Chamber Gauge ?
 

I am looking for a drop in chamber gauge for a 20 and 12 gauge gun. The steel ones that tell you the length of the chambers. Brownells has only 10 gauge left in stock and emailed me back .Item will no longer be available. Midway doesn't have them either. Any suggestions ?

Galazan has a brass deal that’s 10-12-16-20-28-410 as well as choke gauge . Different leaf for each gauge and the choke gauge . I bought one at Sanford from them in 2022 for $25 .

Here’s a link to what I bought but it only cost me $25 they’re showing $45 here . https://connecticutshotgun.co/profes...l-choke-gauge/

The Link Craig posted is the same as the one I purchased years ago from Galazan ,it is very convenient ! Perfect size to slip into your pocket for gun shows etc. ! Highly recommend it !

Chamber depth is considered to be the distance between the breech end of the barrels and the joint between the chamber body itself and the forcing cone, which reduces down to bore diameter. This is loosely based on the length of the "Fired" shell. Today, theoretically when the crimp opens on the shell being fired the end would land at the junction of the chamber and cone. Prior to WW-II many companies had the practice of holding the chamber about 1/8 inch shorter than the shell for which it was intended. Fly in the ointment is nominal measurements often differ from actual ones in both chambers and shells. A very good method I have found of measuring chambers without much outlay of cash, and is quite accurate enough for virtually any situation, is a common 6" flexible machinist's scale which you likely have. Hold the barrels with muzzles toward a light source, not necessarily a concentrated one a window is great, while looking into the breech and the cone will be thrown in a shadow. May have to move the barrels around a little until it is distinct. While still looking into the chamber simply slide the scale in until you observe the end coming flush with the shadow line & mark position of breech end with your thumb. Remove and read the scale. I usually repeat this a few times to insure I am getting a consistent reading, but you will be amazed how accurate this can be done. While I own a Galazan chamber gauge, I use this more often than not. The chamber body itself has a taper of about .005" per inch. Sometimes chambers were cut with slightly worn reamers giving a slight undersize chamber. If the chamber is a bit undersize a gauge made to "industry" standards will not go in to the true depth of the chamber. A.H. Fox Gun Co. shotguns are known for having tight chambers. The machinist’s scale method can be more accurate.

I have one of those Galazan gauges in my "gun evaluation kit" as well. Very handy. A member here actually made the first one which Tony copied and marketed.

I have had Tony's gauges for a few years and they are really handle and virtually indestructible.

I have one on the way, thanks to this thread! :)

Dave

Cheap 'n Dirty Chamber Gauge
 

Another potential Cheap 'n Dirty Chamber Gauge can be made using plastic hulls; RST's, etc. Check out the pictures below.

Make a nice, square cut just in front of the metal base and square up and trim as necessary. If possible, end up with a finished length of 2.0" +/- 1/16" for easier measuring.

Just slide the trimmed, squared off end into the chamber until it stops. Likely, just where the forcing cone begins. The other folded, crimped end will be seen in the chamber.

Then with a machinist's scale, measure how deep into the chamber that hull rests.

Add that measurement to the length of your gauge and you'll have your chamber length.

Works great.

Some pictures below and you can see what they look like. Make set for each gauge. Yeah, Cheap 'n Dirty.

You'll notice that I have my set of 4 threaded on a piece of line. If you'll look real close, it's not an ordinary piece of line. It has a collar crimped at each end.

For you Old Navy Salts, you'll recognize that as a Navy clothes pin. They were issued to us in Navy boot camp back in the early 1950's.

In boot camp, we did our laundry be hand and hung them out on a clothesline to dry. It was required you used as many of those Navy clothes pins as necessary keep your laundry tied to the clothesline.

And it had better be tied on with a square knot. If not, and the company commander found your laundry tied on with a Granny knot, you can expect to see your fresh washed clothes on the ground and stomped on.

Also, for those interested, I show a picture of the Galazan/Jolliff chamber gauge as discussed above. The one shown is Serial Number 1 made back in the 1970's.

Bill, I tried the Navy method, but the rope gets in the way. The gauge and the rope won't fit in the barrel. I prefer the Galazan gauge.