Somebody who knows

[Ajohns]

I have an 1889 Remington 12 gauge, grade 1 (steel barrels) and would like to buy some new ammo for it.
I understand the chamber is 2.625" and have read there are a few shells out there close to that and not exactly 2.75"
I'm only looking for the lighter game/target loads for clays and grouse mostly.
I've read some Winchester AA's are, maybe even Fiocchi has some.
But does anyone know for sure which ones are?

Thanks

[M-Tecs]

You also have some shorter 1 3/4" modern factory options. Federal does them in #8 but most of the super shorts are slugs or bucks for the games

One example here for #8 shot in 1 3/4". https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020987736

These are 2 1/2" that would be the best option particularly if you reload. You can also cut down 2.3/4 shells to reload.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2584333588/

https://www.rstshells.com/store/c/3-12-Gauge.aspx

https://www.shenkshotshellco.com/

[rancher1913]

i would think that as long as you used lead shot, shorter would work fine. my 3 inch model 1100 likes the shorter rounds and it does not seam to have hurt it so far, its an early 70s model

[Ajohns]

Yes, thank you. I actually have some of the 1.75" 8shot rounds now. I have only tried them in my old 870, and they shoot nice.
Was just curious about others. The ones you posted links to are all out or discontinued.
I believe the proper description of what I'm referring to is 67.5mm, and some 2.75" rounds I mentioned may be closer to that.

LEE LOAD-ALL II 12ga SHOT SHELL LOADER 67.5mm,

This above taken from Graf and Sons, and depicts you can do 2.75" and 67.5mm on the last station for the crimp. That number is 2.657" in standard measurement
As of now, I don't reload shotshells. Metallic rounds galore, but not shotgun.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I have a 16 Ga. Stevens Ranger shotgun that likely dates from the 1920s. It was a 2 1/2" chamber, which I lengthened to 3" and maybe plus some. It was the project that began my education on shotgun chambers and lengths. At the time the gun was manufactured 2 1/2" was apparently standard, but there have been other, shorter lengths as well. 2 3/4" shells fit o.k. in the guns original 2 1/2" chambers (it's a double) but it was highly inaccurate. The front 1/4 inch just sort of squished in there when the action was closed, as shotgun shells are soft enough to deform a bit, but I learned that when longer shells are fired in shorter chambers the mouths of the hulls do not open all the way as intended, and the shot leaves the hull at any and all angles and bounces off the walls of the barrel as it finds its way out, deforming the shot which then does not fly true. Lengthening the chambers and re-cutting the forcing cones made a very accurate shotgun. If you wish to avoid high pressure loads due to the age of your shotgun there are low pressure 2 3/4" loads readily available and you wouldn't have to search for 2 1/2" less common shells. However, you could also purchase something like a Lee Load All II press and reload your 2 1/2" hulls with the great satisfaction that brings. It works for me, as 16 Ga. isn't that common anymore.

DG

[M-Tecs]

This may clear some things up. https://feeds.brownells.com/userdocs...n_Chambers.pdf

[Barry54]

I have an 1889 Remington 12 gauge, grade 1 (steel barrels) and would like to buy some new ammo for it.
I understand the chamber is 2.625" and have read there are a few shells out there close to that and not exactly 2.75"
I'm only looking for the lighter game/target loads for clays and grouse mostly.
I've read some Winchester AA's are, maybe even Fiocchi has some.
But does anyone know for sure which ones are?

Thanks

The ones labeled 2-1/2 are. AA are not! The length measurement is for fired hulls, not loaded crimped hulls.

https://www.precisionreloading.com/cart.php#!q=Mmsb1114

This will be handy to have, if you decide to load 2-1/2” loads. BPI had new primed 2-1/2” hulls in stock a few weeks back.

[pietro]

The ones labeled 2-1/2 are. AA are not!

The length measurement is for fired hulls, not loaded crimped hulls.

.

This !

If your gun's chamber measures 2.625" (2-3/4"), the proper ammo for it would be 2-1/2" (or shorter) - so the crimp could fully open, w/o partially blocking the passage of a shot charge from chamber to bore.

IOW, if the crimp cannot unfold completely, the internal barrel/action pressures will rise exponentially, risking potential drastic results - remember, 100+ year old steel is not as strong as modern steels.

FWIW, in 1926 US ammunition companies changed the powder/loads in all their ammo, which caused companies like Ithaca to discontinue the guns they had been making for new models with upgraded actions/barrels - ergo, guns made prior to 1926 may suffer from using modern ammo or loads in them.

.

[Outpost75]

RST loads correct 2-1/2" shells for the older guns.

[Ajohns]

Thanks for the replies.
I'm aware the chamber is measured to an open hull, this is why 2.75" is very close in a 2.625" chambered gun.
2.5" was standard in Europe, 2.625" was here. Then in the early 1900's it became 2.75". A Remington like mine (and I'm sure others) will have the chamber length marked under the barrels if it's not the standard 2.625". Also, that was done with paper hulls, short crimp/card top.
I will do some investigating on ammo.
I thank you guys for the info links, will do some reading.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Get yourself a Lee Classic Loader and load your own cut down 2 5/8' hulls. That way you know exactly what you are putting into your gun. There are plenty of these for sale on Ebay for @$50 and I doubt you are going to shoot that gun that much anyway, so it would keep that gun shooting and be fun once you get into it.

Randy