doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 410 Ammo For Vintage Guns

Hi all, I've got a friend who just picked up a .410 bore Vintage (made circa 1922) Brit gun. He's wanting to shoot it of course,but was wondering what brand of ammo he should use.

Anyone have a source for .410 ammo that's safe to shoot in his gun?

Thanks so much!

Greg

Look closely as most old English .410's were for the 2 inch cartridge. Easily obtainable here but not, I believe over your side. The .410 was only ever intended as a specimen collectors gun for shooting things for taxidermy until in about 1913 BSA brought out a bolt action gun based on a Lee Speed .303 action and Eley started making 2 1/2 inch ammo for it. If it doesn't mention the chamber length then chances are it is a 2 inch. Can you say what sort of gun it is and post photos of proof marks?

If it is 2 1/2 inch I would avoid U.S made ammo as that is intended to function in semi autos and has a quite high pressure. A friends semi auto Remington 1100 that will cycle 2 1/2" Remington and Winchester stuff won't cycle with Eley and Lyalvale 3"!!

Like to see it Greg. Can you get European .410 ammo there with the CIP mark? Lagopus.....

Kent Cartridge Company in West Virginia has recently stocked Gamebore 2" .410s. I have two boxes in my collection, just because they are so cute. RST is loading a 2 1/2" 410 shell, but I don't know if they are low pressure.

Greg,

I have wondered the same thing. I have 3 Birmingham A & D .410s, two of them have 2 1/2" chambers and one has 3" chambers. I think mine are all early-to-mid 1930s guns, but I am not absolutely sure. Both of the 2 1/2 " guns are proved for 7/16 oz, while the 3" is proved for 3/4 oz., quite a difference. They are all in the 4 to 4 1/4 pound range, weight-wise, and they all feel about the same in-hand. So that dramatic difference in proof is surprising to me.

I have been looking for appropriate ammo for my 2 1/2" guns, too.

Eightbore, I must be blind this morning, I just googled RST & Kent and did not see any .410 shells listed on RST's website, and I could not find the 2" Gamebore .410s, either...

Now you're just braggin'. Gil

When the .410-bore shot shell was introduced in the U.S. circa 1915, it came in two lengths, the 2-inch shell with a 3/10 ounce payload and the 2 1/2 inch length with a 3/8 ounce payload.









Early on the ammunition companies didn't even say what a small amount of shot was in the shells.



The 3-inch .410-bore shell with 3/4 ounce of shot was introduced along with the Winchester Model 42 .410-bore pump gun in 1933, and a year or two later our ammunition companies upped the payload of the 2 1/2 inch .410-bore shell to the 1/2 ounce we know today.

Hi all, thanks for all the great responses! Just tossing this out, does anyone know who may do custom shotshell reloading? I would guess the .410 would be an odd one to custom load, but you never know.

Thanks!

Greg

Greg,

If anybody will do it, Jay Menefee will, at Polywad. Give him a call at: 800-998-0669 Nice guy to talk with.

SRH

gjw,
Load it yourself. I have a lot of fun shooting carpenter bees with a .410 pistol, using 444 Marlin cases loaded with used polishing media( could just as well use grits). I cut wads from meat trays and seal the overshot wad with carpenters glue. There is no good reason you couldn't use small loads of fine shot. You can load them without much equipment. If your gun has a 2" chamber, you would need to trim about 1/4" from the length.
Mike

Thanks all, I've passed all your great info on to my friend who has the gun(not me). I don't think he reloads, so I guess that's a moot point. But, thanks anyway!

Best!

Greg