2 7/8” 12 Gauge Chamber?
 

I’m aware of early shotgun chambers being a bit short to increase pressure with paper hulls. Is this the case in this 2 7/8” 12 gauge chamber in my recent 1907 1894 Remington?

I just chambered a 3-1/2” shell and marked the length. It’s 2-13/16’s. Now I think it’s a 2-3/4” chamber that’s 1/16” longer. I have a 1902 VH that was lengthened and it measures 3” exactly. I surmise the chambers left the factory the way they are.

At the time your BE-Grade was built, our U.S. ammunition manufacturers offered paper 12-gauge shells in 2 5/8-, 2 3/4-, 2 7/8-, 3- & 3 1/4-inch (bulk powder only) lengths.

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If Remington Arms Co. chambered one of their Remington Hammerless Doubles for longer shells it was so marked on the bottom of the tubes, just forward of the barrel flats.

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Dave, apparently my chamber is 2-3/4”? Just a wee bit long. Thank you for your help.

Since the barrels are not marked for chamber length then one would think they were originally 2-5/8” and were lengthened close to 1/4” longer somewhere down the line. I’m confused but I’m certain that 2-3/4” shells will work nicely.
Dave, I appreciate your illustrations.

I just dug my FE Trap Gun, very close in age to your BE-Grade, out of the safe and my Galazan gauge shows the same as yours. Using my preferred machinist scale method I get right on 2 3/4-inch.

The hang-tags that have surfaced for 12-gauge Remington Hammerless Doubles show them targeted with UMC SMOKELESS or ARROW shells Load No. 8 and later NITRO CLUB Load No. X8. That load is 3 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 24 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 1 1/4 ounces of shot, usually #8. A 1902 vintage tag --

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A 1905 vintage tag --

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A 1907 vintage tag --

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A 1908 vintage tag --

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All the hang-tags I've seen say 2 5/8-inch shells including a 1910 vintage (139973) that is too blurry to post. The rub is that by 1907, our U.S. ammunition manufacturers had quit offering 1 1/4-ounce 12-gauge loads in the 2 5/8-inch shell. From then until WW-II only 1 & 1 1/8-ounce loads were offered in the 2 5/8-inch case and you had to go to a 2 3/4-inch or longer case for 1 1/4-ounce 12-gauge loads. From the UMC 1907 catalog --

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When Remington Arms Co. introduced their John M. Browning designed Remington Autoloading Shotgun in 1905, it was made for 2 3/4-inch shells. Would they continue chambering their doubles for shorter shells? Likewise, when they introduced their John D. Pedersen designed Remington Repeating Shotgun in 1908 it was made for 2 3/4-inch 12-gauge shells.

that's a rare box of 3 1/4 inch shells...would love to have it setting beside some of mine....charlie