For many years the 2 9/16 inch shell was the American standard 16-gauge load. When Western Cartridge Co. brought out their Super-X shell in 16-gauge, circa 1923, it was in a 2 9/16 inch hull, with a 1 1/8 ounce, 3 dram equiv. load. The advent of the 2 3/4 inch 16-gauge shell coincides with Remington Arms Co., Inc. bringing out their Model 11 and Sportsman autoloaders in 16-gauge, around 1931, chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells. The Remington Auto-Express 2 3/4 inch 16-gauge shell carried the same 1 1/8 ounces of shot, but at 3 1/4 dram equiv.
Sometime after 1937 and by 1941 Winchester/Western added a 2 3/4 inch 16-gauge shell to their Super-Speed/Super-X lines with the 3 1/4 dram equiv. 1 1/8 ounce load.
