10 Truths About 12 Gauge Ammo Most Owners Never Know

10 Often-Overlooked Facts About 12-Gauge Ammunition

The video uses the story of Hollis Ravenscroft-Pike to explain ten facts about 12-gauge ammunition. Hollis inherited his father’s double-barrel shotgun, built in 1931, and used it for years with modern 2¾-inch shells. During a dove hunt, the barrel split about four inches ahead of the chamber on the eleventh shot. Hollis suffered a burn but was not seriously injured.

The presenter says the cartridges were ordinary; the gun’s chambers were shorter than the shells it had been fired with.

The Ten Points

1. Shell length refers to the opened case. A 2¾-inch shell is shorter when crimped, so it may appear to fit in a shorter chamber. The stated length is the case length after firing, when it opens. A shell that is too long for the chamber can create a dangerous obstruction and pressure buildup.

2. Shot-size numbering can be confusing. For small birdshot, a smaller number means larger pellets. Buckshot uses a different convention: more zeros indicate larger shot.

3. Steel shot may be unsuitable for some older guns. The presenter cautions that steel pellets do not compress like lead when passing through a tight choke. He advises against using steel shot in older shotguns with fixed full chokes and recommends following the manufacturer’s guidance for interchangeable chokes.

4. Old ammunition can be unreliable. Age and damp storage can damage ammunition components. A weakly burning shell may fail to push its wad clear of the barrel, creating a hazard if another shot follows. The presenter distinguishes poorly stored ammunition from shells that have been kept dry.

5. Slug choice depends on the barrel. The video distinguishes older rifled slugs intended for smoothbore barrels from modern sabot-style slugs intended for rifled barrels. Using the wrong type may result in poor accuracy.

6. Shot spreads less than many people assume at close range. Indoors, pellets may remain in a compact pattern, so a shotgun still has to be aimed carefully. The presenter recommends testing the gun’s pattern on paper at a realistic distance.

7. A tighter choke does not always produce a tighter pattern. Deformed pellets can fly less predictably, and different barrels may perform best with different chokes. The suggested way to find out is through pattern testing.

8. Old paper and brass shells deserve caution. Paper cases can swell with moisture, while old brass cases may have been made for guns with different chamber dimensions. The presenter recommends treating non-plastic vintage shells as historical items rather than firing them.

9. Check the gun’s chamber markings. On many double-barrel shotguns, markings are on the barrel flats beneath the fore-end. If the chamber length is shorter than the ammunition requires—or if there are no clear markings—the video advises having the chambers properly checked before firing. A gunsmith may be able to lengthen a short chamber, but the presenter stresses that this is serious work requiring expert judgment.

10. A quick inspection can prevent a serious mistake. Read the ammunition label, inspect the gun’s markings, and check old shells for deterioration. The presenter’s central advice is to identify an inherited gun’s chamber length before using it.

Closing Story and Advice

Hollis kept the damaged shotgun as a family heirloom rather than having it altered, bought a modern pump shotgun for hunting, and had two other inherited guns checked. The presenter urges viewers to inspect old firearms with knowledgeable help and not to assume that years of trouble-free use prove a gun and its ammunition are compatible.

Presenter/source: Dylan Bennett, “10 Truths About 12 Gauge Ammo Most Owners Never Know.”