Shotgunworld.com

can you use a 12 bore shotshell in a 12 gauge shotgun?
are they the same or are they as different as night and day,as their names would be indicating.
i sure would be happy if someone could tell me.

thanks

They are the same. In the early days of smooth bore muskets the "gauge" of a gun was determined by the number of leadballs of the bore diameter it would take to make one pound. A 12 gauge,therefore would have a bore diameter so that 12 lead balls of that size would weigh one pound. One of the balls would weigh 1/12 of a pound and measure about .729 inch,approximately. Sometimes,a 12 gauge was called a 1/12 pounder,also.

Common shotguns of the past included 2,4,8,10,11,12,14,16,20,24,28,32,36 gauges. Today only 10,12,16,20,and 28 gauges along with the .410 are common. Ammo of 4,8,14,24,32,and 36 gauge is available by special order or in component form for home loading.

Exceptions to this rule include the .410 "gauge" and other shot guns that are measured in fraction of an inch or in milineters. Some of these included the 9mm,10mm,.41,.45.,38,.375,.44 and the .22 shot loadings. While not true gauges these are sometimes called by that name.