Out of a 160+ Syracuse hammerless serial numbers I have not seen one that is an 8 ga. In an old catalog dated 1884 there is no mention of any 8 ga made in hammer guns. Also in an 1888 catalog, again no mention of an 8 ga., only 10 ga and 12 ga.
The thing that is amazing for back then, is that they would make a gun for you at No Extra Charge for Heavy or Extra Heavy Gun over a Medium Weight Gun.
What this means is the frame size:
10 ga. 8 1/2-9 3/4 lbs-30" barrels
10 ga. 9 1/2-11 lbs. - 32" barrels
12 ga. 7 1/2-9 1/4 lbs.- 30" barrels
12 ga. 9-9 1/2 lbs.- 32" barrels
I have recorded a 10 ga hammerless serial # 19494 c. 1886-87 with a distance across the breech balls of 2 11/16" and a hammer gun across the breech balls at 2.725 center to center firing pins is 1.310 32" barrels that weighs 10 lbs. 8 ozs.
A few of these guns could be bored and chambered for 8 ga, and still have enough wall thicknss. The 8 ga loads of then were not much different than the 10 ga loads.
