Cartridge/ shotshell adapters

M

masshunter

Active member
A few years ago I purchased a set of "Guage-Mate" adapters to convert 16ga to 20ga. I have a drilling with 2 1/2" chambers,and thought that would give me more ammo choices. I have used the old savage 410er with no problem, and thought this would be the same. When they came in along with the usual instructions and warnings it said "use only in 2 3/4" chambers or longer only". I called the company and was told go ahead it shouldn't matter, but I don't want to damage a nice old gun. Has anyone had any experience with these? Or know of another brand ? I am reluctant to lengthen the chambers as others have suggested, though its a J. P. Sauer and plenty strong I guess.
 
Before I would mess with the chamber I would turn the front of the gauge mate to fit the chamber.

Do they not fit in the chamber now?

I have a few 2 1/2" chambered 16's and bought a used 16ga MEC 600 and MEC makes a 2 3/4 to 2 1/2 adaptor. Instant supply of any load you want to shoot. I even load 1 oz of NP BB's for coyote hunting with my drilling. pics in a couple of min.

MEC adaptor you might have to order it from MEC as it is 16ga specific. It is the black part on the left side of the base plate, you could easily make one, I made one to convert a LEE Load all II but it meant cutting up the LEE also.



Successful endevour.



I made a simple gauge to cut hulls to 2 1/2 or Ballistic Products and Grafs usually have 2 1/2 inch hulls in stock. BP has load data and you can roll crip 2 3/4" data in a 2 1/2" hull just stay with low pressure data incase the short hull increases the pressure some.
 
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Thanks, I can find short ammo in #5, #7 and other small sizes, just wanted to avoid reloading shotshells for the little I shoot. The inserts slide right in, part of my confusion. Just was hoping someone had used them and had some experience with them. I enjoy looking at your guns and reading your posts. A newer scoped drilling or combo gun is in my future.
 
If they slide right into your chambers without being snug the last 1/4", they should work just fine. I understand that your barrel flats are marked either 16-65 or no marking for chamber length which would mean that they are suppose to be 2 1/2-2 9/16. Here's the BUT on Euro guns that are handcrafted, the chambers might be long to start with and still be marked 65mm or unmarked and assumed to be 2 1/2" Measure the chambers(both of them as each might be different). If it was originally 2 3/4" and intended for those shells it will be marked 16-70. If the chambers were lengthened in Germany or just about anywhere in Europe they will be re marked with a repair/re proof. Chambers lengthened in this country are at the owners risk. Most 2 1/2" 16 were made prior to WW-II, if your JP Sauer is a post war drilling it is more than likely 2 3/4" but should be marked as such. I have two prewar drillings with 65 mm chambers and a post war drilling (JP Sauer 7x57Rx16ga)that has 2 3/4(70mm) chambers

Post war JP Sauer with 70mm chambers



I haven't used that exact brand but when I was shooting skeet in the 70's I shot the 12 ga events and international skeet. We had some special small bore events at our local club and I had some plastic adaptors, they looked just like 12gauge hulls with a big hole in the center and you could drop a sub-gauge round in them, they were inexpensive and I had 50 of them so I just preloaded 25 at a time and carried them in my bag like 12ga shell. They were 2 3/4 to 2 3/4 to start with.

 
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Just another thought, many early American made 16ga shotguns Win Model 12's, Browning A-5's had 2 9/16 chambers and the Guage Mate company might have designed them to work in all chambers but have the CYA nomenclature incase someone tried some heavy loads that the firearm itself wasn't designed for.
 
Thanks again, 16-65 x 8x57jr .318. Its a hammer gun with no provision for scope mounting. A gunsmith, a real one, not a hacker, opened the right choke to I/C for me and looked it over. He told me the proof marks were pre WW1. He owned a Sauer double rifle in 303 British himself, hammerless with claw mounts.
I guess the next move is to find another gunsmith, I believe Ed is long gone, to measure the chambers. I'm also going to fire a couple 20ga rounds in my 20ga gun, slip them into the adapters and see how they feel. The adapters are 25/8" long and are SS or some alloy, non magnetic, and have a slot the full length.
Thanks for all your help.
 
MY 16-65/9.3X72R back action/island lock hammer gun circa 1907 no name made in Zella-Mehalis, The one with the coyote is a 1926 16-65/6.5x58R Sauer again just the retailers name on it made in Suhl.

They are addicting aren't they.
 
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