3 inch chambers

[bryanemch]

How common were 3 inch chambers in Fox small bores?

[Researcher]

I searched a bit over the first two thousand graded 20-gauge production cards and found forty guns ordered for 3-inch shells and seven ordered for 2 7/8-inch shells. The great bulk of 20-gauge guns left North 18th Street with 2 3/8-inch chambers intended for 2 1/2-inch shells. I have a 1920 30-inch barrel 20-gauge AE-Grade that letters "chamber for 2 3/4-inch shells" and the chambers measure 2 5/8-inch. I'd bet that the bulk of the 20-gauges out there with 2 3/4-inch chambers got them well after they left North 18th Street.

The late Bill Harris searched the 16-gauge cards and found nine ordered for 3-inch shells, and a grand total of one ordered for 2 7/8-inch shells. The great bulk of 16-gauge guns left North 18th Street with 2 7/16-inch chambers intended for 2 3/8-inch shells.

[Silvers]

(snip)

The late Bill Harris searched the 16-gauge cards and found nine ordered for 3-inch shells, and a grand total of one ordered for 2 7/8-inch shells. The great bulk of 16-gauge guns left North 18th Street with 2 7/16-inch chambers intended for 2 3/8-inch shells.

Late evening typo by my friend Dave. I think he meant "intended for 2-9/16-inch shells". frank

[bryanemch]

Thanks for the efforts and response, my gun is a Utica vintage AE 20.