Not to argue ... but he specifically says to clamp the barrels in a vice using 2x4's and an old shot bag. Sounds like "plumber's methods" to me. I don't think blaming the editor for his words holds merit. Maybe you can blame the editor for the title: "Learn how to perform home modifications on your shotgun!" But the words in the body of the article are clearly Mike's. Easy to find out. I too have been to his home, had work done by him, and found him to be very friendly and professional. All it would take is a phone call -- but why bother? Padding a shotgun in a bench vise is a common high end gunsmith technique, as is using a hand reamer.

Opps no offense intended. We have a very good editor !

William

No offense taken - all in jest. :bigbye:





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Since I identify as a plumber I was highly offended by your implication that plumber techniques are somehow inferior.

Like the editor comment no offense intended, all plumbers please accept my apologies.

William

Just to support my contention that this issue (chamber length) is "confusing" -- check the article I linked to. The caption under the photo of the chamber length gauge reads: "As this simple chamber gauge shows, the chamber on this gun is short by today’s standards. If a 2 3/4-inch shell is fired in this chamber, the shell will open into the forcing cone, causing high pressure and damage to the shot column. The result will be excessive recoil and poor patterns."

That's the common misconception -- probably promoted by lawsuit phobia. As Scott Chapman noted in post #31 in this thread:

The google document that I posted was previously posted by Drew Hause back in April of this year. He wrote:

"Major Sir Gerald Burrard, The Modern Shotgun, Volume II, “The Cartridge”, 1955 3rd Revised Edition, p. 154 in reference to modern “star” crimped paper cases
“For all practical purposes any increase in pressure due to the longer cartridge case really does not exist provided the correct powder and shot charges for a nominal 2 1/2 inch cartridge are used.”

Obviously this applies to 2 3/4" hulls in 2 5/8" 12g chambers.

A summary of Bell's and Armbrust's study “Long Shells in Short Chambers”, in “Finding Out for Myself” Part V, Double Gun Journal, Winter 2001 is about 1/3 down here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...vwLYc-kGA/edit

The pressure increase for one load was 1200 psi

But generally speaking, with an identical load but in a longer shell that opens into the forcing cone, the pressure rise is a mere couple of hundred lbs. p.s.i. and is so negligible that neither the shooter nor the gun even feel it.

For years I shot 2 3/4” AA trap loads in my DH with Titanic barrels with 2 9/16” chambers. Every shell I extracted from the gun after firing had pinched and frayed mouths, indicating they had opened way into the cones. Increased felt recoil from these shells was quite negligible and not a cause for concern... even for my oil-soaked stock head which, to this day, shows no sign of damage due to heavy recoil.

However, it needs to be reiterated that a shooter NEEDS TO KNOW THE CONDITION OF HIS BARRELS, CHAMBERS AND WALL THICKNESSES.



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12 & 20 G have settled on AA hulls for my “short” chambered Parker’s. They are about the shortest factory hull I measure them at 2 & 11/16. Measure fired not very precise but they work well with lightest published Alliant loads.

16 is were I am fussy about length. Parker Hammer with lightning cuts, Twist too. Use RST 2 1/2 new then reloaded.

Bit too long is gun specific my opinion. Some OK others not.

William

Finally got a copy of Bell’s article in the Winter 2001 DGJ. Very in-depth and interesting article—well worth reading if you shoot guns with 2 1/2” chambers. As a bonus there is an article about the 16 gauge Parker mentioned in WHF’s New England Grouse Shooting.

PS: if anyone knows how to rotate photos please let me know. I tried everything I could think of:banghead:

A summary of Bell's and Armbrust's study “Long Shells in Short Chambers”, in “Finding Out for Myself” Part V, Double Gun Journal, Winter 2001 is about 1/3 down here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...vwLYc-kGA/edit