Recommended load for 20 guage smooth pistol?

[Hemo]

Can anyone suggest a reasonable powder load for a flint 20-guage smoothbore pistol with a 12 inch barrel? I have shot .60 caliber patched round balls in a 20 gauge fowler using around 80 grains of 2F, but never in a pistol.

Thanks,

Gregg

[Mike Brooks]

Probably 30 grains or so. I have found pistols in that gauge to be real wrist breakers.

[Pukka Bundook]

I think Mike has it.

Most pistols in this bore would use 25 -30 grains.
However,   (there is always a "however" !)
I have  a little old William Bailes, "Queen Anne" pistol with a turn off barrel.  As you know, the barrel is unscrewed for loading, and powder put in the breech chamber, a ball sits on top of this in a cup, and the barrel is screwed back on.  Ball is oversized, so gets swaged down on the way out.
This pistol is about 22 bore.
 I measured the capacity of the powder chamber, and it holds 40 grains, or 1  1/2 drams in old measure.
These pistols were known to be very powerful, and I can attest that it rips a real hole through a burning barrel!

Best,
Richard.

[little joe]

Agree with Brooks

[Hemo]

Thanks for your replies. Just finishing up a fairly slim flint 20-gauge pistol build, and I was about as worried about damaging the stock as my wrist!

Gregg

[bob in the woods]

Just a word of caution . Careful what you shoot at with that pistol . My friend shot at an oak stump [plinking ] with a .62 smoothbore pistol and 30 grains of FFg. The ball bounced back and nearly hit him.

[wattlebuster]

I have a 62 smoothbore pistol an I shoot 30 gns of fffg in mine an it does just fine. Recoil is mild with that load

[Daryl]

I use 55 to 60gr. 3F with a 220gr. ball in my .54 - nice load to shoot - feels similar my .44 S&W- good shooting load in the 60" twist, making 2" groups at 50 yards off bags.

[Daryl]

If using your 20 bore pistol for plinking, about any load will do.  If using it for a back-up or other "serious" stuff, I'd load 40 to 50gr.

Muzzle loading single-shot pistol designs absorb recoil much better than modern guns. 40 to 50gr. will not kick badly to a seasoned handgun shooter.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

The service charge for a British military pistol of carbine bore was 3 drams, including the priming charge.  This was 82 grains of musket powder.  Note that this is considered to be a standard 20 gauge shotgun load!  Occasionally I do shoot my 5/8 inch bore pistols with this charge, it does get your attention!

Adye in the 1801 Little Bombardier & Pocket Gunner lists -
Wall Piece 10 Drams
Musquet 7 Drams
Carbine 4 drams
Carbine Pistol 3 drams
Common Pistol 3 Drams
7 Barrel guns 1½ Drams

Jim

[Daryl]

Cool info Jim! I do like "Service Charges". 

The British Musket charge of 7 drams, is a rather healthy one indeed - 191gr.  That was my 12 bore round ball load for my SxS. It developed 1,550fps. from 24" tubes & did kick a bit.

Until about 1820, the US issue ctgs. for their .69 cal. muskets contained 165gr. (just over 6 drams) of powder, which included the prime.  The end of the ctg. was ripped off with the teeth, then the pan primed

then the rest along with the ball poured, then shoved down the bore - THEN - 3 blows of the rod guaranteed the ball was seated firmly on the powder.

In about 1820, with the improvement in powder quality, the charge was reduced for the .69 Muskets, to 135gr., which included the prime. Loading by the numbers remained the same.