please help me

JAY Duce · May 6, 2009, 11:25 PM

i have a mossberg 85d 20 ga and i want to know if a federal 2 1/2 field load 20 ga would work i think its bird shot please forgive me for the lack of info

j.chappell · May 7, 2009, 12:32 AM

If I remember correctly your shotgun has a 2 3/4" chamber. That should be stamped on the barrel of your firearm. As long as it is 20 gauge ammunition you should be able to fire any loading as long as the shells do not exceed 2 3/4". A 2 1/2" field load should prove to be a nice little hunting load for your shotgun.

J.

JAY Duce · May 7, 2009, 02:32 AM

thank you for the help

j.chappell · May 7, 2009, 06:58 AM

No problem. If you haave anymore questions just give us a holler. Some times guys dont like to post if it is a simple question but someone will come along and offer their help.

J.

PetahW · May 7, 2009, 08:13 AM

Just a few caveats.

While it's safe to fire the shorter shell in the longer chamber, continued use will eventually result in chamber wall corrosion from the hot powder gasses, just ahead of the short shell's opened case mouth that will cause no end of extraction difficulties if/when someone ever want to use the longer ammo again.
I don't mean the fouling that normal cleaning will remove, I mean multiple, repeated, microscopic metal displacements.

And, the shorter shells may/may not, feed properly through, from the magazine.

.

dgludwig · May 7, 2009, 11:56 AM

Try posing your question in the Shotgun forum. You'll probably get even more feedback. And welcome to The Firing Line!

May 6, 2009, 11:25 PM	#1
JAY Duce Junior Member Join Date: May 6, 2009 Posts: 2	please help me i have a mossberg 85d 20 ga and i want to know if a federal 2 1/2 field load 20 ga would work i think its bird shot please forgive me for the lack of info

May 7, 2009, 12:32 AM	#2
j.chappell Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2008 Posts: 1,125	If I remember correctly your shotgun has a 2 3/4" chamber. That should be stamped on the barrel of your firearm. As long as it is 20 gauge ammunition you should be able to fire any loading as long as the shells do not exceed 2 3/4". A 2 1/2" field load should prove to be a nice little hunting load for your shotgun. J. Last edited by j.chappell; May 7, 2009 at 06:57 AM.

May 7, 2009, 11:56 AM	#6
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	Try posing your question in the Shotgun forum. You'll probably get even more feedback. And welcome to The Firing Line! __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

May 7, 2009, 02:32 AM	#3
JAY Duce Junior Member Join Date: May 6, 2009 Posts: 2	thank you for the help

May 7, 2009, 06:58 AM	#4
j.chappell Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2008 Posts: 1,125	No problem. If you haave anymore questions just give us a holler. Some times guys dont like to post if it is a simple question but someone will come along and offer their help. J.

May 7, 2009, 08:13 AM	#5
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	Just a few caveats. While it's safe to fire the shorter shell in the longer chamber, continued use will eventually result in chamber wall corrosion from the hot powder gasses, just ahead of the short shell's opened case mouth that will cause no end of extraction difficulties if/when someone ever want to use the longer ammo again. I don't mean the fouling that normal cleaning will remove, I mean multiple, repeated, microscopic metal displacements. And, the shorter shells may/may not, feed properly through, from the magazine. .