Up to the early 1920s, the "Standard" 20-gauge shell was 2 1/2-inch with 3/4- or 7/8-ounce of shot. The heaviest 2 1/2-inch 20-gauge load our North American ammunition companies offered was 2 1/4-drams of bulk smokeless powder or 18-grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 7/8-ounce of shot. In longer cases (2 3/4-, 2 7/8- & 3-inch) they offered a slightly hotter load of 2 1/2-drams of 20-grains pushing that 7/8-ounce. In 1922, Western Cartridge Co. introduced progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity loads to American shotgunnery with their Super-X loads. Their 20-gauge Super-X load with 1-ounce of shot was put up in their 2 3/4-inch FIELD shell. Remington & Peters followed suit with their 20-gauge progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity 1-ounce load put up in a 2 3/4-inch case. Remington's Model 17 20-gauge pump introduced in late 1920 was made for 2 3/4-inch shells. Winchester, with lots of customers with their Model 12 20-gauge pumps made for 2 1/2-inch shells, offered their 1-ounce high velocity load in both a 2 1/2-inch and 2 3/4-inch shells.
Many Parker Bros. 20-gauge guns up into the 1930s were chambered 2 3/8-inch intended for 2 1/2-inch shells.
|