MAXIMUM LOAD HERCO POWDER COMPENSATED—TUBE .680 
Date 
1930 
8/11 
8/12 
8/12 
8/13 
8/13 
8/15 
8/15 
8/16 
8/18 
8/18 
Time 
10 :40AM 
11 :30 AM 
4 :20 PM 
9:15 AM 
4 :20PM 
10:20AM 
3:10PM 
9:15AM 
9 :05AM 
2:40 PM 
extremes. 
Yelocitu F. 
s. 
Pressure 
Recoil ins. 
40-j/d. 
gun to 
target 
Pounds 
per sq. 
inch 
50-lb. gun 
Mean 
Max. 
Min. 
Mean 
Max. 
M in. 
Mean 
Max. 
955 
984 
915 
6,500 
7,800 
5,100 
10.09 
9.5 
943 
973 
918 
6,000 
7,000 
4,600 
10.12 
. 10.5 
968 
993 
935 
7,600 
8,800 
6,500 
10.48 
10.7 
970 
981 
956 
7,200 
7,800 
6,000 
10.64 
10.7 
960 
1,001 
917 
7,400 
8,400 
5,500 
10.38 
10.8 
970 
997 
952 
7,700 
8,600 
6,500 
10.42 
10.6 
965 
974 
955 
7.100 
8,000 
5,700 
10.33 
10.6 
962 
999 
900 
6.900 
8,200 
5,100 
10.18 
10.5 
957 
993 
908 
6,900 
7,900 
5,100 
10.12 
10.6 
964 
982 
925 
7,300 
9,100 
5,700 
10.48 
10.9 
961 
988 
928 
70.6 
10.32 
10.66 
1.001 
900 
91 
46 
10.9 
We are not publishing the above mass of 
data to confound the average reader or to 
becloud the issue, but to please those ex¬ 
perts who are not satisfied until they know 
‘‘wherefore and how come?'’ We wall now 
analyze the various ballistic factors to clarify 
and simplify this amazing array of figures. 
The breech pressure undergoes no apparent 
change, as might be expected. The com¬ 
pensator with its control tube plays no part 
in the breech end of the gun, where the 
pressure is maximum. 
The instrumental velocity undergoes no 
appreciable change. Any loss that might be 
occasioned by shortening the barrel is ap¬ 
parently regained by the inherent ability of 
the pattern-control tube to project the mass 
of shot into the air in a ballistically better 
condition. 
The compensator materially reduces the 
recoil. Since our test gun measures the 
amount of free recoil in inches, we believe 
that this figure alone would not give a clear 
mental picture of the extent of this reduc¬ 
tion. We have, therefore, converted these 
figures from their momentum value for the 
50-pound gun into the velocity and energy 
of free recoil for a normal 7-pound gun. In 
order to show these various values in direct 
comparison with each other for the two con¬ 
ditions of the gun we are tabulating them as 
follows: 
Pattern per cent 
Loading 
40 yds. 
room 
Range 
M in. 
Mean 
Max. 
If in. 
Temp. 
Baro. 
Temp. 
Hum 
10.7 
71.7 
80.0 
64.6 
73 
29.03 
70 
38 
9.4 
74.5 
79.7 
67.5 
72 
29.15 
67 
45 
10.0 
69.2 
76.3 
59.8 
79 
29.25 
70 
37 
10.1 
67.5 
75.2 
59.7 
75 
29.45 
61 
54 
9.6 
68.9 
78.4 
47.2 
80 
29.40 
73 
39 
10.1 
70.0 
74.5 
62.9 
78 
29.10 
68 
78 
9.9 
72.4 
79.7 
63.0 
76 
29.10 
68 
84 
9.4 
63.6 
67.8 
44.1 
79 
29.05 
68 
84 
9.3 
65.4 
71.0 
54.2 
75 
28.95 
69 
79 
9.8 
72 7 
78.7 
66.1 
78 
29.05 
75 
45 
9.71 
69 6 
76.1 
58.9 
9.3 
80.0 
44.1 
>e able 
creased with 
both 
loads. 
Next 
we note 
thal 
— Free 
Load Condition 
Herco Compensated 
Herco Uncompensated 
E. C. Compensated 
E. C. Uncompensated 
50 -lb. gun 
Morn 
Inches Ibs.f.s. ft.sec. 
10.32 109.6 15.63 
12.34 131.0 
9.35 99.1 
10.78 114.3 
Recoil — 
Calculated 
for 7 -lb. gun 
V el. Ener. 
ft.lb. 
26.6 
18.70 38.2 
14.14 21.8 
16.50 29.2 
to lift the fountain pen at the office Monday 
morning without the inevitable groan, and, 
“Never again!” Even the high gun man with 
a hardened shoulder will find that he is in 
better condition on the shoot-off, when he 
needs everything. 
In considering the patterns we believe that 
a clearer idea of the improvement obtained 
by using the compensator can be shown if 
we present their salient features by showing 
the actual differences in a concentrated table 
form. These figures, showing the grand av¬ 
erages, the average of the high and low indi¬ 
vidual pattern found in the 10-shot series 
each day, as well as the variation and the 
number of other exceptional low or poor 
patterns that do not show up individually in 
the big tabulation, are as follows: 
each day we were getting less variation in 
the 10 successive shots. The variation in 
the total of 100 shots also brings us good 
news. These variations for the compensated 
gun are not only less in this particular test, 
but are decidedly less than the long-time av¬ 
erage variations. 
This analysis further shows that there is 
little change in the average of the daily 
maximums, but that the mean daily minimum 
has been greatly increased. Also, the num¬ 
ber of low and blown patterns has been 
markedly decreased. We are thus assured 
that by the use of the compensator and the 
pattern-control tube, the average pattern has 
been increased, due to the elimination of 
those inevitable erratic and blown patterns. 
We conclude that the higher patterns mean 
Patterns 
No. 
Mean of 
Mean of 
Mean of 
Mean of 
patterns V aviations 
100 
daily 
daily 
daily 
less 
m 100 
Load Condition 
shots 
max8. 
mins. 
variations 
than 50% 
shots 
Herco Compensated . 
. 69.6 
76.1 
58.9 
17.2 
2 
35.9 
Herco Uncompensated . 
. 62.2 
74.0 
46.4 
29.6 
8 
56.1 
Difference . 
. 5.4 
2.1 
12.5 
12.4 
6 
20.2 
E. C. Compensated .. 
. 63.3 
70.5 
52.1 
18.4 
7 
19.4 
E. C. ‘ Uncompensated . 
. 60.1 
70.1 
42.9 
27.2 
14 
34.4 
Difference . 
Weldin’s 1927 tests . 
_ 3.3 
64.5 
.4 
9.2 
9.8 
26.8 
7 
15.0 
48.0 
Before analyzing this data, 
we wish you 
more 
game and 
fewer “lost” birds 
at the 
The uncompensated gun has 43 per cent 
more recoil energy when using the maximum 
Herco load than the compensated gun with 
the same load. With the trap load this 
difference is 34 per cent. The amount of 
reduction is, of course, a function of the 
number, size, and angle of the ports. These 
could be made so that they would actually 
pull the gun away from the shoulder. The 
present angles have been designed by Colonel 
Cutts to lessen the recoil and take out the 
extreme pain or vicious kicks, as it is found 
desirable to have a certain amount of recoil 
to hold the gun firmly against the shoulder 
for succeeding shots. 
Just what does this mean? It means that 
the average shooter can enjoy his shooting 
without having so many beautiful color de¬ 
signs on his shoulder from one week-end to 
the next. To the beginner, this knowledge 
may keep him from his backward somersault 
the split second before he gives the trigger 
to note the figures in the last line. As you 
may have noted in Mr. Weldin’s article in 
the December (1927) issue of the Rifleman, 
he fired 4,900 shots with various loads with 
a standard test gun to establish some funda¬ 
mental rules in regard to variation of pat¬ 
terns. These data are mean values obtained 
from this extensive program, and have proved 
to be sound on regular tests made since that 
date. Had high patterns been the only con¬ 
sideration in these tests we could have de¬ 
livered the goods by using one of our regu¬ 
lar 12-gauge pump guns that can beat these 
percentages 10 or 15 per cent with clocklike 
regularity. However, we stuck to our stand¬ 
ard testing conditions, which is the only way 
that a true comparison can be obtained. No 
apologies for 60 to 70 per cent patterns. 
The most important feature of the above 
tabulation is that the pattern has been in¬ 
trap. Pattern improvement is a big advan¬ 
tage, and the compensator gets the credit 
in this investigation. 
Generally a mere visual inspection of a 
number of patterns will result in the proof 
that one’s own products produce superior 
patterns, while others are patchy and infe¬ 
rior. We have attempted to obviate the 
personal equation by taking two simple and 
wholly arbitrary methods of judging the 
density and distribution of comparable pat¬ 
terns. As shown in the accompanying photo¬ 
graph, we have first determined the number 
of 434-inch circles (or clay pigeons) that 
could be put through the 30-inch pattern 
without being touched by a pellet. Next, 
we have compared the number of pellets in 
the 20-inch circle with the number in the 
ring between the 20- and 30-inch circles. 
The comparison shows the following results: 
—Density and 
Distrib lit i o n — 
No. 4% -in. 
circles in 
Load 
Condition 
Series No. 
No. shots 
Pattern per cent 
30-in. pattern 
Herco 
Uncompensated . 
. 22 and 29 
20 
64.3 
7.3 
Herco 
Compensated .. 
20 
64.5 
6.8 
E. C. 
Uncompensated . 
. 70 
10 
59.7 
3.5 
E. C. 
Compensated .. 
. 22 
10 
60.4 
3.3 
E. C. 
Uncompensated . 
. 86 
10 
63.2 
3.7 
E. C. 
Compensated . 
. 93 and 4 
20 
63.4 
3.1 
[ 6 ] 
These results indicate that there is a better 
distribution in a compensated gun pattern 
than in one of the same percentage from an 
uncompensated gun. This also means more 
game and fewer crippled birds to the hunter, 
and fewer shouts of “lost” to those who have 
a pet aversion to that sad word at the traps. 
Higher patterns sound fine, but the smart 
shooter wants to know if they are “patchy” 
—lots of shot concentrated in small areas. 
The 100-per-cent patterns sound good and 
can be obtained by holding the shot together 
with paraffin, but the practical killing area 
would be very small. The most uniform 
distribution of pellets is very desirable, and 
this is another advantage of the compensator 
that we would like emphasized. Analyzing 
the pattern by this other method shows the 
following comparison: 
By comparing the figures in the last two 
columns it can readily be seen that compen¬ 
sating the gun has caused a flow of pellets 
toward the center of the pattern. This 
amounts to approximately 3 per cent whether 
the loads are taken individually or collec¬ 
tively. This signifies that the load from a 
compensated gun would be more effective at 
greater ranges as well as at this standard 
distance of 40 yards, because it has a greater 
density in the inner portion of the pattern. 
Coupling this comparison with the previous 
one we see that we have gained an important 
advantage while more than holding our own 
on the 30-inch pattern taken as a whole. 
To satisfy those whose minds run only to 
patterns, we will consider, from the pre¬ 
ceding tabulation, only those pellets which 
fell within the inner or 20-inch ring at 40 
yards. Each figure below refers to the mean 
value for both patterns: 
Per cent 
E. G., compensated .. 34.8 
E. C., uncompensated . 31.4 
Increase . 3.4 
Herco, compensated . 39.5 
Herco, uncompensated . 33.6 
Increase .. f>-9 
As we pointed out above, the compensator 
will give more effective patterns at 40 yards, 
and better patterns at increased ranges. 
A desirable advantage to the man who 
owns or desires to own guns for different 
purposes is that he can get the same bene¬ 
fits with one compensated gun and the as¬ 
sortment of control tubes. He needs to have 
only the one gun v/hich fits him and suits him, 
and then carry along those light control 
tubes which are suitable for the game that 
he expects to encounter. For instance, he 
can be using his .680 tube for duck, and then 
when he changes over to the upland region, 
where the grouse will give a shot at closer 
range, it is necessary only to change this 
tube for the .725. The same holds good 
when you have been engaging in some plain 
and fancy trap-shooting with .690 tube at¬ 
tached, and want to change over to the 
child’s game of Skeet. Easy! Just screw 
off the little control tube and replace it with 
the spreader tube. You are now properly 
equipped for that pastime. In fact, the man 
shooting Skeet without a compensator and 
the spreader tube is at a distinct disadvantage 
unless he has ^ special cylinder bored gun 
for this purpose. Other things being equal, 
we would always place our money on the 
man with the compensated gun. 
While we were attending the Small-Bore 
Tournament at Sea Girt last July we had 
an opportunity to discuss the subject of the 
Cutts shotgun compensator with Col. J. J. 
Dooley, whose years of experience well 
qualify him as an expert on any subject 
pertaining to shooting. We are inclined to 
agree with the Colonel that the method of 
designating the control tubes by numbers, 
such as .680, .690, etc., gives but little in¬ 
formation to the shooter as to what tube he 
should use for a given purpose. Perhaps 
some other method or name would be better. 
The pattern-control tubes could just as 
well be called A, B, C, etc., or No. 1, No. 2. 
and No. 3. Th^ important thing is not what 
the tubes are, but what they will do and for 
what purpose they w T ere made. Many people 
will not doubt ask, just as Colonel Dooley 
puts it, “What pattern-control tube should I 
use at the 16-yard line when I take the birds 
off the trap house? Then which one shall 
I use when I am handicapped back to the 
23-yard line? What is the best tube for 
Skeet? What tube should the man use that 
lets them fly clear across the heavens before 
he shoots? The members of my club want 
one more bird: how will they get it?” Per¬ 
haps the best way to answer such questions 
is to give a brief summary of the purposes 
for which the various tubes are intended: 
Pattern-control tube .680, called long range No. 2 
Purpose—Long-range for ducks and geese, using No. 
4 shot or larger. 
Pattern-control tube .690, called long range No. 3. 
Purpose—Handicap trap from 23 yards, etc.; also 
long-range duck-shooting, using No. 5 or No. 6 shot 
Pattern-control tube .705, called full-choke. Pur¬ 
pose— a good tube for the trap-shot novice to use. 
Corresponds to full choke of regular guns. 
Pattern-control tube .725, called modified choke 
Purpose—For the average trap-shot and ordinary 
hunting. Corresponds to modified choke of regular 
guns. 
Pat tern control tube .740, called general purpose 
tube. Purpose—»For the fast shooter getting them 
right off the trap house. Good for brush- and 
rabbit-shooting. Used for more different kinds of 
shooting than any of the other tubes. 
Spreader tube. Purpose—For Skeet or very close 
brush-shooting. Will surprise the fast trap-shooter 
also. 
The ports are on the top and bottom of 
the compensator, and do not throw a blast 
backward or create a disturbing influence to 
the other members of a squad. 
It has often been said that the compensa¬ 
tor would cause considerable residue to be 
blown out of the ports, and that, in the case 
of progressive-burning powders, the unbumt 
grains would be thrown out via the ports 
also. In order to obtain some actual infor¬ 
mation on this we decided to make some 
simple tests. We placed a large sheet of wet 
blotting paper 12 inches below the compen¬ 
sator, and after a 10-shot series no partially 
burned grains were found while shooting 
either load. No more carbonaceous residue 
was found than in the case of an uncom¬ 
pensated test gun. Against a dark back¬ 
ground the muzzle flash of either load was 
normal when the compensator was attached. 
A flash could be seen coming through the 
ports, but it was small compared with the 
muzzle flash, which was normal. 
After these tests, and after seeing Mr. 
Elihu Lyman and Mr. C. A. Pickering break¬ 
ing the doubles at Skeet with great regular¬ 
ity, we are assured that a Skeet-minded per¬ 
son is not bothered by the gases emerging 
from the ports, and that the spreader tube 
bears the same relation to this game that 
Bobby Jones’ “Calamity Jane” does to 
putting. We know from our personal ex¬ 
perience at the Lyman trap that Messrs. 
Lyman and Pickering were not shooting at 
trick self-shattering birds. The only things 
that affected these birds were encounters 
with solid lead shot when these gentlemen 
were behind the gun equipped with the com¬ 
pensator and spreader tube. 
There are other tests on the performance 
of the compensator that we wish we had the 
opportunity and funds available to make. 
For instance, we should like to see someone 
determine the patterns by means of ten-day 
tests of 10-shot series each, of the different 
control tubes and all loads, with the target 
at various distances from the gun. This 
would of necessity be -an extensive as well 
as expensive program, but it would give a 
wealth of valuable and reliable information. 
We wished to confine our investigation pri¬ 
marily to the compensator's effect on recoil 
and pattern. We feel satisfied with the re¬ 
sults obtained. 
Colonel Cutts deserves great credit for 
having developed such a simple device that 
accomplishes so much for the benefit of the 
shotgun fraternity. 
DISTRIBUTION IN PATTERNS 
Pellets in outer 
ring between 
Per cent of total 
Per cent of total 
Series 
Pellets in 
20-in. and 30 -in. 
30 -in. pattern 
30-in. pattern • 
No. 
Load 
30-inch circle 
circles 
outer ring 
inner 20-in. ring 
UNCOMPENSATED 
86 
E. C. 
276 
125 
45.3 
54.7 
47 
E. C. 
243 
120 
49.4 
50.6 
46 
Herco 
177 
82 
46.3 
53.7 
83 
Herco 
175 
75 
42.8 
57.2 
Mean 
of 
40 
shots. 
46.0 
54.0 
COMPENSATED 
3 
E. C. 
277 
116 
41.9 
58.1 
25 
E. C. 
265 
123 
46.4 
53.6 
2 
Herco 
198 
79 
39.9 
60.1 
24 
Herco 
187 
79.5 
42.5 
57.5 
Mean 
of 
40 
shots. 
42.7 
57.3 
[7] 
