can you?

[jswany04]

Just courious. Can you shoot 3.5 inch loads outof a 3 inch over and under shotgun? And if not why?

[Unami]

Certainly not reccomended. The 3 inch chamber isn't designed to handle the pressure of a 3.5" shell. The 3.5 has more charge and heavier payload = lots more pressure. The chamber and barell of the 3 inch isn't designed to handle that kind of pounding. It's not like it's just a little bit more pressure. It's a lot more pressure. Things can go real bad real fast. Catastrophic failure of the chamber is ugly. Don't do it.

[Darrin Greene]

Because chamber explosions carry with them a chance of secere injury or death :huh:

[Pagrizz]

I would never think of shooting one ,but I just tried one in my Browning and it would not close.Even if it would fit the risks out weigh any gains you would get.

[Flintlock]

It is definitely not safe at all! I don't think you can even chamber the load, the chamber is not large enough. If you somehow close that thing I think you are in for a world of trouble if you fire that baby off.:eek:

[Makoman]

They usually blow out right at he forearm. A good way to lose a hand!!!!!!

[ACEarcher]

If you get the chance. Look at the chamber of a shotgun that normally take 2 3/4" & 3" shells. Then look at a shotgun that take 3 1/2" shells. The chamber has a thicker wall and if I'm not mistaken the bolt is more heavy. Morale of the story if it says 2 3/4" ONLY or 3" ONLY that is what it is ment for ONLY. Their is a lot of power in a 3 1/2" shell. Not all shotguns can handle that amount of power. Safty first with all firearms!!!!

[Setterman]

Definitely not recommended. You run the risk of high pressures which can inflict bad things to your gun and/or you. Early evidence of this problem cropped up when people began stuffing 2 3/4" or 3" shells in older guns originally chambered for 2 1/2" or 2 9/16" shells. Ribs would shoot loose off the gun, chambers would bulge and if nothing happened, you'd still have excessive recoil because of the back-pressure. Some cheaper guns would actually burst their chambers. I wouldn't want to think what a 3 1/2" shell going off inches from my face in a shorter chamber would do. You're talking as much as 40 grains of powder pushing 1 3/8 oz. to 2 1/4 oz. of shot (depending on the load of steel, Hevi-Shot, Bismuth or lead) operating in the realm of 13,000PSI or higher going off. Yes, modern guns today are built with an extra measure of strength to ensure nothing goes wrong in the event you exceed the limits, but I wouldn't want to play that game. I'm just not that brave.

[BarnesX.308]

If you could manage to chamber it, you will likely blow up your gun. When the front of that shell blows open, it will be constricted in the smaller chamber and spike pressures dangerously high. I wouldn't be surprised if it ruptured the barrel.

[SNJBOWHUNTER]

Why would you want to? Just buy a gun that shoots 3 1/2" shells. :huh:

[Liv2hunt]

If you could manage to chamber it, you will likely blow up your gun. When the front of that shell blows open, it will be constricted in the smaller chamber and spike pressures dangerously high. I wouldn't be surprised if it ruptured the barrel.

Bingo! When the end of the shot shell opens, it needs the recess at the end of the chamber to open fully. If it can't, pressures will spike to the barrel's failure point and you better hope there is a trauma unit nearby.

[H&R slugger]

Bingo! When the end of the shot shell opens, it needs the recess at the end of the chamber to open fully. If it can't, pressures will spike to the barrel's failure point and you better hope there is a trauma unit nearby.


or a head donor

[jonny one shot]

try it and let us know that it did not blow your head off:nuts: i would not recommend it :naughty: good luck

[BarnesX.308]

or a head donor

They are hard to come by and it's very hard to find a match. :huh:

[darrenwondo]

Can I shoot a .338 Win. Mag. out of a rifle chambered in 22LR. If not, why?