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

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

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1948 to 1960 style box --

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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

I also found this in a circa 1937-8 Winchester shot shells folder --

Attachment 65233

which doesn't call either load MAGNUM.

Western Cartridge Co., which owned Winchester, did call the heavier load MAGNUM in all their listing I've looked at from this December 24, 1936 --

Attachment 65234

to 1953. Beginning with 1954 price lists, both Winchester and Western began calling all the 12-gauge 3-inch loads MAGNUM?!?

I don't have much Peters Cartridge Co. paper, but this March 13, 1947, Peters catalog list the 1 5/8 ounce load as MAGNUM --

Attachment 65235

Hopefully this will conclude my sermon on 12-gauge 3-inch progressive burning powder load inconsequential trivia!

Oddly, the Peters Deluxe 3" shells sell for little money at Ward's Auction. Beware the shipping cost however.

i won that auction on the wards pictured leader 3 inch box also won a federal duck box with 3 inch and with the 1 3/8 ounce loading and its got magnum wrote on the box...charlie

i got the shells i won on the auction site today..no 1- a leader super speed box in 3 inch with the 1 3/8 ounce no 2 shot.....2nd wasa federal high power 3 inch magnum on box with the loading of1 3/8 ounce of no 4 shot it has the big mallard duck on 2 sides of the box... 3 rd box was also federal high power 12 ga in 3 inch magnum loading 4 1/2 drams -1 7/8 ounce of no 2 s this box has the warning sign on it for children..i believe this box is probably from the early 1960 s.... these first 3 boxes are all 12 ga....last box was a box of 20 ga 3 inch magnums winchester super speed loads max load 1 1/4 ounce red and yellow box...the winchester and the federal duck box were in excellant shape other 2 were in nice shape.. the 20 ga box does not have the warning sign on it...hope to show pictures if i can....charlie

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Here are the pictures I promised..Charlie

Sorry forgot this picture I want you to see...Charlie

What age is the Federal HP128 1 3/8 ounce box ?

Charlie, what was your shipping cost?

bill my shipping cost was a little over 40.00 for the 4 boxes shown ups was the deliver...charlie

craig i have never seen another box of these federal 1 3/8 ounce loadings...my guess would be mid to late 30 s...may be reasher will tell us how old they are...old shells are one of my passions like old parkers and old cars...just cannot afford the really good boxes of shells....those shells that guy gave you are really collictable....charlie