doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 2 1/2" shells

Hello
I am trying to find a source to reload
2 1/2" 12 ga. shells. I just bought a Baker Trap and I need to load some low pressure loads, there is some one with some data to share it would be appreciated,if so please also jive the pressure
Thank you for your time and trouble
Pete

Your Baker should have 2 5/8th inch chambers.

Do you plan to use a folded crimp or a roll crimp?

If you use a roll crimp you can use data for 2 3/4 inch low pressure folded crimp loads as the 2 5/8th inch rolled crimp hull has the same interior capacity as a 2 3/4 inch folded crimp hull.

Hello
Please look here

http://www.rstshells.com/rst_classic_shotshells_shotshells.htm

Mike

TwiceBarrel
Thank you the camber is 2 1/2"

skeettx
Thank you also I am not looking to buy shells but to reload
Thank you any way
Pete

OK

Try here

http://www.grafs.com/product/256611

Out of stock today but a source

For an all brass hull

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=1657554245

Mike

Is this gun a 12 ga or 20 ga. Going by the 2 1/2" chambers, I'm guessing 20 ga. Anyway, if you like to reload, and are not in a hurry to do it, cut your own shells to size and roll crimp them. Whatever load fits into a 2 3/4" 6 or 8 fold crimp will fit into a 2 1/2" roll crimp.
I am doing some right now in 16 ga. that has 2 9/16" chambers, using Remington black hulls, Unique powder, 7/8 oz shot, Rem. SP16 wad, one .030 overshot card, roll crimp using old fashioned hand roll crimper. Problem with this load is that in order to get a nice roll crimp, I had to cut hull to 2 3/16". Without cutting to this size, you would have to had more overshot cards to fill space.

Go to either Hodgdon or Alliant websites and focus on low pressure loads. With the 12ga, there's no problem getting pressures around 7,000 psi, and quite a few options will give you even lower pressure. Just use standard American 2 3/4" hulls. The extra 1/4" won't hurt you as long as you stay within the parameters for which your gun was originally designed. Saves you all the trouble of trimming hulls, sometimes wads, etc. A lot of us have been doing it for years in older American, British, European etc doubles.

L.Brown
The gun I will be useing is a Sterling grade Baker. You say you have been doing this for years with old American gun,what do you think would be a safe psi for this gun.
Pete

Actually, I've been doing it with short-chambered Brit guns. I see that the Baker Sterlings were made from 1909-23. Service pressures back then were running around 10,000 psi for factory loads, but I always go lighter to be on the safe side and as gentle as possible with older guns. Others may well weigh in, but I'd say you could go up to 8-8500 with reloads without any concerns, assuming the gun's in sound condition.

The guns I shoot the most are Lefevers. In 12ga I shoot a lot of 1oz loads even for hunting purposes & use a fairly fast powder that will give be around 1,100-1,150 fps with 7,500-8,500 psi. For reliable performance in any knid of weather I do not believe in any lower pressures.
If I were loading for high volume target shooting I would try to find a suitble load (there are plenty) at around 7,000 psi. I would still do this with a rather fast powder. Personally I have little use for using slow powders with light shot wts for "Suoer-Low" pressures. This is simply not the way these powders were designed to burn.
1 1/8 & 1¼ oz loads can be found using medium speed powders & maintain a usable velocity within the 8,000-8,500 psi range Larry recommended. Moving up to these heavier loads however the concern shifts more to one of 100 year old stock wood & especially for a sidelock with its diminished load bearing area.
I also find it extremely surprising you found a Baker of this vintage having 2½" chambers, based on the assumption it is a 12ga. Would be interested in knowing exactly how this was determined. If you inserted a well made & accurate chamber gauge & it stopped at this length it is quite possible, I would even say probable, that you have a chamber slightly undersized in dia rather than a short one. Most US guns of this era in 12ga will be found with either 2 5/8" or 2 3/4" chambers.
Even a very high percentage of the British so-called 2½" chambered guns will have an actual measured length of 2 9/16"-2 5/8" (65mm-67mm).