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Every now and then one finds a product which is better than expected. I have a big Greener 10 bore which I would like to shoot more often. GuageMates makes a "gold" model in their product which allows ejectors/extractors to work with twelve gauge shells. I ordered a set and they work exactly as advertized. Highly recomend them.

Patterns?

Loads?

Thanks for heads up!

Best,
Mark

Joe, I agree with you GaugeMates are a good product (at least the 10-12 model is). I'm a cheapskate though. I bought the GaugeMate "Silver" 10-12 model. It's got a split down the side so it does ruin the casings on your shells. However, there's a good side, first you can grind a small indent out of the rim where the split is (just enough so that you can catch the shell casing with your thumbnail) then you spread each GaugeMate slightly so that they fits snuggly in your chambers. Now you can use it in your gun (equipped with extractors), and pluck the shells out with your thumbnail, without having to remove the GaugeMates (and spent shell) from the chamber. One thing though, while it always works well with Winchester AA shells, other shells such as B&Ps have gotten slightly stuck.
Oops nearly forgot, I used Winchester AA Xtralites in my former 1878 Colt with damascus barrels and it seemed to pattern just fine.
Steve

I've used the Gaugemate Golds with Remington STS loads in my Lefever 10 gauge. They worked very well. The Gaugmate Gold design permits easy shell extraction and is simpler than the Seminole Chamber Mates, which are a nifty 10-20 insert. With the Gaugemates, the entire insert rides out slightly on the gun's extractor/ejector system to permit removal of the shells. With the Chamber Mates, the insert stays in place in the chamber and a slide hangs on the gun's extractors/ejectors and rides out with the extractors or ejectors to permit removal of the shells.I am a mechanical moron, but it seems to me that there are pros and cons of each. The Gaugemate Golds are simpler, but the Chamber Mates produce less friction, and less potential wear, since only a thin slider is hung on the extractor/ejectors and moves with it, whereas the whole insert moves in and out with the Gaugemate Golds. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Both systems worked like a charm for me.

I bought the gold ones to shoot 16ga. in a 12 and I used them for about four shells and did not like them at all.They seem to difficult to get the empties out and the empties do get wrecked down one side. At least on my gun they did. On another 12 they had to be removed to get the empties out. Maybe I am to picky or just an old fuddy duddy, I still don't like them.

Regards, Gordon

You can grind the lip on them and the hulls come out like a snap. The one in the center is a 12 to 20...I threw them in the trash.

I use the Silver 10 to 12 and when you stay close to gauge it wrecks the hulls.
My 10 chokes out a tight modified, with Win. AA 7 % 1/2's it throws a beautiful 40 yard pattern.
I just bought a set of Seminole 12 to 20 chamber inserts. I haven't tried them out yet...the gun I bought them for is not Nitro proofed I'm kinda worried about the pressure ?

The only 20 gauge ammo I can afford to shoot much of is the Remington Gun Club.

I've tried the Remington Gun Club in Little Skeeter inserts and they stick. I was told that the reason the expensive Remington STS and Winchester AA do not stick is that the hull and brass are thicker and less prone to swelling. I can't vouch for that, but can vouch for the fact that I've had no sticking problems with STS and I have had sticking problems with everything else I've tried, including a couple of bismuth loads and European target loads like Rio. I have not tried Winchester AA, but they are supposed to work fine. I guess you've got to use the expensive ammo for these inserts, whether they're Seminole Chamber Mates or Gaugemate Golds. As mentioned in my last post, I think that the Gaugemates involve more friction between the insert and the old chamber than the Chamber Mates. Any thoughts?

They move in and out...

I'm sure over a long period of use they cause more wear on the chamber. One thing that I've often wondered about the split ones is how much wear they cause...(my buddies say I often think too much).

The guy at Siminole said the Remington Gun clubs should work okay...I'll let you know tomorrow.

My Gold 10-12 Gaugemates arrived last friday. Barrel for my Brit 10 bore is due back on thursday from a damascus redo. Testing will commence on thursday. Used a borrowed set of Silver 10-12 a couple years ago on a light LC 10 and worked as described. Didn't like to mess with having the silver ones coming out with the spent hull, so ordered the Golds. Especially in the 10-12 adapters, does it get any closer to a free lunch. Aside from RST, short 10 no-tox ammo is tough to find. Read impossible. I look forward to working out the bugs on the Gold adapters. Randy

I have a pair of the silver gaugemate 12/20's.
Reason being I can still legally shoot waterfowl with lead in 20 bore, even if its out of a twelve bore gun .(go figure)
I also have to remove the inserts and pop the fired hulls out with a piece of dowel.
I know many could not be bothered with this ,but for me the extra time involved is offset by saving me from the hassle of steel and expense of bismuth.
Besides, while I am sure this causes me to miss the odd duck,the evening flights tend to come in twos and threes so its not really too much of an issue .
In respect to the actual shooting they work beautifully.
Now tell me I should just go and buy a 20 bore!