Description
If you own a vintage English or Continental shotgun, you already know that most modern ammunition is the wrong shell for it. The B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot exists for exactly that problem. It is a genuine 2 1/2 inch shell loaded to low pressure, which is what a gun built before the 2 3/4 inch standard was designed to digest.
- Why chamber length actually matters
- Full specifications
- Why 6 shot, and what it is for
- Honest notes before you buy
- Before you shoot an old gun, have it checked
- The bottom line
Why chamber length actually matters
A 2 3/4 inch shell fired in a 2 1/2 inch chamber does not fit the way the designer intended. The crimp opens into the forcing cone rather than into the chamber, which raises pressure sharply in a gun that was never proofed for it. That is the reason the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot exists and the reason it is worth seeking out.
The shell measures 2 1/2 inches after firing, not before, which is the measurement that counts. Combined with reduced pressure and a one ounce payload, the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot is gentle on old actions, old stocks and old barrels that have been thinned by a century of cleaning.
Full specifications
- Caliber: 12 gauge, 2 1/2 inch shell
- Bullet weight: 1 ounce of nickel plated chilled lead, 6 shot grain
- Bullet: 6 shot, nickel plated chilled lead
- Muzzle velocity: 1160 fps
- Muzzle energy: not published for shotshells ft-lbs
- Ballistic coefficient (G1): not applicable to shotshells
- Case: reloadable boxer primed brass
- Quantity: 20 rounds per box
- Part number: 12B1UP6, 25 rounds per box
The Gordon System basewad is B&P’s own design, a conical base with a shock absorbing spring built into it. It reduces felt recoil noticeably, which matters twice over in a light double gun. Your shoulder appreciates it and so does a hundred year old stock head that you would rather not see crack.
Why 6 shot, and what it is for
Number 6 is the classic pheasant size and the largest of the three shot sizes offered in this line. It carries more energy per pellet and holds a pattern further downrange, which is what you want on a bird that flushes wild and gives you a longer shot than you planned on.
For late season roosters, for grouse in open country, and for anything with enough body mass to shrug off a light pellet, the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot is the right choice within this range. If your birds are quail or early season woodcock at close range, the 7.5 or 8 shot versions pattern denser and are the better tool.
Honest notes before you buy
Nickel plated chilled lead is the other quality detail here. Plating hardens the pellet surface so fewer deform going down the barrel, and pellets that stay round fly straighter and pattern tighter. It is a small thing that shows up on a pattern board.
Two practical limits. This is lead shot, so it is not legal for waterfowl anywhere in the United States and not legal at all on some public land. And a one ounce load at 1160 feet per second is a moderate payload, which is exactly the point, but it is not a long range duck gun load. Use the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot for what it is, which is upland birds over a fine gun.
Before you shoot an old gun, have it checked
This load is designed to be kind to vintage guns, but low pressure ammunition does not fix a gun with problems. Loose ribs, thin barrel walls, off face action, pitted bores and old damascus barrels are all things a competent gunsmith should look at before you shoot anything through them, including the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot.
Check your actual chamber length too, and do not assume. Plenty of guns were rechambered to 2 3/4 inches over the decades, and plenty of others are marked one thing and measure another. A gunsmith can tell you in a minute, and then you know whether the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot is the right shell or simply a nice one.
The bottom line
For anyone shooting a vintage side by side or over under with short chambers, the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot is one of the few modern loads genuinely made for the gun. You can read more about the bullet design at swiftbullets.com, or browse the rest of our stock on the MAG5 Firearms ammunition page.
MAG5 Firearms keeps the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot in stock and moving, and we are glad to talk through bullet choice before you order. If you are working up a load for a new rifle, a single box of the B&P Upland Classic 12ga 1oz 6 Shot is a sensible place to start.
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