old gun, new shells

[John Davis]

Or a 1 1/8 oz., 1145 fps load.

[Clark McCombe]

Getting closer to figuring this out...
3 X 5 card resulted in more or less the same as the feeler gauge
Pic 1 is a 20 ga sold to me as a 2 1/2 chambered gun
Pic 2 is a 12 ga which I thought was 2 3/4 but probably 2 5/8 the way the markings fall compared to the 20 ga
I checked my 16 ga and the markings fall the same as the 20 ga - so that one must be 2 1/2 and currently cannot find shells for.
Clays ammo has them in a container off the coast of Florida.
My plan is to use the light load 2 3/4 shells in the 12 ga
RST 2 1/2 shells in the 20 ga
And continue searching for the 16 ga 2 1/2 shells.
Would love to find shells for the .410 that was just offered for sale, but that may have to wait a while

[Woodcock survey]

Please measure your fired shells. I have found many fired cases in 12 and 20 are short. If the ones you shoot measure to your chamber case closed.

[24 grams]

I don’t mean to be argumentative, but the Winchester super X game load is what I shoot out of my modern 16 gauge gun. The spent cartridge measures two and three-quarter inches overall and 2 11/16 inches to the base of the rim.
Saami standards measure length from the standing breech.
Those cartridges will extend 1/4 inch beyond the chamber and into the forcing cone when fired.
My question is, “is that safe?”
I certainly don’t know, but I did have the forcing cones lengthened in hopes that it would make using modern ammunition more safe.

[Jeff Elder]

Originally Posted by Steven Groh

I don’t mean to be argumentative, but the Winchester super X game load is what I shoot out of my modern 16 gauge gun. The spent cartridge measures two and three-quarter inches overall and 2 11/16 inches to the base of the rim.
Saami standards measure length from the standing breech.
Those cartridges will extend 1/4 inch beyond the chamber and into the forcing cone when fired.
My question is, “is that safe?”
I certainly don’t know, but I did have the forcing cones lengthened in hopes that it would make using modern ammunition more safe.

Well the Winchester 1 once i had measure 2 5/8 the once and 1/8 measured 2 3/4. The way they swap makers there is no telling, but the batch of hulls I was given were short.

[24 grams]

My cartridges are 20 years old. Dick's Sporting Goods had a $4.00 price on 16 gauge Winchesters, so I bought all they had (8 flats or so). That's a lifetime supply of game loads, since I don't shoot clays with my 16s!
Lengthening the chambers 1/4" seems the best solution. Thanks.

[Drew Hause]

Steven: to address your question regarding safety of chamber lengthening; it's very likely to be safe.
I had Briley lengthen a 20g Parker with chambers shorter than 2 1/2" without problems. The safety of doing so is entirely related to the end of chamber wall thickness, and most U.S. doubles had generous walls.
That does NOT apply to lightweight British or Continental small bore game guns.

The lengthening must however be done by an expert.
An example of "inexpert" lengthening resulting in a bulge just past the end of the chamber

[24 grams]

Mine will be going to Briley too!
Nobody has the precision machining that they do.

[24 grams]

I just put one empty on the calipers.
It was 2.722”.
So less than 2 3/4”��
But not by much.

[Clark McCombe]

After much back and forth and hesitation I sent my 1 frame 16 ga barrels to Michael Orlen in Amherst MA. 413 256 1630
He evaluated and said there was plenty of wall thickness to go ahead and lengthen the chambers. I’m very happy with the outcome. I can use 2 3/4 shells - light loads - that are available locally.
Before lengthening the chambers the gun was sometimes difficult to open as the shells seemed to have been forced backwards and expanded in the chambers after firing.