New to me navy arms

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Garbear34

Garbear34

40 Cal
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I got a navy arms 12 gauge. Just getting around to playing with it.

Ive read vm starr on muzzloading shotguns.

Right bore near as i can ascertain with calipers
.725

Left .719

Im wondering what choke on the barrels. Looks chrome lined. Hoping pattern it this weekend
 

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It looks to be made by Pietta. I've never actually held one, but they are nice handling guns by reputation. There is little or no choke in those barrels. If there is choke, you will be able to feel the change when pushing a wad past the constriction of any choke. I hunt with cylinder guns regularly, and it's really not a problem, sometimes even the long shots work (go figure).
 
ZUG said:
I bought one new in1986 for $329.xx. Both barrels are cylinder and shoot just fine. A very nice handling SXS.
Click to expand...
Thank you. It shoulders great for me lines up on the bead. I need to pattern it. I have a .69 round ball. Guy i bought it from gave me plastic shot cups for 7/8 oz and 1-1/8 oz. Planning not even bother with those. Figure start with 60 grain powder and 7/8 oz shot. Have 8 shot size and 5 shot. Have tons of .31 round ball either way going to be fun. From scouring posts cylinder bore on these. Any load suggestions be apreciated and patterning distance be appreciated. Im thinking pattern starting 30-35 yards probably me the max effective range of cylinder bore.
 
Hope for a good pattern at 25 yds. I had a 12 GA CVA double cylinder bore and that was the sweet spot for #6 shot. You didn't mention over powder and over shot wads but I assume you would use something
 
Garbear34 said:
Thank you. It shoulders great for me lines up on the bead. I need to pattern it. I have a .69 round ball. Guy i bought it from gave me plastic shot cups for 7/8 oz and 1-1/8 oz. Planning not even bother with those. Figure start with 60 grain powder and 7/8 oz shot. Have 8 shot size and 5 shot. Have tons of .31 round ball either way going to be fun. From scouring posts cylinder bore on these. Any load suggestions be apreciated and patterning distance be appreciated. Im thinking pattern starting 30-35 yards probably me the max effective range of cylinder bore.
Click to expand...
Never shot round ball in it only shot. I have used those plastic wads and they worked ok. I used 2F Goex but don't remember how much. Others can help with that. I've not shot it in some years now but I would not part with it.
 
R Ellis said:
You have .725 skeet and .719 improved cylinder
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Thank you.
flconch53 said:
Hope for a good pattern at 25 yds. I had a 12 GA CVA double cylinder bore and that was the sweet spot for #6 shot. You didn't mention over powder and over shot wads but I assume you would use something
Click to expand...
Guy gave me shotcups. No plan to use those. I have wool felt and 3/4 round cutter. Ive been cutting out cereal boxes just planning do what VM Starr wrote. Keep it simple. Im searching Brittsmoothys post and replys.
 
ZUG said:
Never shot round ball in it only shot. I have used those plastic wads and they worked ok. I used 2F Goex but don't remember how much. Others can help with that. I've not shot it in some years now but I would not part with it.
Click to expand...
The round ball i have drops in. Its a .69 caliber from lee mold. Someone said its skeet and improved cylinder other said cylinder bore. Im not confident in my measurements. Hoping they're cylinder bore.

Anyplace to look up manufacturer year based off proof marks or serial number. Im going shoot it saturday.
 
I bought mine over last 2 years--and sold them to guys that luv collecting bp's. Didn't sell them for much--didn't buy them from much---but a working /good looking gun for the price.
 
Nice, being an 18.2 gun is probably not choked at all based on your measurements. I have manage to shoot very good patterns at 30yds with 70 grains of 3F and 1.125 oz of shot using nothing but OS cards for both over the powder and shot!! Good luck with it, they are fun!
 
ZUG said:
Never shot round ball in it only shot. I have used those plastic wads and they worked ok. I used 2F Goex but don't remember how much. Others can help with that. I've not shot it in some years now but I would not part with it.
Click to expand...
Sorry can't help with dating your SXS Navy Arms Pietta.
 
Pay close attention to V.M. Starr writings. He forgot more about smoothbore shooting than most of us will ever know. I bought his book back in the early 80s an when I started loading an doing what he said then my own smoothbores started acting/shooting better. Very first thing I tried was 1f powder in my12s and 10 ga. That alone tightend up my patterns. Try things that he suggests. If they work for you then great an if they dont you havent lost much but try them.
 
Spark, i am not sure how you come up with SK and IC. 18.2 is actually millimeters not centimeters so by European standards the bore is between .717 and .720. The OP stated that the measurements are .719 and .725 which makes it CYL and Diffusion “choked”! But in reality the only way to know is to measure the bore and the constriction, if any, and go from there. I have euro guns marked 18.2, 18.3, 18.4 and 18.6, so choking will be relative. Thank God most Americans manufacturers try to stick to .729 to simplify things. God bless ‘Murrica!!
 

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