doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com fiber/brush wad in long chamber

The question occured to me if there was any danger in shooting non-shotcup target loads (8.5 or 9 shot) in guns with 3" chambers? Is there any possibility of a pellet getting between the hull mouth and forcing cone and wedging in the wad?
I seems that 3" chambered guns have been around sinde the mid 20's and the plastic wad not till the 60's so millions of fiber loads have been shot thru such guns.

Thoughts?

I think it more likely that you might get some powder gas blow-by, around the over-powder and filler wad. This can make a mess out of patterns. I wouldn't think of it as dangerous but it would be good to check some patterns with the loads. I'm assuming these loads are not going to be in 3" shells.

Jim - I have a Davis HyPower with 3" chambers circa 1925, it choked .039 both barrels. Wanted to try brush wads on the trap course to open patterns.

Craig

I had a customer come to my shooting ground to pattern a new gun he had. The gun had 3” chambers and from memory it was a backbored Browning. He was using 2 ½” cartridges with fibre wad. After a few shots he came over very apologetically as he had put 3 big dents in the plate. In one of the dents was the remains of a balled lump of shot.
They tried the cartridges through a Berretta they had which produced excellent patterns.
I have tried patterning various Brownings with shorter chambers with no problem and this client reported no problem with plastic wads.
It was only a few shots so was not definitive – just a bit worrying with the wrong combination.
JC

Old shells? Some old shells I've disassembled had the shot all fused together from corrosion or some such aging mechanism.

Craig,
Why not use the spreader wads from Ballistic Specialties?

Chuck,

Now that you bring it up I actually have some Polywad Spred-R inserts, both the solid variety and ones with the holes. I'd forgot about them... will have to load some up for next time.
I only shoot trap occasionally so the XF chokes don't help me at all!
BTY the old Davis has super stock dimensions for me: 14-3/4" over a Jostam pad, 1.5" DOC, 2.75" DOH and 3/8" cast on (I'm a leftie).

Craig

So if the chokes the way they are don't help you, why not spend a few dollars and open them to what you really need. I have done that to several of my guns and never looked back. I don't much like screw in chokes though - too much trouble too little benefit.

Yea Jerry,
They won't be the first barrels I've sent to Mr. Orlen.
Craig

X-Post (Galandi) wads will do the job of spreading and sealing.

If I were to take a wild guess (which I suppose that I am about to do) I would opine that the problem is less likely to be fiber filler wads than it is cardboard OP wads. The use of "obturatable" platic OP wads should do much to "fix" this situation, if reloads or "modern" cartridges are being used. (If the loads are "factory", why are expensive 2 1/2" inch cartridges being used when less expensive [and, arguably better]) 2 3/4" loads are available?) (This assumes that the shooter resides "on the left side of the Atlantic".)

As a long-time (if not exactly champion-class) trapshooter, I have to ask: Why bother to try to "open up" patterns for trapshooting? At trapshooting ranges, modifified to "light full" chokes can yield different pattern per centages but very little difference in pattern diameters. Instead, why not go to loads that feature "ultralight" charges of about 7/8 ounce, or so? With such loads, if they are properly wadded, the old gun in question will most likely "eat trap targets for lunch" with much less wear and tear of the old girl and on "the loose nut behind the butt".