Load settings for Auto loading shotgun

[jwel]

have a 1910 Auto-Loading shotgun. In regards to the settings for light and heavy loads. What would be a good division point. Will only use non-magnum 2 3/4" shells.Know it can't take 3". Would 3 3/4 drams of powder loads be a heavy load for the gun? Will probably use nothing above 3 drams of powder loads, though. Just had the firing pin replaced. And, don't want to damage the gun.
Thanks!

[jwel]

Will add that the gun has a 830XX serial number.

[Researcher]

At the time your gun was built, the heaviest available factory loaded 12-gauge shells were 3 1/2 drams of bulk smokeless powder (or its equivalent in dense smokeless powder) and 1 1/4 ounces of shot. However, the concensus in much of the writing of the time seems to be that the 3 1/4 - 1 1/4 load was a better, more balanced, load. The 12-gauge shells with 3 3/4 drams equiv. of progressive burning smokeless powder and 1 1/4 ounces of shot were introduced in 1922 by Western Cartridge Co. as their Super-X. The other cartridge co.s soon follwed suit with Nitro Express, Hi-Power, and High Velocity.

I normally keep my guns with the rings adjusted for the heaviest shells, and only adjust them lighter if the gun isn't cycling reliably with the shells I'm using on a particular day.

[jwel]

Thanks! Only had one shell not eject properly so far. Think it was a reload that a friend gave me. The barrel went half way back and then got stuck. Was able to get it removed. Now, no more reloads!

[jwel]

What the barrel did that one time it didn't eject the shell, was that the barrel went to the back of it's action. But,it didn't go forward.