The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Minimum shot shell for Rem 1100 LT20 2 3/4 " to cycle?

BigJimP · August 3, 2011, 12:19 PM

Your buddies terminology is a little screwed up ....

In general - most any shell that has a velocity of 1200 fps will cycle most any semi-auto - the LT-20 is no exception.

Terminology...a standard load for a 20ga shells is 7/8 oz of shot - and whether its in low or high brass is irrelevent. A marking for the amount of powder in a shell - is marked in Dram Equivalent - and in a shell that is marked as 3 Dram that shell relates to approximately 1200 fps. A 2 3/4 Dram Equivalent shell - is usually around 1150 fps.

Don't confuse the length of the chamber in the gun - with the Dram Equivalent...they're different. Remember in a shotshell - the length of the shell - is the fired length ...and if you have a 2 3/4" chamber(and you do) - then you can only fire fire 2 3/4" shells ( not any 3" shells )....the problem comes in when someone takes a ruler to an unfired shell and it measures 2 3/4" ...it is really a 3" shell - when its fired ( and that's how shells are measured).

So most any shell - and the boxes are marked 3 Dr Eq - or velocity is around 1200 fps - should cycle just fine in your LT-20. Low brass is fine - shells that are marked for "Skeet, Trap, Sporting, etc ...is just all marketing hype.." and means very little from one shell mfg to another.

7/8 oz of shot ...is 7/8 oz of shot ...whether the shell is loaded with 9's ( and intended for Skeet or Quail ) doesn't matter...or it might be loaded with 8's and be called something else...

I reload - but my standard 20ga load ---that I shoot in all of my 20 ga's - whether they are Over Unders or Semi-Autos like a Benelli Super Sport - are 7/8 oz of 8's at about 1200 fps ...and a buddy shoots the same load in a variety of his Rem semi-autos ...

My semi-auto / the Benelli Super Sport is an Inertia gun - unlike your gas gun ...and mine will not cycle a shell at 1150 fps reliably ...once in a while it will / but mostly it'll just jam it ...but many of the Remington semi-autos will cycle an 1150 fps shell as well ...so you'll have to test it a little - but a shell at 1200 fps will work in any well maintained - clean and lubed semi-auto almost 100% of the time. If you don't clean it /or lube it properly - then its a different story ----but not maintaining a gun ...and having to shoot heavy loads in it - because you don't clean it - makes no sense to me.

August 3, 2011, 12:19 PM	#2
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Your buddies terminology is a little screwed up .... In general - most any shell that has a velocity of 1200 fps will cycle most any semi-auto - the LT-20 is no exception. Terminology...a standard load for a 20ga shells is 7/8 oz of shot - and whether its in low or high brass is irrelevent. A marking for the amount of powder in a shell - is marked in Dram Equivalent - and in a shell that is marked as 3 Dram that shell relates to approximately 1200 fps. A 2 3/4 Dram Equivalent shell - is usually around 1150 fps. Don't confuse the length of the chamber in the gun - with the Dram Equivalent...they're different. Remember in a shotshell - the length of the shell - is the fired length ...and if you have a 2 3/4" chamber(and you do) - then you can only fire fire 2 3/4" shells ( not any 3" shells )....the problem comes in when someone takes a ruler to an unfired shell and it measures 2 3/4" ...it is really a 3" shell - when its fired ( and that's how shells are measured). So most any shell - and the boxes are marked 3 Dr Eq - or velocity is around 1200 fps - should cycle just fine in your LT-20. Low brass is fine - shells that are marked for "Skeet, Trap, Sporting, etc ...is just all marketing hype.." and means very little from one shell mfg to another. 7/8 oz of shot ...is 7/8 oz of shot ...whether the shell is loaded with 9's ( and intended for Skeet or Quail ) doesn't matter...or it might be loaded with 8's and be called something else... I reload - but my standard 20ga load ---that I shoot in all of my 20 ga's - whether they are Over Unders or Semi-Autos like a Benelli Super Sport - are 7/8 oz of 8's at about 1200 fps ...and a buddy shoots the same load in a variety of his Rem semi-autos ... My semi-auto / the Benelli Super Sport is an Inertia gun - unlike your gas gun ...and mine will not cycle a shell at 1150 fps reliably ...once in a while it will / but mostly it'll just jam it ...but many of the Remington semi-autos will cycle an 1150 fps shell as well ...so you'll have to test it a little - but a shell at 1200 fps will work in any well maintained - clean and lubed semi-auto almost 100% of the time. If you don't clean it /or lube it properly - then its a different story ----but not maintaining a gun ...and having to shoot heavy loads in it - because you don't clean it - makes no sense to me.