Peters shotgun shells

[johnplav]

Last time I was at my parents house my father gave me these empty shell boxes.  He kept them because they were made at Remington Arms in Bridgeport CT where my grandfather worked.  Anyone remember these or know how old they are?  Or at least when a box of 20 gauge shells cost $3.05?
 

[Pygmy]

Probably loaded in the 1960s...Since they are plastic, they are no older than about 1963.. Actually, I don't think the RXP hulls came out until the late sixties or early seventies..  They were Remington's answer to Winchester's excellent and very popular compression formed AA hulls...I have a box of 20 gauge WW Xpert  plastic shells that are marked $2.75....

BTW...The Peters shotshells that I hunted with in the mid 1960s were blue, and IRRC, they came in a blue box...The local gunshop/poolhall here in Dogpatch stocked Peters shells, and I used quite a few of them on ducks, pheasants and grouse in my Rem 11-48 16 gauge, which was my first repeating shotgun..

Edited September 1, 2020 by Pygmy

[johnplav]

Then this must be older?  School me on this old shotgun shell @Pygmy

[Pygmy]

The case seems to have had a fold crimp rather than a roll crimp..By the 1950's most manufacturers were using a fold crimp rather than an overshot card with a roll crimp..It probably was loaded in the 1950s or early 1960s, before plastic cases became  common...However, I remember buying Federal paper skeet and trap loads as late as the mid 1970s...I think that paper target loads were loaded for awhile after plastic hunting loads became the norm, so it MIGHT have been loaded as late as the late 60s or early 70s...

[turkeyfeathers]

Peters blue magic shells are what my brother used for grouse with his English setters and LC Smith 

[Water Rat]

I don’t remember where this empty box came from but kept it anyway. 

[Pygmy]

4 hours ago, Water Rat said:

I don’t remember where this empty box came from but kept it anyway. 

Are they 2 3/4" or 2 9/16 "  ??..... I have a Super X 16 gauge box for 2 9/16 " roll crimp shells.....100 years ago, many 16 gauge guns were made with 2 9/16" chambers, and of course it is dangerous to fire 2 3/4" shells in them...

I think they are still  available, but you'd have to hunt around for them in specialty ammo places...Many  hunters back in the day who had the short chambered guns had a gunsmith lengthen the chamber  because 2 3/4" ammo was so much more available..

[Water Rat]

37 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

Are they 2 3/4" or 2 9/16 "  ??..... I have a Super X 16 gauge box for 2 9/16 " roll crimp shells.....100 years ago, many 16 gauge guns were made with 2 9/16" chambers, and of course it is dangerous to fire 2 3/4" shells in them...

I think they are still  available, but you'd have to hunt around for them in specialty ammo places...Many  hunters back in the day who had the short chambered guns had a gunsmith lengthen the chamber  because 2 3/4" ammo was so much more available..

I never knew this. Thanks for explaining it Pygmy. I wonder if the 2 9/16 have any collector value.

[Water Rat]

Just saw this on EBay.

[Dinsdale]

RST makes 2 1/2 shells, even rolled crimped paper hulls, for old guns of several velocities and even non lead options.

Not cheap, but there are several manufacturers other then RST for old guns. (and components)

I have a hammer damascus sxs thats fun to hunt with and over 130 years old. Its going on next Africa trip. Bought it for peanuts because gun store said there was no way to shoot it safe and its a wall hanger. LOL

 

 

[Pygmy]

I have an ithaca  Damascus SXS that was made in 1898 or 1899....Still in good shape and I have fired it with BP shells that I loaded myself...I understand that there are also smokeless low pressure shells that can be safely  fired in twist/ damascus barrels also...

My Dad bought this gun for $10 around 1940...It  has NEW ITHACA GUN  engraved right on the side of the receiver...Hehehe..

[wildcat junkie]

On 9/7/2020 at 5:52 PM, Pygmy said:

I have an ithaca  Damascus SXS that was made in 1898 or 1899....Still in good shape and I have fired it with BP shells that I loaded myself...I understand that there are also smokeless low pressure shells that can be safely  fired in twist/ damascus barrels also...

My Dad bought this gun for $10 around 1940...It  has NEW ITHACA GUN  engraved right on the side of the receiver...Hehehe..

I think the "smokeless low pressure shells" you are referring to were loaded with "bulk smokeless powder". I'm not aware of it still being available.

 

https://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=439425

[Lawdwaz]

On 9/7/2020 at 9:11 AM, turkeyfeathers said:

Peters blue magic shells are what my brother used for grouse with his English setters and LC Smith 

I heard Tom D. Many times refer to “Blue Magic” and Lee in the same sentence.  Puts a real smile on my face.....

[RangerClay]

On 9/7/2020 at 9:11 AM, turkeyfeathers said:

Peters blue magic shells are what my brother used for grouse with his English setters and LC Smith 

Back in the era of slug hunting, I would travel to a special gun shop to get 16 ga. Peters slugs.  When they became unavailable I switched to Brennekes.