doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com History of the 28 gauge

Is there a good source for researching the history of the 28 gauge? I've looked several places for a kick in the right direction (28 gauge society, flayderman's, shotgunworld etc.) But relativly nothing on the history of the gauge. I have heard the false story that Parker introduced the 28 in 1903. I know that can't be accurate because I own 2 belgian doubles that were made in the 1890's. I've seen muzzleloaders from way before that - but I am mostly interested in the cartridge history more than the bore size.

Thanks in advance

Can't give much help, but I will offer this: My 1940 Shooter's Bible shows that the "high brass" 28ga loads back then were 2 7/8" in length. Super-X, Remington Nitro Express, and Peters High Velocity all list that length for their 28ga shells. The other option, in the less expensive lines of shotshells, was a 2 1/2" 28ga containing 5/8 oz shot. Not sure when 2 3/4" was finally established as the standard 28ga length, but it would appear to have happened after WWII.

As the 28 GA was viewed and written about by THE main man of the 1910s and 20s.
"The American Shotgun" - Charles Askins (the father) copyright 1910. My copy published in New York by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1930. Quoting from pages 150/151:
Machine loaded twenty-eight gauge cartridges are charged with from 1-3/4 to 2 drams of powder and 1/2 to 5/8 ounces of shot. Two drams and 5/8 ounces is the standard load, usually with eight shot for quail, though some prefer numbers nine or ten. Should the arm be anything but a full-choke, the tens might be preferable in order to thicken the pattern, but the small pellets are liable to send a good many birds away crippled. Unquote. Case length is not mentioned.
And quoting from "Modern Shotguns and Loads", by Charles (the father) Askins, pages 91/92 reprinted in 1992 by Wolfe Publishing Company, originally published in 1929 by Small Arms Technical Publishing. Quote:
Within its limitations I can see nothing wrong with the 28 bore. If it were ever to become highly poppular I think it would be in a pump gun which is not to be had now. I'd like to own a 28 bore pump myself. The 28 gage should have been chambered for 2-7/8 inch shells and should have thrown 3/4 ounce of shot. Many of the factories insisted that the correct charge was 5/8 ounce of shot, in 2-1/2 inch cases, but the shooter objects to so light a shot charge, and if the ammunition makers insist upon furnishing it and nothing heavier, they will do away with the 28 bore. Unquote. There follows another paragraph of Father Askins' anecdotal comments and educated opinions.
Hope this helps.

Askin the American Shotgun.

Pete

Ironman5,
The complete history of the 28-g can be found in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue of Shooting Sportsman magazine. The article is "Less is More" by Silvio Calabi.

The 28-gauge was introduced in North America in a 2 1/2 inch case with a load of 1 3/4 drams equiv. and 5/8 ounce of shot. The good folks at RST are offering such a shell to us today. The ammo companies also offered a longer 2 7/8 inch case. Probably the first 28-gauge guns offered in North America were the Remington Model 1893 single barrel. Parker Bros., in an effort to move some 0-frame 20-gauge guns that were languishing in inventory, rebarreled them with 28-gauge barrels and got S.A. Tucker and Arthur DuBray to hustle them. Chas. Askins had one of these early 0-frame 28-gauges with 30-inch barrels and a hefty weight of about 6 3/4 pounds. Chas. Askin's gun was chambered for the 2 7/8 inch case and he was handloading 3/4 ounce loads for his heavy gun, and discusses this in his 1910 book. Edwin Hedderly the editor of Western Field magazine out in California picked up the 28-gauge torch in the years prior to WW-I. Ithaca introduced their Flues Model double in 28-gauge in 1912. When they introduced the NID in 1926, they added the .410-bore to their offerings and no longer catalogued the 28-gauge, though they did make a few NIDs in 28-gauge. In the 1931/32 time frame Western Cartridge Co. brought out their Super-X shell loaded with progressive burning powder in 28-gauge. It was put up in a 2 7/8 inch case and carried 3/4 ounce of shot. Ithaca Gun Co. began cataloguing the 28-gauge again with their first printing of their 1932 catalogue.



About 1937 Winchester brought out their Model 12 pump in 28-gauge, and it was chambered for the 2 7/8 inch shell until after WW-II when the 28-gauge loadings were standardized in a 2 3/4 inch case.

A good question. Eley's certainly listed it as a pin-fire option by 1874 and I can find an Eley reference to making them in centre-fire sometime between 1861 and 1874 which is about as early as you can get a centrefire. My guess is that it followed on from 28 bore muzzle loaders and with Gunmakers having tubes in that size chambered them for 28 bore pin-fire when breech loaders came in and that naturally led on to centre fire options much in the way of the other odd bore sizes such as 14's, 24's and 32's. In short it is as old as the rest of the centre-fire clan.

The earliest Kynoch listing I can find is 1882 and that in centre-fire only. The British standard then was 2 1/2" (still widely available here) with a load standard of 9/16th. ounce of shot. Lagopus.....

Same as .58 cal? My old Janeck (Dresden) buschflinte is .58 smoothbore x .58 rifled.

I believe the U.S. trapdoor rifle and Sharps rifle both had "forager" and smoothbore models in 28 ga.
So thats going back a wayz.

Note that 28 ga = .550 Cal. A .58 Cal = 24 Ga (.579").