2 1/2" chambers on a 1927 Trojan 20ga?

[Steve Campbell]

I have a newly acquired Trojan 20ga that was made in 1927.
The chambers appear to measure 2 9/16", which makes me think this is obviously chambered only for 2 1/2" shells.
But, I've seen other earlier made 20's that say they are chambered for 2 3/4" shells. Did they make them both ways even after they started using 2 3/4"?
thanks

[Dave Noreen]

My 1930 vintage VH 20-gauge has the 2 3/8 inch chambers intended for the 2 1/2 inch shells. Your 2 9/16 inch may really be 2 5/8 inch, intended for 2 3/4 inch shells.

Parker Bros. policy was to chamber their guns 1/8 inch shorter than the intended shell. The theory back in the days was that the mouth of the shell extending a bit into the forcing cone upon firing gave a better gas seal and improved patterns. A.H. Fox Gun Co. also short chambered.

While Parker Bros. would chamber your gun for any length shells you wanted, pretty unlikely that a "made for stock" gun like the Trojan would be anything but their standard 2 3/8 inch chamber. Our North American ammunition companies continued to offer 2 1/2 inch 20-gauge shells until just after WW-II.

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Pretty hard to tell what may have been done to the chambers of these old guns in the hundred plus or minus years since they were made.

[Steve Campbell]

Well, I just chambered a 2 3/4" shell in there and it slid right in all the way, without any force, and pulled right back out easily, so I'm guessing it must be set for 2 3/4" after all?
I'm guessing it wouldn't have gone in far enough to close the action if it were 2 1/2"?
Wish the barrels were marked or ? like modern guns are, but looks like it must be 2 3/4".
thank you for your help. Much appreciated.

[Dean Romig]

The length of an unfired live shell is not the way to determine its suitability for a particular gun. The advertised length of a shell by the manufacturer is for the length of the shell after it has been fired... which is often a good quarter-inch or more than the unfired shell. Dropping a 2 3/4” shell into my 1898 DH 12 with 2 9/16” chambers is no problem at all, but after firing the mouth of the shell is pinched and torn to a fine edge.

Your Trojan 20 will be fine shooting ‘reasonable’ 2 3/4” shells and the only thing you might notice is a tiny bit more recoil... if at all.





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[Daniel Carter]

Well, I just chambered a 2 3/4" shell in there and it slid right in all the way, without any force, and pulled right back out easily, so I'm guessing it must be set for 2 3/4" after all?
I'm guessing it wouldn't have gone in far enough to close the action if it were 2 1/2"?
Wish the barrels were marked or ? like modern guns are, but looks like it must be 2 3/4".
thank you for your help. Much appreciated.

Got me to thinking, a shells length is measured open or fired and 20 ga. gun clubs are 2 3/8 loaded and 2 5/8 fired.the only way to know chamber length is to measure it. A machinists rule put in to the forcing cones beginning and marked will give an accurate idea. The cones taper will fool you using a fired shell you will not feel it.
There are plenty of people here, including myself who shoot slightly short chambers with no problems other than case mouth fray.

[Steve Campbell]

Sounds good. Thank you!

[Dave Noreen]

I just grabbed some loaded paper 20-gauge shells out of my accumulation. A roll-crimped Peters 2 1/2 inch shell is 2 9/32 inch long. A roll-crimped Remington 2 3/4 inch shell is 2 15/32 inch long. A Super-Seal Western Super-X 2 3/4 inch shell is 2 11/32 inch long. All would easily go into a 2 1/2 inch chamber.

[Dean Romig]

My Trojan 20 No. 174217 has 2 3/8” chambers.






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[Joseph Sheerin]

Digging up an old thread on this topic, as I just bought a Trojan 20ga.....

But, did Parker do the 2 9/16th chambers on Trojans from the first to last?

Were the guns made during Remington era, also 2 9/16th or did the go to 2 3/4" by then?

I will get my gun next week and find out for sure, it's supposed to be a 237xxx serial number, which I believe is a 1935 gun.

My 1927 VH 12ga has 2 3/4"......

[Dean Romig]

I believe Remington stopped production of the Trojan when they moved the Parker operation to Ilion, NY in 1937.






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[Joseph Sheerin]

I believe Remington stopped production of the Trojan when they moved the Parker operation to Ilion, NY in 1937.


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That is my understanding as well. But, I was wanting to know if, the later Trojans had exact same chamber length as the early guns. Or, did they start making them with 2 3/4" chambers at some point like many other gun manufacturers........ I'll check my gun, when I get my hands on it either way. :-)

[Joseph Sheerin]

Besides, who doesn't love a good chamber length discussion..... :D

[Dave Noreen]

The Trojan Grade is still in the May 17, 1937, The Parker Gun Retail Price List, which has the Meriden, Conn. address on the cover. No Trojan Grade in the January 2, 1939, The Parker Gun Retail Price List, which has the Ilion, N. Y. address on the cover. The Trojan Grade is also included in the big Remington era The Parker Gun catalog which doesn't have an address on it.

The Remington era Parker specification sheets, reproduced in The Parker Story, pages 164 to 169, show the 12-, 16- and 20-gauge chambers as being 2 5/8-inches, intended for 2 3/4-inch shells.

The SAAMI meeting where it was suggested that manufacturers start marking the chamber length on their shotguns was in 1937. Took a while to get going on this. Appears to be late 1939 before we begin seeing the chamber length on Remington pumps and autoloaders. We only see the chamber length on the very last Parkers from the mid 241xxx range to the end.

Serial number 241231 a 3-inch 12-gauge is the lowest serial number I've recorded with the markings.

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