Just wanted to pipe up. I've been quiet for some time. My big news is I have Bonanza's brother, Jason making me a 50-90 short barreled 20 inch) conversion gun using an older MERKEL 12 gauge. He is in regulation phase. Now!!!

He is using Pac-Nor barrels 1-15 twist, .510 grooves, .500 lands. He is regulating it with Woodleigh .510 dia., 535 GRAIN soft nosed bullets in starline 50-90 brass. He is playing with about 80-90 grains of Reloader 15 powder. This double barrel cannon should be an incredible stopper gun! I am most anxious to get it in my hands. Then for target shooting and hunting deer, etc I will most likely use about 65 grains of Varget with 425 grain CP's bullets.

I also bought a 50 year old Russell Arms exposed hammer, double barrel, 12 gauge with 18 inch barrels as a gun to shoot shot with. I heard it was a retired cowboy shooter's gun and he won alot of competitions with it. It is choked tight so that should help counter the short barrels and be a great close cover gun.

I am also still loading up round ball loads for my double barrel smooth bore 12 gauge slug gun. I appreciated all the help from Daryl and others here, on the best way to load and pour roundballs to get better performance and penetration and accuracy. I am still working on all 3!

I am not sure how to post pictures here, but I could email the pictures of the vintage Russell Arms 12 gauge double to someone else and then they could post them. It is a fine looker. I really like the wood on so many of the older doubles shotguns and rifles!

Great to be back here and I can't wait to learn about new stuff and get familiarized with what I might have missed while I was gone!!!

When I get the Merkel 50-90 conversion in my hands I would really like to post pictures here, too!