Baker chambers
 

Good morning, was wondering if all baker SBT guns had 2 1/2 inch chambers. thanks

The Baker Gun & Forging SBTs were introduced in 1909, and I don't believe any gun had 2 1/2" chambers unless ordered as such. Does your gun have 2 1/2" chambers??
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Growing up and shooting live native birds with my cousin. He shot a very nice Baker 16 ga. And killed more native pheasants than me. I've have periodically offered to buy it from my cousin who inherited it but to no avail.

The 12-gauge Baker SBT's might have 2 5/8-inch chambers intended for 2 3/4-inch shells, but more likely 2 3/4-inch chambers. For 1907 our ammunition manufacturers went to 1 1/4-ounce 12-gauge loads only being offered in 2 3/4-inch or longer shells. Also, for most of the time from then until WW-II while hunting 1 1/8-ounce 12-gauge loads came in the 2 5/8-inch shell, those marketed as "Trap Loads" came in 2 3/4-inch cases.

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No mention of chamber length in the two Baker catalogs I have that include the SBTs.

1911 --

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1915 --

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Thanks guys, I was thinking on getting one I seen buy it had 2 1/2" chambers.

By who and how was the measurement made? If the chamber is just slightly tight a gauge made to "industry standards" will measure short. The machinist's scale method can be more accurate.

I measured 9 Baker single barrel trap guns. One early one, ca. 1910 , and one late one, ca. 1919, had 2 3/4" chambers, the 7 others had 2 1/2" chambers . I used one of the plug gauges , I think from Galazan some decades ago . Oddly, most of the double barrel higher grade 12 ga. Bakers from that era had 2 3/4" chambers.

Would a 12-gauge chamber that actually measures 2 1/2-inch be intended for 2 5/8-inch shells? Our U.S. ammunition manufacturers did not regularly offer a 12-gauge 2 1/2-inch paper shell. From the 1890s to WW-II our U.S. ammunition manufacturers offered 12-gauge paper shells in 2 5/8-, 2 3/4-, 2 7/8- and 3-inch lengths. As I mentioned above, from 1907 onwards all 1 1/4-ounce loads were only offered in 2 3/4-inch or longer cases and 1 1/8-ounce loads marketed as "Trap Loads" were also in 2 3/4-inch cases --

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For a while before WW-I there were also 3 1/4-inch 12-gauge cases offered for bulk smokeless powder. I've yet to see a box of such loaded shells, but have seen these NPEs --

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