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Re-chambering single shot from 2 3/4 to 3 inch?

Shadow14

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I purchased an older H&R single shot 20 ga shotgun recently to make into a dedicated turkey gun. The gun is chambered for 2 3/4 and I'm debating on whether to try to trade it for one already chambered in 3 inch or to ream it. I figure there should be enough wall thickness to do this but I am not positive. Also anyone have any recommendations or idea on what something like this would cost? I figured for $150 I couldn't go wrong with the gun and if I cant re-chamber it then I could sell it or trade it for the same price/value. There aren't many turkey load offerings in 2 3/4...
 
Just for personal interest, I just looked up how much a 20 gauge 3" chamber reamer would cost. As George Carlin would say, "Holy Jumping F*ing Sh*tballs!!!!"....

$249.99 from PTG.

They're a-might proud of those things!!
 
How does the gun pattern at 30 to 35 yards with 2 3/4" #5 or #6 lead shot?

It is amazing that scores of turkey were taken for generations with these loads until the ammo manufacturers convinced us the only acceptable loads are #9 Tungsten that cost $10 per round :shocked:
 
I asked this question a couple years ago myself.

There's no way I could justify the cost of paying a gunsmith to ream the chamber or buying the reaming tool and doing it myself --either way it would cost more than the entire gun is worth.

I thought about polishing out the chamber with sandpaper, or metal grinding compound, on a bore brush spun in an electric drill chuck.

Or maybe even using an automotive brake cylinder honing tool with abrasive pads that spread out when spun due to centrifugal force.

I decided not to mess with it --too likely that I would screw up the guns chamber in a way that makes extraction of the fired shell difficult. I don't wanna have a stuck case in my shotgun.

Also, my Cheapass crudely-made shotgun might not be able to handle the increased recoil of a 3 inch magnum shell without cracking the stock!
 
Not sure about the profile of the barrel, but that same gun and likely most of the chamber to the end of the pivot point on the barrel is the same for a 12gauge. If it is the same as the 12 to that point, I don't think reaming to 3" is going to be a problem.

However, the cost of a reamer makes this a moot point!

If you handload your 12 gauge loads, you can roll crimp and therefore get 3" equivalent loads in the 2 3/4" hulls.

Rosewood
 
I asked this question a couple years ago myself.

There's no way I could justify the cost of paying a gunsmith to ream the chamber or buying the reaming tool and doing it myself --either way it would cost more than the entire gun is worth.

I thought about polishing out the chamber with sandpaper, or metal grinding compound, on a bore brush spun in an electric drill chuck.

Or maybe even using an automotive brake cylinder honing tool with abrasive pads that spread out when spun due to centrifugal force.

I decided not to mess with it --too likely that I would screw up the guns chamber in a way that makes extraction of the fired shell difficult. I don't wanna have a stuck case in my shotgun.

Also, my Cheapass crudely-made shotgun might not be able to handle the increased recoil of a 3 inch magnum shell without cracking the stock!
the increased recoil of a 3 inch magnum shell cracking the stock would be the very least of my worries
 
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