3 inch in a gun that says 2 3/4?

[Theshootist78]

I have a remington 58 sportsman 12 ga. semi auto shotgun. on the barrel it sayd 2 3/4 shells. i have always used 2 3/4 inch shells in this gun. I went skeet shooting this last weekend and I let a friend shoot with it while I used his overunder. there were quite a few of us shooting and we all brought our own shells.  Apparently my friend was using 3 inch mag shells, more specificaly 3'' 2oz, no.6. when he used my shotgun he loaded the same shells he was using into it, since we were only loading 2 at a time he put one in the tube and one in in the mag, this worked just fine. they also shot, ejected, and loaded the next shell just fine. after we were done shooting a few times i noticed that he was using 3 inch shells in my gun. i kind of freaked out, but than i realized that it was dijesting them just fine. now i am a little courious, i checked in the chamber and the forcing cone is about 4 inches into the chamber, so the 3 inch shell seems to have plenty of room to open, i was just upprised that they loaded and ejected perfectly fine. ....my question is why does this work? Are these particular shells just short enough that they work? is this dangerous? did it break my gun?

[victorcharlie]

Good questions.  I've shot a sportsman 58 for most of my life, having taken over my dad's at a young age.  Very fine shotgun indeed.  I've never tried 3" mags.......but an very interested in what you find out.

[steve66]

i wouldnt make a habbit of it :roll:   certainly wouldnt want to hurt yourself or somebody else or your gun over a bigger shell.

[Theshootist78]

I don't plan on doing it. I was just supprised and was courious if anyone else had had a similar experiance. My other couriousity was the idea of puting one or two turkey loads through it every year, I have been using a bolt action 12 ga. which has a syn. stock that kicks like a mule with turley loads. I have not really deicided if it is simply not the greatest idea or if it is the  very worst idea that has ever been thought in the history of ideas.          Just so no one freaks out, i am simply courious, i have no intention of doing what i am thinking about, nor will i allow anyone else to do anything with my gun again. I do not want to get hurt, i dont want anyone else to get hurt, i do not want my gun hurt. I am simply wondering if the rem 58 has some inherent weakness, if the barrel is simply not strong, of if when it was made there was no such thing as a 3'' shell.  I do shoot high velocity slugs out of it, it has thousands of rounds through it, i have never cleaned the gas system, i have never had a problem feeding, ejecting, fireing , untill i do have a problem i will not clean the gas system.

[victorcharlie]

I've had the same experience with my 58.....rock solid.......I wish everything I own was so reliable.

[.45 COLT]

SAAMI spec for maximum pressure is the same for both 2 3/4" and 3" 12 gauge shells - 11,500 PSI - so that isn't a problem. Where problems could arise is the strain put on the action - the recoil of the 3" 2 ounce load is a whole lot heavier than 'most any 2 3/4" load. Even if they chamber and function, not a good idea.

DC