3" shells in 2 3/4 chamber?
 

i have a browning 525 sporting clay gun and i would like to use it for waterfowl. problem is it is marked as a 2 3/4 chamber. i have read that it is no big deal to use 3" shells in these but i question that. is this foolish advice? (to use 3" shells in a 2 3/4 chamber if an expanded shell fits in the chamber)

...Deleted by CalHunter... that is very stupid advice? The 3" casing is too long for a 2 3/4" chamber and will cause a pressure spike as the shot column is restricted when exiting the case upon firing.

If you had to ask

...Deleted by CalHunter...

...Deleted by CalHunter... I wonder where the OP read that it's no big deal doing it, LOL!!!

When I was younger and working in a gunshop, we had a few come in that someone tried that in. Watch a bugs bunny cartoon, and when the firearm banana peels, you will have a clear understanding of what WILL happen if you pull this Darwin move.

RG, that sounds more like an obstucted barrel than a shell that was too long for the chamber. In a situation where the shell is too long the chamber preasure increases and it the gun lets go it will be likely at some place in the action, not at the end of the barrel because the obstruction is at the chamber not the end of the barrel. The incident I saw happen was in a 2 3/4 inch A5 clone made by Springfield Armory. The guy didn't realize he had a 3 inch shell in his pocket and he loaded it with the 2 3/4 shells he also had in the same pocket. It did not damage the gun fortunately , the shell which was too long for the action to eject was jammed in the action and it did not open all the way when fired, everything went out through a opening about half of what it should have been, and the plactic showed signg of too much presure. Trying to shoot a 3" shell in a 2 3/4 inch chamber, if done intentionally is flat out stupidity, especially because the obstruction is right at the shooters face. There is a reason 3" shotguns have 3" chambers.

Oldtimr, I was just using that as a graphic example. They blew anywhere from 3" to 15 from the chamber. Have seen 7mm magnums blown at 15" because of an obstruction. Another was a pair of 30 30's that were a hot load. One was 1 1/2 inches from the chamber the other looked as if someone took a bandsaw and went from the muzzle to 6 inches from the chamber. A 12 guage damask fired a smokeless load and it banana peeled starting at the top a couple inches in front of the chamber. Buddy a long time ago tried smokeless in his black powder 50 and was in the hospital for a while with patches on both eyes, and a few new scars on his face. Bottom line, if it isn't the proper chamber for the cartridge, don't try to fire it in there.

3 inch in 2 3/4 chamber
 

You can take the shotgun to a gunsmith who can relieve the metal to accept the 3 inch shell.. however, in my opinion, the manufacture specified 2 3/4 for a reason. It may be fine, but you could lessen the life of the shotgun by overstressing the mechanics.

2 months old thread with new complaint.... Moved topic to appropriate forum and edited out rules violations.

CalHunter
Moderator

Bad Idea Anyway !!!

Not much to add to this comment. It pretty much sums it up.

Know somebody that had a 2 3/4" over and under opened up to 3". Also know a couple of people that have 2 3/4" rem 870 and put a 3" barrel on them a shot 3" like a single shot for turkeys. They have to pump real hard to eject the shell or some times have to cut it out. They mainly did this when 3" guns.where not the norm and most shotguns where 2 3/4 and they got the barrel cheaper then a new gun. I would not recommend it but they never had a problem.

I would hope nobody in their right mind would recommend doing anything like that and they certainly were having a problem short of a bulge if they had to pump it hard or cut the shell to eject it. Why risk life and/or limb doing something foolish like that?! I have a 2 3/4" chamber in my "like new" Model 1200 Winchester that I bought back in 67 and kill birds just as dead with it as guys using these big 3 1/2" shoulder bruising bangers!

I have seen them do it it and their is no bulge in the barrel they have done this hundreds of times. I personal have never done it or recommend it but seen it and their is no problem. I have shot their gun at turkey shoots with low brass 2 3/4" shells so I have looked at the barrel no problems. The reason they have to pump hard or cut the shell out is the empty shell is larger then the receiver opening. Again I DoD not recommended it but I have seen it done and their is no problem with the barrel. The barrel is a 3" chamber again, they don't shoot 3" in 2 3/4" chamber barrel.

I understood what you meant regarding the ejection problem, but what I worry about is people that don't know much about guns might not read exactly what you mentioned about the 3" barrel and correlate that with the OP statement about putting it into a 2 3/4" chamber. Many people just don't understand the intricacies of chambers, etc. For instance, I read yesterday where a guy walked into a gun shop and asked for a box of shells for his .270 Remington. The guy behind the counter handed him a box of Winchesters and he told the guy no, he needed shells for his Remington! There are many out there like that who don't have a clue! Another guy at a gun range asked an instructor how to unload his semi-automatic rifle because he was paying a lot for all the shells he was shooting to unload it when he got done hunting! Yes, there are some real winners out there and I wonder every day why there aren't a lot more accidents and injuries than there are. Maybe there are and they just don't get reported.

Funny you said about the 270 remington, up in cabelas at Hamburg their was a used customized cz 24 that the barrel was stamped 270 remington.

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Geez, I wonder why a GS would do that unless it was a complete home job, but a guy that could do that should know how to mark it.

It looked like a nice rifle, put together right not some home gunsmith.