.  At 20 ft, the gun seems to shoot about a foot higher than one expects.  No back sight, or course.  All buckshot print in about 1 ft circle once you aim low.  The round ball is not terribly accurate, but as I said, once  you realize  where the point of impact is, one can hit well enough for indoor work.   It is as accurate as my LCP, and a lot more fun to shoot.  The Chambers Queen Ann lock never failed to fire the gun. 

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

On a historical note: the service charge for the British military service pistol was 3 drams, 82 grains.  This was with coarse musket powder and the charge put into the bore was reduced by the priming, say about down to about 70 grains.  This was in a pistol bore size of about 0.65.  Also the bullet was significantly under bore size, windage, but was often very tightly loaded with some patch/wad/paper to keep the bullet in place as the pistols were carried muzzle down in the horse holsters or with the naval belt hooks.

I have shot this load many times in 20 g pistols with 9 #4 buckshot.  The pistol is a bit frisky with a full service charge, 30 grains or so is OK for paper punching.

Have fun.

Jim