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2 1/2 inch shotgun shells source


Big Gus, SASS# 66666

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The only way to get a reliable/reasonably priced source is to make your own.  Just went through the exercise.  Bought a Mec 600 Junior, shell cutter, shell vice, brass crimp starter, Mec 2 1/2 spacer and shell plate and a skiver.

 

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5 hours ago, Big Gus, SASS# 66666 said:

Anyone have a source for 2 1/2 inch shotgun shells

for my 97 and vintage double. My usual sources RST and ballistic products have not had any in quite some time. 
thanks

Big Gus

 

Right now 2.5" shells  are is pretty much reloading only right now.   From what I have heard RST will sometimes have small quantities of 2.5" 12 gauge.

 

Regarding your German double, http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php might be a good source of information on it, what pressures it can handle and the posters there have been very helpful to me in some of my research in antique shotguns.

 

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I realize this is probably of no help.  However my source for 2 1/2 inch Hulls, are Magtech All Brass Hulls.  I admit, I only shoot them in my Hammer Double Guns.

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1 hour ago, Big Gus, SASS# 66666 said:

What search term did you use. I can’t seem to find it. 
 

They are listed here: https://www.ballisticproducts.com/12-gauge-2-1_2-hulls/products/510/

 

But both types of 2.5" are out of stock.

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On 9/22/2022 at 9:30 PM, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

I realize this is probably of no help.  However my source for 2 1/2 inch Hulls, are Magtech All Brass Hulls.  I admit, I only shoot them in my Hammer Double Guns.

 

These run great in 87's and 97's.   They even feed properly from the magazine.  

And, you can use them with smokeless or black powder with no problems.

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On 9/22/2022 at 12:46 PM, Big Gus, SASS# 66666 said:

Anyone have a source for 2 1/2 inch shotgun shells

for my 97 and vintage double. My usual sources RST and ballistic products have not had any in quite some time. 
thanks

Big Gus

 Maybe this will help:

https://ammoseek.com

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On 9/22/2022 at 4:16 PM, Tuco Forsyth #72674 said:

Why don’t you have a Smith ream that barrel to 2 3/4 and light load your shells. I did that to my 1904, 1897.

 

I was under the impression that all 12 gauge 1897 shotguns were chambered 2 3/4". I have a 16 ga that is 2 9/16 and from what I've read, that is fairly common. It took a while before 2 3/4 became the common 16 ga length. My 16 is a survivor in good shape, I decided to leave it as 2 9/16.

 

It does amaze me that back in the day the manufactures just marked the gauge, and never mentioned the chamber length. 

 

BB

 

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49 minutes ago, "Big Boston" said:

 

I was under the impression that all 12 gauge 1897 shotguns were chambered 2 3/4". I have a 16 ga that is 2 9/16 and from what I've read, that is fairly common. It took a while before 2 3/4 became the common 16 ga length. My 16 is a survivor in good shape, I decided to leave it as 2 9/16.

 

It does amaze me that back in the day the manufactures just marked the gauge, and never mentioned the chamber length. 

 

BB

 

I learned something new here. I did not know the 87 was made in 16 gauge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you don't reload shotgun shells now's the time to start. I reload 2 5/8" 12 gauge shells for my Winchester 97 Black Diamond model.

I shorten the hulls  to 2 5/8" using a dowel rod that has an Exacto blade set in a tranversely drilled hole, with a wood screw in the end to adjust cutting depth. I then crimp the shell over an overshot card (Harten crimp) so that I don't have to roll crimp.

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 I have owned over a dozen 12 ga original  Winchester97 pumps and all had 2 3/4 chamber even the early ones ? The 16 ga  I had was made with 2 9/16

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Here's the shell trimmer I constructed. Saw this on the internet decades ago. I've used this technique to load 2 1/2" 20 gauge shells, 2 9/16" 16 gauge shells, and 2 5/8" 12 gauge shells.

 

The dowel rod is 5/8" diameter, works for trimming hulls from 20 gauge through 12 gauge. The hole that holds the Exacto blade is about  3/16" in diameter, and is 2 1/8" from the end of the dowel. Tap the Exacto blade through the hole at a 30 degree angle with the sharp edge angled down.

 

On the end of the dowel is a round-headed wood screw that is backed out or tightened to adjust cutting depth. I put a couple washers under the screw to keep it from shifting in use.

 

My finished, loaded shells are the SAME overall length as a factory shell, and the crimp is folded at the same point. The opened length of a fired hull is 2 5/8".  Since the hull has been shortened the end of the shell is open at the center of the crimp, so I use an overshot card to keep the pellets from dribbling out.  I believe this is referred to as a Harten crimp. I use a 5/8" paper punch I found on Amazon to make my own 12 gauge over shot cards out of light weight cardboard (cereal boxes).  

 

To load these short shells I do not have to change the adjustments on my press MEC 700 press from how its set when loading 2 3/4" shells, and I crimp as usual after placing the over shot card in place. I can load these shells at just a slightly slower speed than uncut shells using the same powder charges and wad as I use for 2 3/4" shells. Roll crimping not  required, nor is skiving the end of a cut hull. 

 

If you're making short shells out of plastic hulls any other way you're doing it WRONG.   ;) 

 

 

shell trimmer.jpg

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On 9/23/2022 at 8:49 AM, Texas Red said:

this is good ammo , ive been shooting the 7/8 oz for a year now , supplements my 3/4 oz reloads in these times of lacking components , im on my second flat 

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