Remington model 11 .16 gauge, what to do with it

[RobertD]

I was given the gun mentioned above by my father, who had somebody give it to him. It came with a couple of (25 rd) boxes of slugs (paper hull shells). I was thrilled with it and wanted to do a little dove or quail hunting with it, as I had never owned or shot an A5 style shotgun.

Here's the conundrum. It is apparently a 2-5/8 gun, instead of the more common 2-3/4. I know you can order 2-5/8 shells from vendors across the country, but they're pretty expensive. Does anybody know if the barrel could be bored to the correct length and a little taken out of the receiver to be able to shoot 2-3/4 loads?

The gun doesn't have a lot of collector value, and I hate to own something that isn't useful. I'd rather spend a couple hundred $ on gun smithing and end up with something useable as opposed to the safe queen I have now.

Any suggestions on where to start?

 

[Burnt Drag]

clarification

Robert, Welcome to the forum!

I would check with Rick Rankin or "oneshot" on here. The chamber can definitly be bored to accept the 2 3/4" shell, the question needing an answer : Does the
action cycle far enough to the rear to eject the spent shell. You can answer that yourself by chambering a spent 2 3/4" shell and snatching the bolt rearward. If the
spent shell ejects without hanging, you're in business.

 

[Burnt Drag]

BTW, Scott outdoors in Jay, or Campbell's hardware in Foley will both have 16ga shells.

 

[FrankT]

Welcome!

It will make a great wall hanger, no one locally will have the 2 5/8 shells i don't believe and the 16ga is just about done for, never inexpensive to shoot. Check w Remington and see if they have a replacement barrel or if the receiver will handle the 2 3/4 shells if the barrel could.

 

[CCHGN]

Just a side note, John D. Pedersen, who designed the R51, 9mm( on another thread) and worked for Remington, also designed the model 11( actually, the model 10, 11, 12 , 14, 17 and 25). The mod.17( 20ga.) was made into the Remington mod. 31, Browning BPS and Ithaca 37. He was issued 69 patents. I'd be happy with one.

 

[CCHGN]

Btw, I agree, with Burnt Drag's suggestion. You're only talking 1/8", try the spent shell and report back.

 

[RobertD]

Thanks for all the replies. I will try some 2-3/4 and see if it ejects them.

 

[16gauge]

There is a spacer that goes between the barrel and receiver to lengthen to 2-3/4". You will see it on some of the older guns at gun shows.

 

[oneshot]

Do not shoot the 2 3/4 shell in it the shell will open up in the chamber that is not reamed for ,it this will cause high pressure. could cause the barrel to burst, and work the barrel to hard, do I need to keep going, In the past we would ream the chamber to 2 3/4 then had to advance the barrel and move the ejecter back. This just part of it. Model 11 parts have become hard to find .. The best thing to do is try and find some shell or reload for it. or put it on the wall. Just my 80 cents jj