collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?  (Read 1781 times)

Offline cjjcb

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 96
  • Location: Over yonder...
  • Groups: BHA
Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« on: February 18, 2022, 01:49:00 PM »
Sorry if it's a silly question but I honestly don't know. I know you can shoot 2 3/4" out of a 3"chamber so I'm guessing you could launch a 3" out of a 3 1/2".

Thanks for the help.
Common stock, we work around the clock.
We shove the poles in the holes.

It’s not right vs left, they’re both fed from the same trough. It’s a distraction…It’s have vs have nots and in that scope, everyone here is a have not…
It’s only ever been about class war… Top 1% vs everyone else… Tank the two party system and get real, meaningful change…Whoops, just spilt my beer….

"ATF should be a convenience store, not a government agency."

Offline ellensburgpo

  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2008
  • Posts: 1799
  • Location: Dry Side/Right Side
  • Groups: DU, Delta Waterfowl, NWTF
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2022, 01:50:24 PM »
Yup
KCCO

 The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, 1929

Offline cjjcb

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 96
  • Location: Over yonder...
  • Groups: BHA
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2022, 01:51:55 PM »
Thanks for the quick response E.

Appreciate it.
Common stock, we work around the clock.
We shove the poles in the holes.

It’s not right vs left, they’re both fed from the same trough. It’s a distraction…It’s have vs have nots and in that scope, everyone here is a have not…
It’s only ever been about class war… Top 1% vs everyone else… Tank the two party system and get real, meaningful change…Whoops, just spilt my beer….

"ATF should be a convenience store, not a government agency."

Offline pianoman9701

  • Mushroom Man
  • Business Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 42831
  • Location: Vancouver USA
  • WWC, NRA Life, WFW, NAGR, RMEF, WSB, NMLS #2014743
    • www.facebook.com/johnwallacemortgage
    • Apply for a loan
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2022, 02:42:16 PM »
or 2 3/4"
"Restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens based on the actions of criminals and madmen will have no positive effect on the future acts of criminals and madmen. It will only serve to reduce individual rights and the very security of our republic." - Pianoman

Offline cjjcb

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 96
  • Location: Over yonder...
  • Groups: BHA
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2022, 02:59:25 PM »
Make sense.

Thanks MM.
Common stock, we work around the clock.
We shove the poles in the holes.

It’s not right vs left, they’re both fed from the same trough. It’s a distraction…It’s have vs have nots and in that scope, everyone here is a have not…
It’s only ever been about class war… Top 1% vs everyone else… Tank the two party system and get real, meaningful change…Whoops, just spilt my beer….

"ATF should be a convenience store, not a government agency."

Offline Oldguy

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 665
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2022, 03:15:36 PM »
I love it that this site is so helpful and respectful of people ask for help and it is given without criticism or making fun of the question.  :tup:

Online wadu1

  • Grumpy
  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (+30)
  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2008
  • Posts: 6602
  • Location: Tacoma
  • RMEF, DU, NRA, PFE, NWTF
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2022, 03:29:28 PM »
Yes you can, it should be marked that way on the barrel.
"a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi"

Offline h20hunter

  • Trade Count: (+16)
  • Legend
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jan 2010
  • Posts: 20873
  • Location: Lake Stevens
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2022, 03:35:29 PM »
Following along as my thought was well, maybe! Barrel tells the tale as mentioned as I assume the answer is not yes in every case. Better safe than sorry!

Offline Parasite

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+6)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Dec 2018
  • Posts: 491
  • Location: Olympia
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2022, 04:53:49 PM »
A guy I knew when I was younger shot a 3" shell out of a 2.75" Ithaca bottom eject/loader. He had stolen one of my 3" shells and approached me to ask why the shell wouldn't eject out of his gun. I explained.

He was never the sharpest knife in the drawer and still isnt to this day.

By the way, shell fired fine, just got stuck ejecting. Still cant say I recommend it. Sort of like shooting "cut shells". I'm surprised shotguns can handle shooting those.

Offline lokidog

  • Trade Count: (+6)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2009
  • Posts: 15186
  • Location: Sultan/Wisconsin
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2022, 05:35:11 PM »
Following along as my thought was well, maybe! Barrel tells the tale as mentioned as I assume the answer is not yes in every case. Better safe than sorry!

How could it not be yes?  :dunno:

A guy I knew when I was younger shot a 3" shell out of a 2.75" Ithaca bottom eject/loader. He had stolen one of my 3" shells and approached me to ask why the shell wouldn't eject out of his gun. I explained.

He was never the sharpest knife in the drawer and still isnt to this day.

By the way, shell fired fine, just got stuck ejecting. Still cant say I recommend it. Sort of like shooting "cut shells". I'm surprised shotguns can handle shooting those.

I had a duck hunt in So Cal and bought the last box of shells on the way to the desert. After the second one I shot failed to eject, I realized I had accidentally bought a box of 3" for my 2 3/4" 870. The first shat actually did eject as I was racking it for a second shot, the second one I went to eject into my hand and stopped. Luckily, one of my buddies had the right size shells for me and the right size gun for my shells.

Offline BD1

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Dec 2011
  • Posts: 1478
  • Location: Snohomish County
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2022, 06:29:23 PM »
Just curious but what gun are you shooting that is strictly chambered in 3 1/2?
« Last Edit: February 18, 2022, 06:53:45 PM by BD1 »

Offline Bob33

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2009
  • Posts: 21190
  • Groups: SCI, RMEF, NRA, Hunter Education
Re: Can you shoot 3" when the gun is chambersed for 3 1/2"?
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2022, 07:31:19 PM »
A gun chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells will fire a 3 inch cartridge. The problem is that the chamber its too short to allow the crimp to fully open without hitting the forcing cone. The best case is nothing bad happens.  What could happen is damage to the barrel. It may even be possible to fire a 3 1/2 inch cartridge in a 3 inch chamber, but the 1/ 2 inch difference will almost certainly result in damage.

It should always be safe to fire a shorter cartridge than the chamber is designed for but not vice versa
Nature. It's cheaper than therapy.

 


* Advertisement

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal