12ga shell lengths: A false standard?

[Dannicus]

Picked up a hundred rounds of Rio 2-3/4" 00 buck for a good price and I could only get 8 into my magazine tube that usually holds 9.

At first I thought there was some sort of binding going on until I took out the calipers. They're almost a quarter inch longer than Federal 00 2-3/4" shells. Thing is, neither of them are even 2-3/4". The Federals are 2.31" and the Rio are 2.53".

If you tried to load a shotgun with shells that are truly 2-3/4" you surely wouldn't get the advertised capacity.

Wtf?

[Bert Gamble]

They are long, and really screw up your plans to have shell carriers on your belt.

[NapalmCheese]

Shotgun shell lengths are for the opened hull, not the crimped loaded shell.

[Dannicus]

Learned something new, then.

[NapalmCheese]

Becomes even more interesting if you ever get into loading brass shotgun hulls. I load 2.5 inch hulls in 2.75 inch chambers because the load data assumes that the wad column will hit approximately 2.5 inches if it were crimped. Otherwise, loading standard load data in 2.75 inch brass hulls results in a lot of dead space up top.

[JagerDog]

Shotgun shell lengths are for the opened hull, not the crimped loaded shell.

^^^^this

Roll crimps tend to produce longer loaded ammo as well.

[Dannicus]

Makes sense. Rios are rolled.

Is there a benefit to rolled crimp?

[JagerDog]

Makes sense. Rios are rolled.

Is there a benefit to rolled crimp?

A bit more flexible on payload stack height.

Can be hard to get a good looking crimp with buckshot. The overshot card in a roll crimp mitigates that.

Even quite a few handloaders roll crimp buckshot rounds.

[L84CABO]

The Federal Law Enforcement Tactical 9 pellet w/Flight Control shells are just ever so slightly longer than the 8 pellet version. Enough to make a one round difference in my M4. But it doesn't seem to affect my 870. YMMV

You could always cut off a link or two from your mag spring in the hopes of making a little extra room...but I don't like to mess with the stock spring.

[John Joseph]

There are different 00 buck shells. One S&B has a roll crimp so the shell is physically longer than a fold crimp, but can hold three more 00 buckshot without being a magnum. It will cut down the magazine capacity but you'll deliver more payload. Some pumps and autoloaders chambered for 2-3/4" won't even cycle this load reliably, but they work great in a break open, double barreled "boom stick."

[Dannicus]

The Federal Law Enforcement Tactical 9 pellet w/Flight Control shells are just ever so slightly longer than the 8 pellet version. Enough to make a one round difference in my M4. But it doesn't seem to affect my 870. YMMV

You could always cut off a link or two from your mag spring in the hopes of making a little extra room...but I don't like to mess with the stock spring.

In this case, you'd basically have to cut the spring in half to get the cumulative 2" into the magazine. Not sure how it'd function with half a spring.

[JagerDog]

Just ask yourself punk...have you fired 9 shots or 10 shots. Do you feel lucky...well do ya punk?