Can you fire less than 3" shells out of a 3" shotgun?
- Thread starter dubious
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yes you can shoot the shorter shells. I unfortunately dont have any documentation to support this... but trust me. Its like 38 special in a 357, 44 special in a 44 mag, now 32 h&r in a 327 hey even 22short or long in 22 long rifle. You get the idea. Just dont try that new fangled 3.5 inch 20ga.
-Tsi
(Im sure you could call savage and they would tell you it alright 413-568-7001)
-Tsi
(Im sure you could call savage and they would tell you it alright 413-568-7001)
Yes you can, I do it all the time with a 870 winmaster 3inch mag. I shoot 2 3/4 shells out of it a lot. Agila makes a 12 ga shell that just under 1 1/2 inch crimped. They were made for a full auto gun I think. You can shoot them out of any 12 ga unmodified but only one at a time. They have modifications (ejector and/or extractor) so you can shoot it normally out of your respective 12 ga pump etc. fits more shells in your gun. I shot some and they seem to be powerfull enough.
Best advice is try shooting a 2 3/4 shells out of your 3 or 3 1/2in mag and make sure it feeds and ejects without jamming. It works with out fail for me and my trusty 870.
Best advice is try shooting a 2 3/4 shells out of your 3 or 3 1/2in mag and make sure it feeds and ejects without jamming. It works with out fail for me and my trusty 870.
Sure you can. Many people fire 2 3/4 shells out of 12 gauges exclussively even though they have 3 or even 3.5 inch guns.
That larger chamber though will change how the gas expands. The pressure will need to fill in that extra wasted space.
On a 3.5 inch gun for example a 2 3/4 inch shell would fire and the shot and gases would have to expand width wise to fill in the chamber area before the full force of the gas would be focused forward. This can mean more deformed shot, and I would imagine slighter lower pressures and reduced velocity for the same load than out of a 2 3/4 chamber. It might even cause faster spread on the pattern, which of course a choke would counter.
All of it would be hardly noticable, but it would be happening. That dead space of extra width forward of the round will have SOME impact.
Much smaller might not always feed reliably, like Aguila's 1.75 inch mini shells.
The number of rounds a shotgun can hold can also be changed by the size shell being used. The longer the magazine the bigger the impact. Obviously many more rounds of 1.75 inch mini shells can be loaded than 3.5 inch shells out of the same length magazine.
If you have a capacity limit (state or hunting laws) using smaller shells might get you into trouble if not fixed previously with a block because you can exceed the number of rounds allowed if capacity with larger shells just barely complies.
That larger chamber though will change how the gas expands. The pressure will need to fill in that extra wasted space.
On a 3.5 inch gun for example a 2 3/4 inch shell would fire and the shot and gases would have to expand width wise to fill in the chamber area before the full force of the gas would be focused forward. This can mean more deformed shot, and I would imagine slighter lower pressures and reduced velocity for the same load than out of a 2 3/4 chamber. It might even cause faster spread on the pattern, which of course a choke would counter.
All of it would be hardly noticable, but it would be happening. That dead space of extra width forward of the round will have SOME impact.
Much smaller might not always feed reliably, like Aguila's 1.75 inch mini shells.
The number of rounds a shotgun can hold can also be changed by the size shell being used. The longer the magazine the bigger the impact. Obviously many more rounds of 1.75 inch mini shells can be loaded than 3.5 inch shells out of the same length magazine.
If you have a capacity limit (state or hunting laws) using smaller shells might get you into trouble if not fixed previously with a block because you can exceed the number of rounds allowed if capacity with larger shells just barely complies.
Dubious,
Yes, you can safely fire shorter shells (of the same gauge) out of the 3" chamber. Since your gun is a break-action that requires single loading of shells directly into the chamber, there is no "magazine" to be concerned about.
Yes, it's the same whether using shot, buckshot, or slugs.
Yes, you can safely fire shorter shells (of the same gauge) out of the 3" chamber. Since your gun is a break-action that requires single loading of shells directly into the chamber, there is no "magazine" to be concerned about.
Yes, it's the same whether using shot, buckshot, or slugs.
CajunBass
Member
Probably the one gun I really wish I had back was a 24 in 20/22. The best "pot hunting" gun ever made IMHO.
Milkmaster
Member
Congrats on your new shotgun. My dad has the 22lr/410ga. I have the 20ga/22WMR version shown in the picture here. Great classic shotguns.
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kirbythegunsmith
Member
Details
I had posted much about the problem of longer chambers and shorter shells, and most of that info. was listed here:
---------------------------------
In case you didn't search long and hard, see this back-n-forth where I explained the saga of long chambers vs. shorter shells.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=246219
Then you will have some greater perspective about logic (or lack thereof) and can make more informed decisions.
-------------------------------------
There was more info. at this posting, including a reference to Browning's testing details of the 2-3/4" in the 3" chamber.
http://www.browning.com/faq/detail.asp?ID=102
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=320928
[email protected]
I had posted much about the problem of longer chambers and shorter shells, and most of that info. was listed here:
---------------------------------
In case you didn't search long and hard, see this back-n-forth where I explained the saga of long chambers vs. shorter shells.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=246219
Then you will have some greater perspective about logic (or lack thereof) and can make more informed decisions.
-------------------------------------
There was more info. at this posting, including a reference to Browning's testing details of the 2-3/4" in the 3" chamber.
http://www.browning.com/faq/detail.asp?ID=102
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=320928
[email protected]
Average Joe
Member
Yes, perfectly safe.
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