That was the information I was looking for, and nobody was giving me, but finally figured it out for myself….
Quote…
“2 7/8" chambers are just that, designed to shoot hulls that are 2 7/8" long (after firing) whether they are roll crimp, fold crimp or brass.”
That’s basically why I said and post number two. I’m not confused anymore because the lightbulb went off and thought it’s an old gun that was invented before fold crimps and smokeless powders(nitro it was called back in the day).
Here is a close up under my barrels. These are basically the only stampings I can find same with on the water table. I’m good to go now I realize it has to have been bored out. What was it registering in my head at the time was compensating for the fold crimp. If somebody has a fire 2 7/8” fired RST hull around please measure it and post the size that’ll save me unfolding one. Otherwise, when I get back over to where I have my ammo stored, I’ll just try and do an approximate measure, adding in the length of the fold. Don’t know if my pictures will do any good or not but I’ll post them up here of my barrel and water table. Seems like nothing but initials stamped here and there the serial number and then the number 65.
Everything is original except for the hammers. One was missing and the other one was braised so had them replaced with the closest ones at Dixie got work said that were the same measurements. I have a friend who is a gunsmith…a real gunsmith. I let them hunt my property so he does favors for me all the time. He cut the square holes for the hammers and installed them. Did all the rest of the work myself. She was pretty rusty when I got it at the garage sale back in the 90s needless to say. The action and firing pins were frozen solid with rust. I redid the wood on it and the bluing. It has deeley style fore end release that wax patented in 1873. Posters the at double gun shop forum years ago figured it was built around 1873 because of the latch. That’s about as far as I got for history or information of it since there really isn’t much to go by.
The barrels on top I have no stamping other than it says Charles daily Damascus. So really nothing to go by other than the number underneath the barrel… and that obviously wasn’t accurate since I figured it out with my measurement. But I appreciate the comment above maybe there is only 3/4 inch fold in. The total high length is under 2 7/8 on the RST ammo? It just looks a lot longer to me. Like I said of someone doesn’t have any spent casings laying around to measure for me. I’ll just measure the hull, then the fold, and add the two together.
So I guess the 2 7/8” RST ammo without measuring them unfolded was just speculation on my part. I’ve never measured a 2 7/8” RST hull unfolded. I did measure one of the factory loaded RST hulls the other day which are exactly 2.7” I also have two hand load sitting next to them that I trimmed the hulls down shorter, just a hair above “the folds” , and then rolled crimped. They are also 2.7” loaded.
I don’t plan on shooting any factory loaded ammo ever through it again and all my hand loaded hulls I’ve always been cut shorter than what I measured in my chamber length. I just didn’t wanna fire any more of this RST ammo through my gun if it’s longer than my chamber. I’ll do some measurements later when I get to RST ammo and the measurement.