doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Has anyone cut 2 3/4 shells to 2 1/2?

The trim doctor works better for me if I turn and chop instead of trying to just rotate and cut.

OR, you could load up a batch of low pressure and light shot charge (say, 7/8 oz) shells of 2 3/4" length, as many of us do for our 2 1/2" guns. Explain to your friend that proper loads in 2 3/4" hulls are A-OK and a lot less trouble. "Correct" length hulls is a lot less important than is proper/correct load. Proper "schoolin'" of your friend on this issue would, IMO, be the best favor repayment you could do.

I have good success making 2 1/4" shells with a 1oz shot charge, a WAA12 wad and Green Dot powder.
I use Federal paper Gold Medal hulls, I find it's neater to cut off the crimp altogether and I use the Ballistic Products circumcutter. The I roll crimp the hull in my drill press with an over shot wad of clear plastic. They pattern well for me and look very neat, I'm always asked for a shell when I'm using my Army and Navy SLE at sporting clays!
Federal paper work better than Federal plastic,and the waxed paper smells good too!
I try to duplicate the Eley Impax 2 1/4" shell I used as a boy shooting driven pheasants, I always shot my share and never felt handicapped even on the tall birds with 12oz of No 7 shot.
Mike

I cut my hulls with a table saw. Drill holes to fit the OD of the hull through a 2X4. Set the fence at 2 1/2" and cut. Quick and easy. I also use a 6 point crimp.

Dave

Thanks a lot, it's been very informative and usefull. I don't want to mess with anything that costs money or is too difficult to make, since there's only about 20 shells to cut, and most of the advice is just what I was looking for. Thanks again.

Re using 2 3/4 shells - the gun in question is VERY light (16 ga Lepage Liege, with hammers) and rather old, so if the owner wants to use longer shells in it it's his choice, bit I don't want to take chances.

I reload blackpowder cartridge shotgun shells for a 12 ga and then use a roll crimp. I cut to 2/5" hulls, this fits my field/trap load perfectly. I went to Lowe's and bought a 3/4" piece of pipe and had that cut to length! Measure from the top of the rim of the hull. I them use a utility knife to cut across the top of my pipe.

I load 2.5" 20-gauge, 2 9/16" 16-gauge, and 2 5/8" 12-gauge shells. I use the homemade shell cutter illustrated in Chukarman's earlier post, but I added a large-headed wood screw to the end that goes in the hull so that I can adjust the depth of the cut. Back up the wood screw with a few washers to help keep it from "re-adjusting" itself when you're not looking.

Look in a shotshell reloading manual for loads with lighter shot charges with fast burning powders like Bullseye or 700-X. Some of these loads will require placing one or two nitro cards in the shot cup. Omit the nitro cards and you've largely compensated for the shorter hull.

Control of breech pressure is the key safety related issue when shooting british 2 1/2 chambered guns.Quoting from Eley literature they state,"Some 12 G, cartridges having 2 3/4 cases can be safely used in guns having 2 1/2 chambers"!
If you measure your typical 2 3/4 shell having a crimp closure, you will find that actual size is 2 1/4 - 2 5/16. After firing the case measures 2 5/8-2 3/4. The thickness of a plastic shell cases is approx; .020 therefore this 1/4inch extension of the case can easily be accomodated in the forcing cone as it transitions from chamber diameter to bore diameter.
Noted English writers and researchers, Burrard and Garwood [Gough Thomas]have published test results that show 2 3/4 cases correctly loaded for pressure, can safely be used in nitro proof ["in proof"]english guns having 2 1/2 chambers.
I use the following reloads:
22.0 Gr Dupont SR7625 powder.
Winchester AA hulls.[Or similar]
Remington 29930 wad [ Or similar]
1 1/8 oz;shot.
Approx; breech pressure is 6200 LUP.
I have fired in excess of 15000 rounds using this load in 2 1/2 chambered guns without any problem.