[Lightsped]

So I have a Mossberg 590A1 that I haven't shot in years. A friend of mine and me were going target shooting this weekend. We went to WalMart to buy ammo and I couldn't determine which ammo was correct for my gun.

I know my gun uses 12gauge, 2 3/4 inch length, but on the $4.00 black Winchester boxes I kept seeing a 3rd number which was 3 1/2inch. What is this 3rd number all about?

Turns out I didn't shoot my shotgun as I was not willing to take a chance on using the wrong ammo.

[mete]

Shotgun ammo may have many numbers . Gauge -such as 20, 12, or 10. Shot size -such as 6, 4 ,2 or #4 buckshot. Dram equivalent [equivalent to drams of black powder] which relates to velocity. Shell length - length of shell [after it is fired] -such as 2 3/4" or 3" or 3 1/2" [some guns and ammo may have metric equivalent such as 65mm]. You may fire a 2 3/4" shell in a 3" chamber but NEVER try to shoot a 3" shell in a 2 3/4" chamber !! Keep rounds separate - do not have 12 and 20 gage in the same box , separate lengths also.

[Fred Fuller]

The only Winchester 'black box' I have handy is their 20 ga. AA Target Load, but the organization of the data on the top flap of the box should be the same. It is clearly marked from left to right for gauge (20), length (2 3/4 Inches) powder charge (2 1/2 Dr. Eq.) shot load (7/8 Oz.) and shot size (9 Shot).

I think the "extra" number you saw might have been the powder charge, if in fact it was printed right above the abbreviation Dr. Eq. which stands for Drams Equivalent. See http://www.reloadingpro.com/Drams_Equivalent.htm for an explanation of the term.

Your caution is to be commended, too bad wallyworld's sporting goods counters are seldom a good place to get useful information regarding the products they sell. It might be worth your while to spend a bit more money and patronize a good gun shop in your area where salespeople are more apt to know their products (unhappily, good shops are getting harder to find).

lpl/nc

[Lightsped]

Yes sir, I believe it was Drams Equivalent that was marked 3 1/4.

Does anyone know if a Mossberg 590A1 would accept the 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shells with Drams Equivalent of 3 1/4?

[kudu]

As long as the length is 2 3/4 your in good shape. The Dram equivalent is how much speed the shell has in old fashion terms.

Now go by some ammo and shoot it up.:D

[duckslayer]

That question wasn't stupid by any means. Stupid would have been to shoot ammo in your gun when you were unsure about it. And I don't mean this disrespectfully to any Walmart employee, but most of them wouldn't have been able to give you the correct answer either. Like Kudu said, the Dram equivalent is the powder charge in old school terms.