wuestion bout 12 gauge

[X9ballX]

ok i plan to get a 12 gauge soon i keep seeing things like 12 gauge by 3 inches or somthing like that.dose that mean i wont be able to use any kind of 12 gauge ammo with it?i have a shell in my hand now that says 2 3/4 IN-1-7 1/2

what dose this mean. i was going to buy a shotgun due me thinking the ammo was easy to find

 

[BADUNAME37]

A shotgun is different than a rifle. A 12 gauge is a shotgun.

Yes, shotguns are restricted by the length of the chamber. The 2 3/4" shotgun 'shell' you are holding should fit into any modern 12 gauge gun you would purchase today (assuming that the 'shell' in your hand is indeed a 12 gauge shell and NOT a 16, 20, or 28 gauge, or even .410). The shell in your hand has birdshot that is size 7 1/2. That would be good for shooting squirrels, crows, and other small animals. It could be used in a defensive situation if the attacker is fairly close to you (say, within 20 feet).

If the shotgun is chambered for 3", then a more powerful (meaning more pellets) 3" shell will fit, but the shorter 2 3/4" shells will also fit, just like the one in your hand.

 

[monkyboy1975]

It means shell is 2 3/4 inches with 1 ounce of 7 1/2 shot. you may only shoot 2 3/4" shells in a shotgun marked with 2 3/4" chamber or 2 3/4" and 3" in a shotgun marked 3" chamber. Hope that helped.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

OK you're going to buy a 12 gauge shotgun, not a rifle. The length of the shell is important, as there are three basic sizes..., 2 3/4, 3" and 3 1/2 ". Most shells are 2 3/4" long, with "magnum" shells being 3". The 3 1/2" shells are most often found used in waterfowl hunting.

The shell you mentioned is 2 3/4" long, has 1 ounce of shot. The last figure is the size of each pellet, and yours had pellets sized #7 1/2. That is a game bird load, for pheasants and grouse, and also for rabbits and squirrel.

The larger the number the smaller the shot, but more pellets. So #8 shot is twice as small as #4 shot, but you get more pellets with #8. (Just a general rule to go by) Then the ounces of shot figure in, so 1 ounce of shot is less pellets than 1 1/4 oz. The size of the shot is important, as smaller = more, but it also means the pellets lose energy faster. The bigger the bird, the larger the pellets as a general rule.

Finally the choke on the barrel. You should get a screw-in choked barrel on a new shotgun, and check to make sure on a used shotgun. The choke determines a bit more range for the pellets when you shoot, as well as how wide the pellets fly, and this is called the pattern.

So you will see folks with new shotguns talking about checking the pattern of certain loads coming out of their shotgun, to make sure the pattern has a good chance of hitting the moving target.

LD

 

[PA4476]

FIRST thing you need to do is find a local range with an instructor. You need to go learn something about guns BEFORE you buy one. Please ... for yours and everybodys safty around you.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Pa4476

I agree.

You should try to find some kind of instructors, or ask among your friends if any of them are into shooting and/or hunting.

A hunter safety course would be an excellent start, as would any gun safety course. You will learn a lot, and make yourself safe around guns (if you aren't too familiar with guns). There is much more to it than just going out and buying a gun! There are ten basic safety rules that should ALWAYS be followed to help prevent any accidents.

 

[monkyboy1975]

Yes, I think a Hunters Safety Course may be in order. Safety is paramount when dealing with firearms.

 

[rcmodel]

Even reading a couple of books about firearms would be a strong start!

rcmodel

 

[BADUNAME37]

See if you can get some BASIC books on

gun safety, gun books for beginners, etc.

Don't be embarrased, we all started out knowing NOTHING about guns, and the more we learned the more we wanted to learn.

Don't hesitate to ask questions!

 

[ChCx2744]

First off, search online and start reading about guns. Second off, don't load your SHOTGUN with any other kind of ammo that it doesn't specify. For example, on the side of my shotgun it reads, "2 3/4 - 3" meaning I can chamber any 12 gauge shell between 2 3/4 inches long to 3 inches long. Most 12 gauge shotgun shells are going to be 2 3/4 inches long, and some are going to be 3 inches long. If you are a beginner, I'd suggest you shoot the 2 3/4 inch shells, because the 3 inch shells are MOST LIKELY gonna be something like magnum express or something full power; you will probably get hurt if you don't know how to handle that kind of ammo, especially in that kind of gun.

 

[X9ballX]

ok fixed my spelling mistake

 

[X9ballX]

ok the weird numbers were how long the shell was. o i get it now.

thanks

usually when i ask these stupid questions i just dont know where to start lookin and what to ask for.

i wanna have a gun before obama tries to take em

 

[monkyboy1975]

When dealing with firearms, there really is no such thing as stupid questions.It's much better to teach somebody how to do it right than let them get hurt.

 

[BADUNAME37]

X9ballX,

We are here to help you make decisions for both the right gun for you and other questions.

Do you have any 12 gauge in mind that you would like to buy? Are you limited to a certain amount of money?

I think if you can spend $300 - $400, you will be able to get yourself a pretty nice shotgun that will last several lifetimes, if well taken care of!

 

[John828]

i wanna have a gun before obama tries to take em

You have plenty of time and plenty of good advice. Buy in haste, repent at leisure. Shoot in haste, repent in jail/eternity.

Go to the library and check out some gun books. Ask the librarian to take you to these call numbers: 799.202834, 799.21, 683.426, 623.442. These will get you into the vicinity of some great books. Layne Simpson, Jack O'Connor, Jim Carmichel, De Haas, etc.

Some of the books will be old and tattered with mustachioed men in old black and white photos, but they hold a ton of good, old-fashioned advice and wisdom. When I was a kid, I had "to cut my teeth" on them.

Google is your friend, but it can turn on you too. Listen to the old-timers and learn you will.

 

[X9ballX]

We are here to help you make decisions for both the right gun for you and other questions.

Do you have any 12 gauge in mind that you would like to buy? Are you limited to a certain amount of money?

I think if you can spend $300 - $400, you will be able to get yourself a pretty nice shotgun that will last several lifetimes, if well taken care of!

https://fbmginc.3dcartstores.com/CENT-ARMS-COACHGUN-DBL-BBL-12GA-20quot_p_1859.html

thats what i want and what i hope to get.

used to think all shotgun ammo was the same depengin on the gauge. as in i thought all kinds of 12 gauge will work with anything fitted to 12 gauge. i mean i never hear anythting usually about shotguns other thtan the gauge not wether or not its 12gauge 3 inches or whatever. what would happen if i put something thats 12 gauge and smaller inside?

 

[Gord]

what would happen if i put something thats 12 gauge and smaller inside?

What do you mean? A 12-gauge shotgun will run 12-gauge ammo. It will not run 20-gauge or anything else.

As well as gauge, there are different shell lengths. 2 3/4" is and always has been the standard length, and then you have 3" shells (magnums) and 3.5" shells (super magnums). There's not much of a practical need for 3" or 3.5" shells unless you goose hunt, but if you want the flexibility to be able to use them in the future, simply buy a gun that will accept those shell lengths.

So to reiterate, you have gauge, which is equivalent to "caliber" in a rifle, and then you have shell length. All modern shotguns will run 2 3/4" shells as they are standard length; a shotgun marked for 3" will feed both 2 3/4" and 3" shells, and a shotgun marked for 3.5" will feed 2 3/4", 3" and 3.5" shells.

As far as getting yourself into an OBAMA'S GON' TAKE MAH GUNS AWAY frenzy, don't fall into that trap - especially with shotguns. Nothing you're going to buy for $400 will be covered by a ban. Sporting shotguns are not in any danger, hence why they're still available and cheap.

As others have said, you really need to slow down, read, and have some sit-down conversations with your friends who know firearms. Forget about buying, for now; you need to have a basic knowledge of firearms first, and respectfully, it's obvious that you have no clue right now...

 

[BADUNAME37]

That coach gun double barrel side-by-side should make a decent 12 gauge for you and would be a good defense gun.

Since the coach gun is rather short and light, you might not want to shoot it a lot at first, until you get used to it. It will kick pretty hard, however, you can always start out with "low brass" which are 2 3/4" shells with less powder and less powerful than 2 3/4" magnums.

 

[monkyboy1975]

X9ballX, the Century coach gun, that the one you looking at? If so, they indicate it has a 3" chamber (I personally have never fondled one) and should take both 2 3/4" and 3" shells. But a word of warning, always check the barrel first. Most modern shotguns will have the chamber length stamped on them.As far as shot sizes go, the bigger the number, the smaller the shot; with the exception being buckshot. I believe one of the other fellows posted a table of the different sizes somewhere else in the forums recently. I suggest you find it and learn it, that table will come in very handy. And welcome to the world of shotguns

p.s. If you haven't already done it, I suggest you take a hunters safety course as well. you can learn alot from those instructors and learn the basics when it comes to firearm safety.

 

[Gord]

you might not want to shoot it a lot at first, until you get used to it.

Well, he's gotta shoot it to get used to it

 

[BADUNAME37]

Ninja,

True, I never thought about it that way.

Duh me!

Nevermind me. I'll just sit quietly by and button my trap.

 

[Gord]

Well, you do have a point - he's probably not going to want to go out and run 200 rounds through the thing his first time out!

 

[BADUNAME37]

Man, when I was a kid, I could have shot all day!

You couldn't have bought me enough ammo!

Now that I'm middle-aged, or worse, two boxes of magnums would take me a week to recover!

LOL

 

[monkyboy1975]

Those were the days, I remember I was on a 3" kick myself when i was younger and fed my 870 a steady diet of 3" slugs and turkey loads. this past summer I went to pattern some different buck loads and the first ones I tried were the 3 inchers, wow nothing like I remembered, those things kick! maybe I'm just getting too old.

 

[riverdog]

Do not start out shooting 3" buckshot because the gun is marked for 3" -- you'll thank me later. Start out with some target loads just to get a feel for handling the gun.

My first shotgun was a Remington 870 Wingmaster Magnum. I can count on one hand the number of 3" magnum rounds it's fired -- five total -- don't need them. The other 99+% of the rounds fired were 2 3/4". HD load here is 2 3/4" reduced recoil 00 buckshot. I have no use for 3" rounds.