Early 3 1/2" Ten Factory Original

[Researcher]

Are you sure the gun is chambered for 3 1/2 inch shells? The longest 10-gauge NPEs I've found offered back in those days was 3 1/4 inch, but most were not offered over 3-inch. In 1901 the UMC EXPERT NPE for bulk smokeless powder was offered up to 3 1/4 inch in 10-gauge --



and the UMC UNION NPE for black powder --



As were their BEST quality brass shells --



By 1910 none of the 10-gauge NPEs for smokeless powders were offered longer than 2 7/8 inch, with only the paper and brass NPEs for black powder offered in the 3 and 3 1/4 inch lengths.

[Bill Murphy]

Dave, the order specifies 3 1/2" chambers. Charlie, do you have a letter on your big gun yet? My Vulcan Steel ten has wall thickness no thinner then .100. If my new gun has .100 wall thickness, I will be shooting modern 3 1/2" mag ten lead shells in it. The bores are shiny, so I will measure to see if the thickness is there. The barrels are marked 8-1 if I recall.