The 12-, 16-, and 20-gauge shells were offered in a plethora of lengths into the 1930s, but in all my old ammo catalogues I only find 2 7/8 inch 10-gauge shells offered.
I do know that after the 3 1/2 inch Magnum 10-gauge came on the market, some gun cranks had the chambers of their Super-Tens lengthened to 3-inches, trimmed the long hulls and hand loaded 1 3/4 ounce loads. A friend has such a No. 4E NID Super-Ten and several letters back and forth with Lou Smith at Ithaca about it.
From all my ammo catalogues from the mid-1890s to the introduction of the 2 7/8 inch Super-Ten load, I can't see any point in having one of those big heavy old 10-gauges, as all the factory offered loaded shells were 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 ounce which one could get in any length 12-gauge shell? I'm sure many of the old Nimrods who had those old heavy 10-gauges must have been handloading heavier shells.
All my growing up hunting years one of the guys we hunted with used a composite barrel, I don't remember if it was Twist or Damascus, Syracuse L.C. Smith 10-gauge that weighed less than my Super-Fox. He shot everything in that gun, from his 1 1/8 ounce handloads for Doves to the 1 5/8 ounce Super-Ten loads for Ducks and Geese.
