8-gauge Ammunition

[Researcher]

From my years of observation, it appears to me that Remington ARROW shells are far and away the most common North American 8-gauge shells we see.

The last Remington catalog I've found to offer loaded 8-gauge shells is the 1918-19 The Remington Arms Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Inc. catalog. The 1923 Remington Arms Co., Inc. catalog still offers 8-gauge NPEs. However, the bulk of the 8-gauge ammo I see offered in sporting collectibles auctions is Remington Arms Co., Inc. which would make it from late 1920 onwards, some even after 1934 with the DuPont logo on the labels --

ARROW 8-gauge, 5 1-2 dram equiv., 1 3-4 ounce #2 C DuPont.jpg

ARROW 8-gauge, 5 1-4 dram equiv., 1 3-4 ounce #4C DuPont.jpg

[charlie cleveland]

boy I had several boxes at one time of these same marked shells...but there now gone down the road...charlie

[John Albano]

I bet they would have dispatched the neighbors cat.

[6pt-Sika]

I only have one original 8 gauge box and it came with over half the shells . I bought it because the load was a little out the norm for an 8 and right up my alley !

[Craig Larter]

Here's the 8ga box I would like to find one day.

[Researcher]

In the first years of the 20th Century Union Metallic Cartridge Co. had two high brass shells, TRAP with the flat base wad for bulk smokeless powders and ARROW with a high base wad for dense smokeless powders. For 1905 UMC began offering an ARROW shell for bulk smokeless, but the 8-gauge loads were still in the TRAP shell --

TRAP 8-gauge, bulk smokeless powder,1905.png

The EXPERT was the NPE equivalent to the loaded TRAP shell --

8-gauge EXPERT shell.png

By the 1907 UMC catalog the TRAP shell is gone. While the TRAP shell is in the 1906 catalog, the pages are X'ed out in the copy I have access to.

[Researcher]

The only 8-gauge box of ARROW shells from the Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. era (1911-16) I've gotten pictures of has the Rem-UMC over ARROW head-stamp and the REMINGTON-UMC canular at the top of the brass --

ARROW 8-Gauge 01 Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co..jpg

ARROW 8-Gauge 04.jpg

ARROW 8-Gauge 05.jpg

The only 8-gauge shell in my collection is of this type. I was a teenager when while visiting Minnesota my uncle took me to the old "Stagecoach" restaurant/gun museum/gun shop and they were selling individual shells out of a box of 8-gauges.

ARROW 8-gauge shell side.jpeg

ARROW 8-gauge shell headstamp.jpeg

ARROW 8-gauge shell top wad.jpeg

Some years ago one of the Lein boys was selling a dozen loaded and ten empty 8-gauge shells stamped KLEANBORE on the sides. KLEANBORE priming was introduced to Remington shotshells in the 1931-2 time frame --

Kleanbore 8-gauge shells 05.jpg

Kleanbore 8-gauge shells 04.jpg

Kleanbore 8-gauge shells 03.jpg

[Craig Larter]

And then there is Winchester Leader

[Researcher]

Sweet!! I knew Winchester loaded 8-gauge shells, but your box is the first I've seen. Just looking in my 1916 Winchester catalog and load 86BB listed at $71 per thousand.

Also, I see Winchester offered their 8-gauge LEADERS loaded with either bulk or dense smokeless powders. UMC/Remington only offered their 8-gauge shells in black and bulk smokeless powders.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Sweet!! I knew Winchester loaded 8-gauge shells, but your box is the first I've seen. Just looking in my 1916 Winchester catalog and load 86BB listed at $71 per thousand.

Also, I see Winchester offered their 8-gauge LEADERS loaded with either bulk or dense smokeless powders. UMC/Remington only offered their 8-gauge shells in black and bulk smokeless powders.

Did Winchester load 8’s in the Nublack or Repeater varieties ?