Food for thought

[Cold Spring]

Just an iteration here. Let's think about this. If period American "factory practice" was to cut chambers ~1/8" short for intended paper shells - were these shells made for 2-1/2" chambers?

[Drew Hause]

This is interesting if correct; 2 1/2" 12g shells in 1927?? Unfortunately, neither the box label nor an individual shell are shown.
http://www.gunauction.com/buy/7595905

This listing for Ajax Heavies in the 1927 Paxton and Gallagher hardware catalog shows only 2 3/4" 12g shells
http://neblandvm.outdoornebraska.gov...talogs-part-2/

[Researcher]

In the late 1890s and early 1900s our ammunition companies were offering smokeless powder loads up to 3 1/4 drams and 1 1/4 ounce of shot in 2 5/8 inch paper 12-gauge shells. It seems that between 1903 and 1910, 1 1/4 ounce loads in 2 5/8 inch shells disappeared from their offerings, and from then on only 1 1/8 ounce and lighter loads were offered in the 2 5/8 inch case and one had to go to 2 3/4 inch or longer 12-gauge shells for 1 1/4 ounce loads. Up to April 1940, the ATA allowed up to 1 1/4 ounce loads and lots of shooters used them. For at least 20 years Western Cartridge Co. offered a 12-gauge 3-inch Super-X Live Pigeon or Handicap Trap Lubaloy load with 1 1/4 ounce of 7 or 7 1/2. At various times both Peters and Remington offered such loads as well. I have seen some A.H. Fox Gun Co. production cards that state the customer wanted his gun chambered for 2 5/8 inch shells, but I've never had a chance to actually measure the chambers of such a gun. For those of you who are A.H. Fox Collectors Association, Inc. members, check the archives for the April 2011 Card of the Month, an XE-Grade two-barrel set with the long barrels ordered chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells and the shorter set for 2 5/8 inch shells.

In the days of two-piece shell boxes it seems that when the length wasn't stated on the label they were 2 5/8 inch shells, while the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8, 3 and 3 1/4 inch shells were identified on the label. In one-piece boxes the 2 5/8 inch are often identified.

All of our North American ammunition companies continued to offer 2 5/8 inch 12-gauge shells and 2 1/2 inch 20-gauge shells up to WW-II, while the 2 9/16 inch 16-gauge shells were offered into the early 1960s. Here is a 1934-39 style Remington SHUR SHOT box of 2 5/8 inch 12-gauge shells --

[Researcher]

This is interesting if correct; 2 1/2" 12g shells in 1927?? Unfortunately, neither the box label nor an individual shell are shown.
http://www.gunauction.com/buy/7595905

I suspect the person who wrote the copy measured the length of the loaded shell. From this page in the 1926 Edw. K. Tryon Company catalogue states the 12-gauge AJAX HEAVIES come in a 2 3/4 inch case.



The box on this catalogue page has the Lowell, Mass. address rather than the New York, NY on the box in the auction.

[charlie cleveland]

nice ammo ..i love to look at these old shells...kinda wish i had been born a little earlier in life...charlie

[Researcher]

Here are a couple of pages from the January 2, 1942, Western Cartridge Co. price list. Note all the 12-gauge Xpert field loads on page 3 are all in 2 5/8 inch cases, but the Xpert Trap and Skeet loads on page 4 are in 2 3/4 inch cases --





The Trap Loads being in 2 3/4 inch cases is not because of the new Super-Seal crimp, they were all 2 3/4 inch roll-crimped cases back in the 1936 price list, well before the Super-Seal crimp came out. Actually their earlier Trap Loads in the FIELD or RECORD cases were in 2 3/4 inch, or longer cases, as far back as my collection of Western Cartridge Co. paper goes.

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

That's a great term- never seen that before. Are the boxes labeled that way?