Old 36ga two inch shot shell?

[Bindlestiff]

I was visiting my nephew this week and he had some old shotgun shell boxes on a shelf in his kitchen. I pulled one down and looked it over, I have never seen one like it. The shells were unusual to me too.

The box is marked 410 as well as 36 gauge and 12 m/m. I have never seen (may noticed would be better) any shot shells marked 36ga.

A "normal" 410 shell that I have used were all 3 inch shells. I don't remember 2 inch shells. But, I must state that my only exposure to 410 shooting was when I started hunting 57 years ago and my dad let me use a single shot Iver Johnson 410.

I wonder how unusual these shells are?

[Bindlestiff]

He also had a couple of boxes of 410 slogs.

[Roundsworth]

There actually is a 36 gauge shotgun. The 36 is NOT equivalent to the .410 and has a bore diameter of .506". It has been a mystery as to why U.S. manufacturers labeled their .410s as '36 GA'.

[Bill Murphy]

The two piece box with 2" shells is a rare box of .410s. You may be able to find a similar box on Ward's Auction.

[OH Osthaus]

don't forget - you are measuring 2 inches on a loaded shell

the actual measurement of a shell is its fired/unloaded length

[Bill Murphy]

Actually, .410 shells boxed and labelled 2" are 2" fired length just like every shell made since. The number on the box is the length of the shell after firing. I measured some 2" .410 shells and they are 1.75" before firing. As Rick mentions, these may not be 2" shells as marked on the box, although such shells do exist. Too bad the box pictured does not mention shell length. They would be quite valuable if they were real 2" shells.

[Researcher]

When the .410-bore shell was introduced in the U.S. circa 1914-15 they were also called 36-gauge and 12 mm.





These 2-inch .410-bore shells carried a shot load of 3/10 ounce of shot. The 2 1/2 inch .410-bore shells carried a 3/8 ounce shot load.



The 3-inch .410-bore shell with a 3/4 ounce load was introduced circa 1933 with the Winchester Model 42 pump shotgun. The next year the 2 1/2 inch .410-bore shell got bumped up to the 1/2 ounce payload we know today.

For a few years Western Cartridge Co. also offered a 2 1/8 inch .410-bore shell --



Also, U.S. Cartridge Co. offered an all brass 2-inch .410-bore shell carrying the 3/8 ounce load of the paper 2 1/2 inch .410-bore shells.

[Roundsworth]

http://www.fourten.org.uk/36gauge.html

This website is for fans of the .410 bore. The link will take you right to a page that discusses the 36 gauge/.410 mystery.