Franchi 20 gauge 3 inch

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RookieGuy

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Hi all
Been a while since I posted here I just usually read and research so..

Long story short I have eyed the franchi instinct sl and couldn't find it so I gave up but did put in a ' notify me me when stock comes in"
I have never owned a shotgun but am getting old and a buddy took me to trap and skeet so I liked his over under and jumped on the franchi.
So its s 2o gauge in 3 inch shells.
Now is it ok and safe to use shorter shells like 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 inch?.
I eg .38 in a .357 etc.
I would like to practise with it on a range and then try for birds and skeetclay etc
I went for the 20 gauge because I am getting bad elbows and sore shoulder .
Just want to have some fun as life is too short.
Anyway thanks to all!
 
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Where are you finding 20 gauge shells under 2 3/4"? Going longer than the chamber is where you run into safety issues, though I think that is wildly overblown considering how strong modern shotguns seem to be. You will have feeding issues at worst with shorter shells that the gun is designed for, but maybe not. A gun like you are looking at will shoot anything you are going to find in a gun store. Slugs aren't recommended but still completely safe.

I am genuinely curious if anyone has ever seen a shotgun fail from a "too long" shotshell. I have seen plenty of videos of people shooting everything from batteries to long chunks of rebar. The gun never seems to fail, sometimes even when serious attempts at making it fail are made.
 
Thanks for the reply I meant 2 3/4 was a typo I will edit that.
As far as feeding issues does that matter in an over under?
I am going to be on the hunt for bulk ammo so glad to hear it is flexible.
Much appreciated!
 
No, the gun you are looking at and any manually loaded shotgun for that matter is going to eat whatever you put into it. Many trap/skeet guns are backbored or have other features that make slugs a less ideal choice but safety is not a concern. Shooting 2 3/4" out of a 3" chamber is completely fine and will save you a lot of money.
 
BLCB said:
Where are you finding 20 gauge shells under 2 3/4"?
Click to expand...

I suspect that Challenger is making them. I say this because our good friends at Intersurplus (a site sponsor; see the top of page header for a link to their web site.) have 12 ga, 16 ga, and even 410 ga Challenger shells in 2 1/2” advertised on their site and in stock. Doesn’t seem likely Challenger would be producing 16 ga and 410 in 2 1/2” and not 20 ga. Intersurplus is probably just out-of-stock on the 20 ga.

Also, check with your local gun shops that carry or can order from Kent and/or RST (not big box stores - they’re too bureaucratic to actually provide customer service). Kent used to supply 12, 16, and 20 ga shells in 2 1/2” that are made by Gamebore in the UK. I’ve also seen 2 1/2” made by RST for sale in Canada at various times. If you can’t find what you need in stock, you may need to pre-order a flat for yourself.

Your best bet is probably to start with Intersurplus. If that doesn’t work, ask your local shop(s) if they’ll special order a flat for you. Don’t worry if a flat is more than you’ll need - the demand for 2 1/2” is strong. There are folks on this site who would be happy to buy any extra supply you may have.
 
BLCB said:
Where are you finding 20 gauge shells under 2 3/4"? Going longer than the chamber is where you run into safety issues, though I think that is wildly overblown considering how strong modern shotguns seem to be. You will have feeding issues at worst with shorter shells that the gun is designed for, but maybe not. A gun like you are looking at will shoot anything you are going to find in a gun store. Slugs aren't recommended but still completely safe.

I am genuinely curious if anyone has ever seen a shotgun fail from a "too long" shotshell. I have seen plenty of videos of people shooting everything from batteries to long chunks of rebar. The gun never seems to fail, sometimes even when serious attempts at making it fail are made.
Click to expand...
I don't personally know of a shotgun that has failed from using a shell longer than what the gun is chambered for and I do know a couple of guys that have done it, despite this it's a really bad idea to do so. By putting a 3 inch shell in a gun chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells creates a constriction in the forcing cone which drives pressure up. How much pressure... who knows but certainly more than the gun was designed for.

As far as those guys loading nails, batteries and all sorts of items in shotgun shells go, as far as I'm concerned they are contenders for Darwin awards. Having an explosion with an unknown amount of pressure going off 4 inches in front of my face isn't something I'm interested in doing.
 
I've not encountered shotguns with cracked actions or blown barrels at the forcing cone, but any such guns would be trashed and out of circulation. What I have encountered all too often is guns that are off face or have a wobble nearing dangerous levels. I expect overly hot loads or over-length cartridges are to blame for most cases, especially in low-end guns that were not made with good materials or close tolerances to start with.
 
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