3 1/2 inch 12 ga

[charlie cleveland]

have any of you fellas ever rechambered a modern double barrel a side byside into a 3 1/2 inch gun or ever heard of it being done....im interested in doing this any advice appreciated... charlie

[Rick Losey]

any advice appreciated... charlie

http://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/past/catalog.asp?product=Mag-Plus-Recoil-Shield-Ambidextrous


:corn:

[George Blair]

Charlie, don't know about a sxs but there is a Browning Cynergy 3.5" 12 guage listed in Guns America. It's item#985335273. $1299 with a $100 rebate. That will help pay for the recoil pad that Rick wants you to buy. At 7.8lbs I'll bet that pad will come in handy with the 2 oz plus loads.

[Mark Ouellette]

Charlie,

As I previously advised you in a thread on this board, the SAAMI mean (average) working pressure of the 12 gauge 3.5" is 14,000 PSI. The same of the 2 & 3/4" and 3" 12 gauge is 11,500. This isn't a matter of simple lengthening the chambers. One must ensure that an increase in pressure of 18% will not rupture the barrels especially since most barrels taper after the chamber. Cutting an extra 1/2 inch of chamber and forcing cone may produce dangerously thin barrels where pressure is very near the peak. I don't know about you buy I like all ten of my fingers! :)

One needs to ensure that the minimum barrel wall thickness (MBWT) of the entire chamber and for several if not more inches past the chamber meet the Hoop Stress calculations for the specific metal of which the barrel is made.

In simple terms, please DO NOT do this to Parker or other vintage SxS unless you start with something like a 12 gauge built on a #5 Frame with sewer pipes for barrels! Even then, I'd want to do the math first, or better have a professional do the math because those calculations are not simple (unless you work in the pressure vessel (tank) industry).

The CSMC Model 21 is available in 3.5" 12 gauge but Tony G. has the resources to ensure his special order guns such as those will be safe!

Please be careful Charlie.

Mark

[Fred Preston]

Charlie, I use 3&1/2" Gauge Mates in my 3 frame NH 10. Might work for you. I should add that the NH has sleeved fluid steel barrels with 3&1/2" chambers.

[charlie cleveland]

thanks fellas for the advise on safety pecautions...if i go ahead with my project i will be using a 3 inch chambered stevens double...i will follow all safety rules such as barrel thickness and meaurements...i appreciate the info on the browning but i want me a side by side in 3 1/2...ive already used the gauge mates to use in a 3 frame ten works good... will updare if i go ahead with project....

[Pete Lester]

IMO the 3 1/2" 12ga was a dumb idea that made it to the market. The guns generally boot the crap out of the shooter with very little gain in performace over a 3" 12ga and no advantage whatsoever over a 10ga. Charlie what has possessed you to go this route, you have 10's and an 8?

[Daryl Corona]

Actually there is very little performance increase with a 3" 12 over a 2 3/4" 12. Pete is right about the extra recoil. If you want to shoot an 1 1/2oz or 1 5/8oz load move up to a ten. Been there-done that!

[Pete Lester]

I can remember in the 1970's as a teenager shooting W-W Super X Double X 1 7/8 ounce 3" copper coated #2 for geese through an 870 mag because I thought I needed them. By the third shot I was literally seeing stars. I think I have learned something since then I hope.

[charlie cleveland]

well pete i reallygot no reason for wanting a 3 1/2 inch side by side other than i want one...i ve always liked odd things in guns like extra long barrels... all the big bore shotguns...i like things like gauge mates barrel liners...boy at the oddieties i do like...its not the payload im looking for in a gun ive shot 3 ounces thru the old 8 ga before... i really can not explain it except i want the thing...ive got a chamber reamer and so far im safe at the 3 1/4 inch mark on one barrel will just do one barrel to see if this can be safely done...dont worry fellas its a stevens im working on.... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

well i got the left barrel rechambered...every thing stayed within spec s....in fact it has more chamber thichness than a single barrel 3 1/2 inch h r single barrel i own... i proofed the gun by tying a string on the trigger and getting behind the corner of my shed...i fired it 3 times with no problems...gonna try it a few more times and see how it patterns on paper... i had already glassed the stock but may have to pin the stock also for its sure gonna kick...have a slip onrecoil reducers on it now was bearable with 3 inch shells but its gonna be a hand ful may have to lead the stock....if this thing kicks harder than this h r single barrel ive got i may have to buy me a 410... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

shot the gun 15 more times from the shoulder this afternoon...gun is manage able with the 3 1/2 inch loads...but kicks pretty good...i fired 5 3 1/2 in and 10 3 inch shells...gun paterened with no 5 shot in both lenths of shells irs shooting at least a 85 percent patern with the 3 1/2 inch and shooting about the same pattern with the 3 inch...now all i got to do is get theright side barrel finished and checked out...ps forgot to mention i counter bored the gun 2 inches ...... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

reloaded up several 3 1/2 inch shells....reloading book said to use 41 grains of bluedot with 2 ounce of shot.... pressure 11000 psi....they pattered well and did not kick as bad as the factory ammo...this should be a fine rainy day gun for turkeys...i slipped on one of those new arm saver pads its worth the money... charlie

[Milton Starr]

Mr
Charlie if you need to sell your parker 8ga to fund your 12ga research let me know Hahaha.
Oh talking about boomers i havr a box of 3.5" 10ga loads 3oz! Payload in a 10bore.
7.75$ per shell someone gave me the 5rd box

[charlie cleveland]

milt thanks for the offer to fund my 12 ga research.... i too wanted a 3 ounce load im the magnum 10...destrey hoffard fonf me the site info for the company that loads these3 ounce loads....i know they were well over a hundred dollars abox of 25...i did not buy them but i did load up 3 ounces of shot in the magnum shell....i did not have a chronograph to test speed but i could tell by the way the 5 gallon bucket i was using for a target did not rock and roll like a 2 1/4 ounce load did to it...i read the factory speed for the 3 ounce load and it was pretty slow compared to the speed of the 2 1/4 ounce loads...plus the patterning suffered with the 3 ounce load and penatration is not real good....plus recoil is very heavy using the 3 ounce load..i was shooting my loads in a ithaca mag ten in other words a automatic ten..if this load had been shot in a magnum ten double it would be a handful... so in my opinion the 3 ounce load is too much for the ten...it could be made with more powder and get the speed up but would build very high pressures and would be a unbearable load to shoot...even in a auto...would be too much for the shoulder....only way to solve the hard kick would be to build a a heavier frame ten of about at least 13 pounds...when your shooting a 3 ounce load you are really shooting a lite load for a four bore...and you aint got the weight of the 4 in a ten...unless youve got one of them really heavy tens some of the boys got here... charlie

[Milton Starr]

Might as well get a 8ga then lol. My 4ga muzzleoader single barrel english fowler with a conversion style percussion lock will cost 1750$ complete and 120 day build time. I was told by aa guy with a blunder buss that 5oz @1100 fps inst bad in his 8lb gun because black powder make a smooth recoil motion .
hope mine will be in the 15-20lb range. Might try a 4oz load to. I want to make paper cartridge for it.