I’ve asked this very question of myself and others for some years now. I should preface my questions here by explaining that I have extensive experience firing black powder cartridges in both antique and modern reproduction rifles and revolvers, and consider myself very knowledgeable about doing so in both sorts of firearms—probably to the point of arrogance for some. My knowledge of and experience with firing black powder loads in shotguns is, by my own admission, very limited. I’ve fired a few black powder handloads in modern-made double-barreled shotguns, and I have seen a couple of people fire Damascus-barreled original shotguns without mishap. That’s the extent of my experience in that department.
I have an original Remington Model 1889 double-barreled shotgun I would like to shoot. I will emphasize that I intend to shoot black powder 2.5-inch shells in this gun only. The gun itself has seen much use (flattened checkering points and noticeable wear on the hard rubber buttplate), but has evidently had good care, and is in excellent mechanical condition with a solid lockup. The bores are mirror-bright and I cannot see a speck of rust in them or anywhere else on the gun.
While the standard advice of “Don’t fire the gun at all until it has been checked by a competent gunsmith familiar with black powder firearms.” is theoretically very sound and logical, it usually isn’t very practical. Many, if not most, local gunsmiths are parts replacers who can be very helpful in fixing malfunctioning AR-15 platforms and busted automatic shotguns. Most of that breed are not at all hesitant to assure me that I’m going to ruin my antique Remington rifles and Colt revolvers, not to mention blowing my head off, by my continued use of black powder cartridges in them—a few times without my asking their advice. In fact, many of them will tell you that anyone firing a firearm made before about 1940 is clinically insane. (I’ve written about this problem elsewhere.) Perhaps I am so, but in 40 years of firing firearms made in the last half of the 19th Century I haven’t yet managed to kill myself. But—again—none of my shooting of the sort involved Damascus-barreled shotguns.
Feeling rather like the Western hero raising his hat on a stick, I solicit your advice.
Don Kenna