Here's a 410 Timeline from Cartridgecollectors.org
Time Line for .410 Cartridges
1870s Both center fire and pin fire in Europe. Perhaps origin of 12 mm in Germany.
1870s First Wilkes .410 proved by London Proof House
1878 Gevelot catalog listed 12 mm (.410) center fire and pin fire.
June 1882 Kynoch listed .410 ammo in "Shooting Times" and "The Field" advertisements.
1883 Purdey made .410 gun.
1884 Kynoch listed .410 Perfect all brass.
1885 Eley .410 pin fire.
1886 Societe Francais de Munitions catalog described 12 mm shotshell.
Wanting to be different from Britain, in 1810 France used two systems: One similar to the British system but based on a different pound, to determine gauge and a bore system based on the kilogram. The bore system was abandoned in 1868. Some time later, the proof house decided that guns smaller than 10.6 mm (approximately .410") would be tested differently from larger ones. Thus, Pierto Fiocchi deemed that the .410 became the divider between serious guns and play guns and that this was probably the birth of the .410—though officially 12 mm in France. (Contemporary magazine articles continue to present controversies regarding effectiveness of the .410.)
The London Proof House proved a .410 circa 1887.
Several times the European ruling commission on arms and ammunition (CIP) standardized shotshell nominal diameters. In 1914, 12, 14, 16, 20, 24, and 28 gauges. In the 20s and 30s, 14 gauge disappeared and 32 reappeared. Sometime in the 20s, perhaps spearheaded by a German or Swiss wanting a logical progression the CIP used the 36 designation. Later the CIP reverted to using the correct .410 designation. In 1961 CIP made .410 the official designation. In 1969 CIP added 36 in parentheses. For many years, manufacturers in Italy and other countries labeled 2" and 2 ½" .410s 36 gauge and 3" .410s 36 magnum. Thus hundreds of arms and ammunition manufacturers have historic and other reasons such as marketing and sales for using two or all three designations.
1891 Kynoch .410/12 mm for rook rifles = 2" Gastight maroon or green or 12 mm all brass.
1892 Eley brass, green Extra Quality 2" 3/8 oz., and similar pin fire.
1893 Eley solid, drawn brass
1898 Kynoch Perfectly Gastight 2" paper or metallic and Thin Brass.
1899 Eley Thin Brass.
1902 Eley Improved Gastight.
1903 London Proof House proved a cane (walking stick) gun.
1904 First official reference to .410 by Royal Proof House
1908 Kynoch had eliminated brass.
1910 Eley Gastight pin fire and only solid drawn brass
1911 Eley and Kynoch 2 ½"
1914 Eley Fourten 2" and Fourlong 2 ½".
1915 Remington 1 ½".
1916 Winchester 2" Repeater quality, no. 1-12 shot sizes.
1917 Peters 2" no cannelure.
1919 Eley dropped pin fire and brass.
1920 Winchester Repeater 2" and 2 ½" new primed empties.
1921 Peters 2" and 2 ½" with cannelure.
1926 Fiocchi catalog showed "cabibro" .410 dimensions.
1923 Winchester 2 ½" loaded.
1926 Ithaca 2 3/8" chamber.
1927 Winchester Repeater Speed Load and dropped 2" new primed empty.
1927 Midland Gun Company (England) 3" double barrel.
1927-1939 ICI (British) brass.
1931 Ithaca 2 7/8" chamber.
1932 Speed Loads.
1933 Peters 3".
1933 Western Cartridge Company 3" and Winchester Model 42 development of which was changed from 2 ½" to 3" at behest of John M. Olin after purchase of Winchester.
1935 Ithaca 3" chamber.
1936 Winchester number 9s listed for skeet.
1937 Winchester Super Speed 2 ½" and 3".
1939 Winchester rifled slug.
Early 1960s marketing of plastic cases, first roll crimp, then six pie.
