Posted by David W on December 4, 2007, 10:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Reloading 20 ga."
Lloyd, American box locks can take some of these modern day loads with pressures in excess of 10,000 psi. It is because of the thin wood around the locks of the "sweet elsie" that can't digest these modern loads without causing stress cracks usually at the end of the side locks. The only reason for these higher pressures now is because the auto loaders need this to cycle the rounds. This is where the "elsies' have problems, they don't need the higher pressures. They need to be feed loads under 8,00o psi. You can shoot 2 3/4" loads out of your 2 1/2" chambered guns, but personally I don't want to build up more pressure by doing so. I am able to reload for my 12 ga, 16 ga. and 20 ga. elsies in low pressure loads and in 2 9/16" and 2 1/2". If I couldn't, maybe I would have them lengthened, maybe. I just loaded some low pressure 3" shells. Velocity 1345 and pressure 7,800 with 1 3/8 oz shot, probably equal to the old Winchester Westerns of the mid 20's.