doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 3 inch 410 introduction

Gents, I have a Stevens 315 of 1930's vintage that appears to have 3 inch chambers. I have been shooting 2 1/2 inch shells in it for pest control around the ranch.

Could you please tell me when the 3 inch 410 was introduced? I was under the impression that it was introduced in the late '40's. If it was introduced earlier and this guns is bored for 3 inch I would like to use them. What say you?

Thanks.

It was introduced around 1931/2 along with the Winchester Model 42 pump gun.

Thats interesting, it must have been late 1932, as my 1932 Stoegers catalog doesn't show any 3" 410 ammunition. It also shows no Winchester 42s. Wonder when they first show up in their catalog.

Jim

That's interesting, something I'd wondered about but never bothered to find out.

I just picked up a 2 inch .410 shell for my collection, never knew they made such a thing until I had a chance to trade for it.


Destry

The Model 42 introduction was 1933. Researcher may expand on my statement that Ithaca offered to bore earlier guns to 3" chambers for a nominal fee. Apparently, they saw no safety problems with firing the new shells in guns properly bored for them. The Stevens Model 315, bored for 3" shells, should have no problem digesting them.

While not exactly .410 it is interesting to note that at least as early as 1908 Sears offered their "Our Ladies, Little Breech Loading Double Barrel Shotgun" chambered in a choice of .44XL or .40-85. .40-85 shells were offered only as empties for loading & it was stated they were "About" 3" long would hold 40grs BP & ½oz of shot. .44XL was available loaded @ $1.50/100 while the .40-85 empties were $2.50/100. A loading set was offered consisting of de & re cappers, wad cutter & charge cup @ 55¢. When Winchester introduced the actual 3" .410 it was of course loaded with "Progressive" smokeless powder & did as I recall contain the full 3/4oz charge of shot.

My 1920's Nitro Special had the chambers so badly mutilated at the forcing cone that I ground a taper-pin reamer down to fit the chamber perfectly and lengthened the chambers to 3" with long cones to clean it up. Walls are very thick and I shoot 3" in them all the time.

Griz
I have an old British .410 hammer gun that was proofed for 2-3/4" shells. I lengthened the forcing cones and shoot 3" shells through it all the time with problems. BTW the gun may originally have been something else, I say this because when I shoot it the shells expand enough so that they wouldn't fit into a 410 Nitro Special I used to own.
Steve

Ithaca did indeed offer to lengthen 2 1/2 inch chambers(their guns) to 3 inches.

As the North American .410-bore shell grew from the European 12mm, the original 2-inch shell contained 3/10 ounce of shot. When the 2 1/2 inch .410-bore shell was introduced it contained a whopping 3/8 ounce of shot. About the same time Winchester/Western introduced the 3-inch .410-bore shell with 3/4 ounce of shot, the payload of the 2 1/2 inch shell was upped to 1/2 ounce of shot.

I've found that more often then not, the Stoeger Catalogues lag by a year or so what appears in the actual manufacturers catalogues.