For years, I had wanted a chamber and choke gauge but balked at the $55 cost. I had been hoping to find one second hand for less, but fear that the company that produces these might founder caused me to purchase one as an early Christmas gift to myself.
So, let’s start with when was the 2 3/4” shell around prominently such that chambers were bored as such? And, we’re the 5 of 6 side by side shotguns below modified subsequently to 2 3/4”, or manufactured that way? The 1 of 6 that came up 2 5/8” throws a real curveball as it was one that I thought would surely come up 2 3/4” due to it being later than all but one of the shotguns in this unscientific study. And, what percentage of these early doubles have had chambers lengthened over the years? My guess would have been, at best, 50%, as one has to know about the 2 5/8” vs 2 3/4” difference, locate a gunsmith to do this, and spend money to do this, this being to a firearm that, odds are, was passed down generation to generation, most of its life being spent in the corner of a dark closet.
The 6 shotguns:
Early “ A” Grade Fox, back when the A Grade was plain, and was adorned similar to a Sterlingworth, this predating the Sterlingworth. Purchased at a flea market for $50 decades ago, near wall hanger. Amazingly, was not 2 5/8”, but rather 2 3/4”, much to my extreme surprise. Choked modified and full.
Model 1911 Fox, the one with the recessed hinge pin, 1911 production. 2 3/4”, choked modified and full.
1917 production Fox Sterlingworth. 2 3/4”, choked full and full.
1919 production Parker Trojan, 2 3/4”, choked modified and full.
1925 production Fox Sterlingworth, modified and full, BUT 2 5/8”, which suggests that all production to this time was 2 5/8” with regards to the Fox shotgun and the previous three examples in this thread of Fox shotguns with 2 3/4” chambers were not manufactured this way. Or, this 1925 Fox Sterlingworth was special ordered with 2 5/8” chambers.
Lastly, a 1927 production New Ithaca Double, choked modified and full with 2 3/4” chambers.
Oddly, the shotgun I had fired of all of these, was only the one chambered with 2 5/8” barrels, the other 5 never had been fired by me because I was unsure of the chamber length. At one time, that was my only shotgun, and no problems arose despite several hundred 2 3/4” shells being fired in this shotgun. Which supports Sherman Bell’s hypotheses.
So, let’s start with when was the 2 3/4” shell around prominently such that chambers were bored as such? And, we’re the 5 of 6 side by side shotguns below modified subsequently to 2 3/4”, or manufactured that way? The 1 of 6 that came up 2 5/8” throws a real curveball as it was one that I thought would surely come up 2 3/4” due to it being later than all but one of the shotguns in this unscientific study. And, what percentage of these early doubles have had chambers lengthened over the years? My guess would have been, at best, 50%, as one has to know about the 2 5/8” vs 2 3/4” difference, locate a gunsmith to do this, and spend money to do this, this being to a firearm that, odds are, was passed down generation to generation, most of its life being spent in the corner of a dark closet.
The 6 shotguns:
Early “ A” Grade Fox, back when the A Grade was plain, and was adorned similar to a Sterlingworth, this predating the Sterlingworth. Purchased at a flea market for $50 decades ago, near wall hanger. Amazingly, was not 2 5/8”, but rather 2 3/4”, much to my extreme surprise. Choked modified and full.
Model 1911 Fox, the one with the recessed hinge pin, 1911 production. 2 3/4”, choked modified and full.
1917 production Fox Sterlingworth. 2 3/4”, choked full and full.
1919 production Parker Trojan, 2 3/4”, choked modified and full.
1925 production Fox Sterlingworth, modified and full, BUT 2 5/8”, which suggests that all production to this time was 2 5/8” with regards to the Fox shotgun and the previous three examples in this thread of Fox shotguns with 2 3/4” chambers were not manufactured this way. Or, this 1925 Fox Sterlingworth was special ordered with 2 5/8” chambers.
Lastly, a 1927 production New Ithaca Double, choked modified and full with 2 3/4” chambers.
Oddly, the shotgun I had fired of all of these, was only the one chambered with 2 5/8” barrels, the other 5 never had been fired by me because I was unsure of the chamber length. At one time, that was my only shotgun, and no problems arose despite several hundred 2 3/4” shells being fired in this shotgun. Which supports Sherman Bell’s hypotheses.
