Minimum shot shell for Rem 1100 LT20 2 3/4 " to cycle?

Sea Buck · August 3, 2011, 11:18 AM

What is the minimum shot shell load I can use in my recently purchased Rem 1100 LT20 2 3/4".Can I use low brass field or skeet loads,or am I doomed to use high brass "duck and pheasent" loads? A friend tells me that 7/8 dram loads or less won't cycle the Rem 1100 20 ga 2 3/4 ". True or false? Your opinions please. Thanks.

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.

LSnSC · August 3, 2011, 05:01 PM

It should cycle field/target loads like the Remington Sport loads and Winchester Universal loads without any problems. If it doesnt, give it a good cleaning, paying special attention to the gas ports, and replace the O ring. FWIW, the Winchesters promo loads are very dirty and will gum your action up pretty quick. My 20 gauge 1100's and 11-87's cycle my 1100 fps reloads without any trouble, but I keep them clean and change O-rings about every 1000 rounds.

zippy13 · August 3, 2011, 05:17 PM

Not all R-1100s are not created equally. Generally, with R-1100s (but, I'm not sure about the LT-20) the longer the barrel the smaller the gas vent area. Remington has tried to second guess your application and size the gas vent area accordingly. So, if you have a long barrel with a full choke, they assume you'll be using heavier loads. On the other hand, if your R-1100 has a short Skeet choked barrel, they assume you'll be using lower pressure loads. Also, the longer the barrel, the greater pressure: So, a "goose" barrel will have a smaller vent area than a short target barrel. Consequently the longer barreled R-1100s have a slight tendency for more gas vent fouling than the shorter ones.

If you've exhausted all options and your R-1100 still doesn't cycle, then you might consider having a qualified smith increase the vent area. This is an alteration not to be done without fully understanding the consequences.

M4BGRINGO · August 3, 2011, 07:32 PM

I had no problem with store-bought target loads for trap shooting, but I did have a problem with re-loads in my nieces Rem 1100, 20 gauge. I tried some lighter re-loads a club member had but it wouldn't cycle the gun. I went back to factory loads and it worked fine.

ammo.crafter · August 3, 2011, 07:42 PM

Have a G3 (1100) and no problem cycling 7/8 oz or 1 oz loads. Shoot sporting clays as well as pheasant and quail with no problem.
MUST keep the gun clean especially the gas ports.

zippy13 · August 3, 2011, 10:41 PM

I have a trap model R-1100 with the high stock and long step-rib trap barrel. I bought a second matching barrel, cut it to Skeet length, threaded for chokes and both barrels ported and extended forcing cones. The shorter barrel is a little finicky about the loads it likes and the longer one isn't. Some day I may enlarge the shortened ones vent area to Remington's standard for Skeet barrels.

August 3, 2011, 11:18 AM	#1
Sea Buck Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2008 Location: New England,Florida Snow Bird Posts: 312	Minimum shot shell for Rem 1100 LT20 2 3/4 " to cycle? What is the minimum shot shell load I can use in my recently purchased Rem 1100 LT20 2 3/4".Can I use low brass field or skeet loads,or am I doomed to use high brass "duck and pheasent" loads? A friend tells me that 7/8 dram loads or less won't cycle the Rem 1100 20 ga 2 3/4 ". True or false? Your opinions please. Thanks.

August 3, 2011, 07:42 PM	#6
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,970	1100 Have a G3 (1100) and no problem cycling 7/8 oz or 1 oz loads. Shoot sporting clays as well as pheasant and quail with no problem. MUST keep the gun clean especially the gas ports. __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson

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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.

August 3, 2011, 05:01 PM	#3
LSnSC Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2010 Posts: 514	It should cycle field/target loads like the Remington Sport loads and Winchester Universal loads without any problems. If it doesnt, give it a good cleaning, paying special attention to the gas ports, and replace the O ring. FWIW, the Winchesters promo loads are very dirty and will gum your action up pretty quick. My 20 gauge 1100's and 11-87's cycle my 1100 fps reloads without any trouble, but I keep them clean and change O-rings about every 1000 rounds.

August 3, 2011, 05:17 PM	#4
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Not all R-1100s are not created equally. Generally, with R-1100s (but, I'm not sure about the LT-20) the longer the barrel the smaller the gas vent area. Remington has tried to second guess your application and size the gas vent area accordingly. So, if you have a long barrel with a full choke, they assume you'll be using heavier loads. On the other hand, if your R-1100 has a short Skeet choked barrel, they assume you'll be using lower pressure loads. Also, the longer the barrel, the greater pressure: So, a "goose" barrel will have a smaller vent area than a short target barrel. Consequently the longer barreled R-1100s have a slight tendency for more gas vent fouling than the shorter ones. If you've exhausted all options and your R-1100 still doesn't cycle, then you might consider having a qualified smith increase the vent area. This is an alteration not to be done without fully understanding the consequences.

August 3, 2011, 07:32 PM	#5
M4BGRINGO Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2011 Posts: 256	I had no problem with store-bought target loads for trap shooting, but I did have a problem with re-loads in my nieces Rem 1100, 20 gauge. I tried some lighter re-loads a club member had but it wouldn't cycle the gun. I went back to factory loads and it worked fine.

August 3, 2011, 10:41 PM	#7
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	I have a trap model R-1100 with the high stock and long step-rib trap barrel. I bought a second matching barrel, cut it to Skeet length, threaded for chokes and both barrels ported and extended forcing cones. The shorter barrel is a little finicky about the loads it likes and the longer one isn't. Some day I may enlarge the shortened ones vent area to Remington's standard for Skeet barrels.