"It is my understanding this short chambering was due to a request from Trap shooters." Could you please elaborate Miller?
Drew; I don't really recall where this came from, I am thinking it was stated here on this board a few years back. It was mentioned in specific regard to Parkers. It may well have included live bird shooters. It was stated to be that they perceived they got better patterns by this method of chambering. My real question though is was this practice carried out on 12 gauge guns for use with shells shorter than 2 3/4", does anyone have a gun which they perceive to have been intended for use with 2 5/8" shells which only has a 2½" chamber. Also does anyone have 16's & 20's of the era with 2 7/16" & 2 3/8" chambers respectfully. I have a post 1907 16 gauge Lefever with 3" chambers by measure. Though not marked I presume it was intended for use with 3" shells. Definitely both the gun & the shells would have been special order, not something picked up at the corner hardware.
Nash Buckingham wrote of his father having a Greener 12 gauge hammer gun with 3¼" chambers in which they fired 3¼" shells. This in the 1880's. So yes shells were available in an assortment of lengths & some of those old 3¼" shells may well have ended up being fired in a gun having 2 5/8" chambers, but what I am interested in is what guns were actually, intentionally short chambered for the shell "Intended" to be used.
