Can I shoot 12GA 3.5 inch shells in a pump shot gun designed for 2.75 & 3 inch shells

Question

I know that they wont cycle through the action but could I load them one at a time into the chamber if I had to? I know they would kick like a mule but would they do any damage to my gun it is a Mossberg model 500 PERSUADER. This is mostly a what if question as I dont plan to fire 3.5 inch shells in my gun just want to know if I could if the zombies were knocking at my door and I had a box of 3.5 lying around.

Answer 1

This is one of those even if you could, you should not.   The chamber is simply not machined to take that long of a shell.  The dangers far outweigh any benefit.   Besides, birdshot is for birds.  Zombies call for slugs or buckshot, both of which are easier to find in a 3" or shorter shell....

Answer 2

your answer is no. and not for the reason you may think. The one reason that the Mossberb 500 Persuader is a short action gun.

Meaning the pump action is short if the shell is to long it won`t even eject the shell properly or even get it in the chamber without jambing.



This short action was developed for police issue shotguns for quicker response times.

http://www.mossberg.com/products

Answer 3

no, theyre too long for the chamber

Answer 4

It is doubtful that you could get the action to close using the longer shells but if you did the pressure would certainly exceed what is safe for your shotgun.  Since you seem to think that the longer shell would fit the shorter action shotgun why don't you try it?  Ask your gun dealer to sell you snap caps for the 3.5" shotgun shell and see if you can drop one in manually and close the action.  Don't do this with a live shell because if it should go off the pressure when fired would certainly be enough to damage your shotgun, maybe even destroy it and injure the shooter in the process.  

H

Answer 5

No, very bad idea.*

Answer 6

Can I shoot 12GA 3.5" shells in a pump shotgun designed for 2.75 & 3" shells ?

That's a dumb question, considering you answered it in the question.

Sorry if my answer is rude, but some of you people here need firearm training in the worse way.

Answer 7

NO!!!!!!!

At best, you will get kicked sillier.  And if you are not lucky, you will end up with a face and hand full of metal.

In all probability, you won't even get the bolt to close on a shell that is half an inch too long for the chamber, that is where you would be really lucky.

Never attempt to fire cartridges in a firearm not designed for those cartridges.  

Doc

Answer 8

No, you cannot.  The gun will blow up and you will destroy it and also possibly injure yourself.

Answer 9

Any good NRA member would tell you to check your owners manual.  If you don't have one I'm sure you can write Mossberg and they will send you one free(MInus the shipping probably).  I bet you can even find an online version of it.  If those don't work out.  Ask someone knowledgeable with you specific firearm.

Answer 10

NO.

The shotgun should not chamber the shell. If for any reason it does please don't pull the trigger. The firearm is not designed to safely shoot the 3.5"

Answer 11

No. The shells are too long to fit in the chamber of the shotgun.

Answer 12

Inside any shotgun you have the forcing cone; this is where the barrel narrows from the wider area for the shell to the actual barrel, no matter what choke it is it has a forcing cone. (shell is wider than projectile) Here is a picture where you can see this change in the barrel;

http://www.hobbygunsmith.com/Archives/Ja...

Now some shotgun have a smother transition in the forcing cone, some have this smoothed out even more by a gun smith for better patterns.

Now when a shot gun says 2 ¾ inch only, that forcing cone is farther back than a 3 inch shell barrel, so the 3 inch shell will not fit as it will hit that forcing cone and not go in all the way. So a 3 ½ in shotgun shell will not go in all the way in a shotgun for 3 inch shells.

If some how you managed to fit the 3 ½ in shell inside a 3 inch shell gun because the forcing cone was modified you would have far too much pressure and the barrel could explode.

Check this out;

12 ga suggested max SAAMI

•2 3/4 inch — 11,500 PSI

•3 inch — 11,500 PSI

•3 1/2 inch — 14,500 PSI

You can see that the 3 ½ in shell has 3,000 PSI more than the 3in shell.

Risking loosing part of your face and hands with an extra 3000lbs per square inch is not a smart thing to do.

Here is a picture of a rifle that exploded, you would not want the same to happen to your shot gun I’m sure;

http://img33.photobucket.com/albums/v99/...

Gun manufactures mark the gun for what it shoots, if it could shoot a 3 ½ it would say so. If your car says; “use unleaded gas” would you use rocket fuel?

Answer 13

Did anyone check the specs on this gun because some 12gauges can handle these like mine ive used 3.5inch steel geese shot to anyalate stuff and they work fine.

Answer 14

honestly you CAN shoot them.   but i would not shoot them ALOT.  and i mean more than 1 per trip to the range.  if your gun is made for a certain type if shell then stick with that type if shell.  BUT it will shoot it.....  just dont get in the habit of doing it ...

Answer 15

best i can do is say never fire shells not made for your gun. if your gun isn't made for 3.5in. shells, don't fire them in it. while the gun may handle the extra pressure, the longer shell could jam in the barrell. i doubt the shell would fit anyway, without being forced into the barrel.