early 3 inch magnums
 

i have always beeninchanted with the 12 ga magnum shells and the guns that fire them....i think the first gun to shoot the then new 3 inch magnum shell loaded by the factory was the model 12 winchester in the heavy duck configuration..this gun fired the new 3 inch shell with a payload of 1 3/8 ounce of shot.. next they bumped the load up to 1 5/8 ounce next was 1 3/4 ounce then 1 7/8 ounce and finall a full 2 ounce load in the 3 inch hull...i have shot all these loads except the 1 3/8 ounce load which was made before my time... i watched a ammo auction this past month they had a box of the peters with the flying mallard comeing out of the marsh grass in fact they had several boxes of these 3 inch shells..here are some of the loadings that interested me real good...first was a peters box with this loading 4 drams powder 1 3/8 ounce of shot brought 80.00dollars next was a rare loading in this duck box was the loading of 4 1/2 drams of powder and 1 7/8 ounce lead...several really nice boxes of the duck box in 1 5/8 ounce load this load equaled the mighty 10 ga loading of 1 5/8 ounce of lead.. i really like this duck box its nice to look at and the price is not to bad on it yet...i wanted that 1 3/8 ounce load and the 1 7/8 load just did not have the cash on hand...but i did get a winchester box of shells in the 3 inch 1 3/8 loading this is the box you want to go with your heavy duck gun... i also got a box of federal shells with the duck on the box and it has the 1 3/8 loading this is my first time to ever see this loading in a federal box....seen a lot of real interesting high dollar shell boxes but all i can do is look at them...but i did see a box of 12 ga shells that were 2 7/8 inches long and only a load of 1 1/4 ounce..and there was a 3 inch box of 16 ga on that auction too...and there was a parker brothers 11 ga shell on there too...too rich for my likings....now gota find me a cheap model 12 heavy duck gun to put my shells with....charlie

I recently bought a model 12 heavy duck and they can be had around 500 or 600 on Gunbroker if you look

Don't have a Model 12 but I picked up what I think is a decent circa 68 A-5 12 MAG last year before Christmas . Came with a 28" vent rib modified barrel and I later got a Belgium 3" Buck Special barrel from a dealer in Texas of all places . Still wanna find a Belgium vent rib 30 or 32 inch full choke barrel .

The Western Cartridge Co. Super-X, Peters Cartridge Co. High Velocity, etc. 12-gauge 3-inch progressive burning powder, high velocity, shells with a load of 1 3/8 ounce of shot hit the market in the 1924/5 range for guns like the A.H. Fox Gun Co.'s HE-Grade Super-Fox and the L.C. Smith Long Range. The 12-gauge 3-inch MAGNUM with the 1 5/8 ounce payload was introduced by Winchester/Western along with their Model 12 Heavy Duck in 1935. The 1 7/8 ounce 12-gauge 3-inch Magnum came along in 1954.

thanks researcher for the information and setting me straight on these shells...i forgot about the lc smith long range and the super fox being made beore the model 12 duck gun...the box of 1 3/8 ounce load i will be getting is the western brand of shells...i have a empty box of the 1 7/8 ounce loadingsin in the duck box....hope to add more as time goes by...charlie

Here are some early 3-inch progressive burning powder loads --

Attachment 65059

Attachment 65062

Nash Buckingham's favored Lubaloy load 1933-39 style box --

Attachment 65064

1948 to 1960 style box --

Attachment 65063

these are really great boxes this is the first time i have seen these boxes with the 3 inch loading of 1 3/8 ounce...thanks for showing them i could look at boxes like this all day long...collecting old ammo will get in your blood like old parkers.... charlie

I have pointed this out before but it bears reiteration: if that 28" MOD Vent Bbl. is in fact a factory original 3" chambered bbl. and is original to the gun, it is a very rare find!

A fact of which I’m well aware but thanks just the same .

From the recent Ward's Auction -- offering from the Winchester side of the aisle (1933-41) -- Attachment 65231