magnums mostly originated when british hunters in africa on safari would remove the bullet from a hunting round and add more gunpowder for more killing power (before that it was a little extra powder down the barrel). sometimes this worked, and sometimes the gun exploded. The magnum round has evolved over the centuries though, but a magnum is just a round with extra gunpower.

if your gun is lables magnum it can shoot the magnum loads. now days if the shell is the correct gague and lenth you can most likely shoot it. if its an older gun you might want to have it checked out before you shoot magnum rounds through it. not one hundred percent on this. some one that knows more about the guns and less about magnum rounds chime in!

 

So I have an automatic shotgun that says on the barrel 3 inch magnum’s it will shoot for two and 3/4 or even 3 inch non-magnums but it will not re-chamber only time it will re-chamber a shell is if I use a 3 inch mag the higher the brass the better it cycles it has a 20 round drum a lot of people told me that it was my drum but it’s not the drum because if that was the case would assume it wouldn’t Cycle any kind of shells so what I’m saying is it only take cycleCycle any kind of shells so what I’m saying is it We’ll shoot any kind of shower I put in a given 3 inch or smaller but it will only cycle of the 3 inch magnum and the two and three-quarter inch magnums

 

I'll chime. Sure, "magnum" usually refers to an over-sized charge in a given cartridge. Long guns may very well have exploded in the past, as you say, precipitating improved metallugical composition and design to handle those heavier loads - but I think today's scientifically designed and machined firearms are superior pieces of work, kind of eliminating any functional distinction between a regular shotgun, for instance, and a magnum shotgun.

I mean, I know there are a few design differences in an 870 Express and an 870 Police Magnum, but that doesn't mean only an 870 Magnum can fire magnum rounds, nor does it mean than an 870 Express will blow up on you if you run a 3" mag through it.

So today, I think the word "magnum" as it applies to actual firearms is mostly a marketing gimmick. You take an 870 Express, give it a steel trigger guard, a heavier trigger pull, and a couple of other invisible tweaks, and voila, you can call it the 870 Magnum. The barrel's not any denser or heavier, as far as I know, and the Express barrel is no more likely to explode on you than the Magnum barrel is. I think it's just a matter of marketing.

 

You take an 870 Express, give it a steel trigger guard, a heavier trigger pull, and a couple of other invisible tweaks, and voila, you can call it the 870 Magnum.

Charles, my 18" 870 has Express Magnum stamped on the receiver and is chambered for 3" (magnum) shells. It eats both the 2.75" regular and 3" magnum shells.

Remington also makes what they call a "super magnum", which is chambered for 3.5" shells and will fire all 3 lengths, each being progressively more powerful than the shorter shells.

With each shell being longer than their less powerful brethren, it is virtually impossible to chamber and fire the wrong shell in a modern SG. The chamber length dictates how long of a shell it will eat.

What you described is the difference in parts between an 870 Express Magnum and an 870 Police Magnum, which, I agree, is very little - both use the same receiver and are chambered for 3" shells.

 

"Magnum" shells are usually loaded with higher chamber pressure and bigger payloads. They are made longer to avoid being confused with standard pressure loads and to accommodate the larger payloads. If a shotgun is designed to take the 3" and/or 3.5" shells, they are defacto "magnums". Whether the term "magnum" is stamped on the gun or not is irrelevant. If a 2.75" shell is called "magnum" it may have higher velocity but it is within normal chamber pressure parameters and is safe to fire in a modern shotgun.

 

As to "Magnum" ammo, it is confusing. The term can be anything from an advertising ploy or a "heavier" charge, be it powder with more energy, or a heavier load of shot.

Some "Magnum" shotshell loads, with heavier shot loads, actually travel slower than the regular standard loads!

To be on the safe side, just don't put anything labeled "Magnum" in any thing but newer, modern guns.

BTW, over length shot shells WILL chamber in shorter chambered guns. (Shot gun chambers are sized in length on the FIRED hull length!) There are claims that doing so, doesn't raise the pressures a great deal, but be on the safe side, use only the length shell that the gun is chambered for!

Clyde

 

BTW, over length shot shells WILL chamber in shorter chambered guns.

Thanks, Clyde, I didn' know that.

 

Charles... What you described is the difference in parts between an 870 Express Magnum and an 870 Police Magnum, which, I agree, is very little - both use the same receiver and are chambered for 3" shells.

Yeah, that's why I used it as an example of a "marketing magnum"... Fundamentally the same gun, but the term "magnum" is applied to give it some big, macho balls for marketing purposes. Like a 12ga shotgun needs ornamental testicles, right?