Has anyone noticed a difference in hull length? Especially between different makers and over a time. Seems my model 12s like some old Remington ammo that I had, didn’t do too bad with fiocchi but won’t reliably eject some cheddite hulls that I have been using. I’ve done quite a bit of reading on the model 12 itself, while sharing the same receiver as the 20 gauge didn’t have enough room in the ejection window to reliably spit out the cases. Before someone asks neither gun is short chambered. The first of the two I’ve hunted for 30 years without issue then sometime in the last 5-8 years or so I started having issue. Thought there was something wrong with it so I put it up and the second gun I bought does the same.thinking of just trimming the hills a millimeter or two. Anyone have any light to shed on this????

I've read that there is a difference in factory brands for length, don't remember too much as my SxS doesn't have problems with the full length versions. If I remember correctly, the Rem were slightly shorter and would work in the M12s.

If those guns are old enough they might be chambered for the 2& 9/16" shell. Would chamber 2&3/4" OK but might drag on ejection.

I think I saved some of those Remington hills. I’ll measure them and report my findings. Was hoping someone had already crossed this bridge. Do I understand correctly that cheddite and fiocchi are the only makers of new 16 ga hills?

Both are 2 3/4” chambers as marked on the barrels. I measure an empty rem hull and it’s 68 mm and a new cheddite is 69.2 mm.

Remington hulls are shorter than Feds, Win CF’s, Cheddites, and Fiocchi. I reload for short chambered Auto 5’s and when I trim them I don’t take much off the Rems. I’ve read some people run the Remington game loads through short chambered A5’s without jamming.

I haven't run Cheddites or Fiocchis in my Model 12s, but Federal usually don't eject well. I don't have issues with Winchester or Remington.

I have several 16 ga guns and because a few are "vintage" I simply trim all my hulls to use in the 2 1/2" and or 2 9/16" chambers of the older guns. Doing so affords me the option of using my handloads in all of my 16s... newer and older the 2 1/2" shells work in all of my guns. (including a Win Model 12)

Just got done trimming 250 Herter field load hulls (Cheddite) back to 2 9/16 for my old LC SMITH 16 ga Field grade. they were 2.71" to start and 2.5625" trimmed. I figure I'll roll crimp them or do some experimenting on using a Tyvek patch or overshot card to plug the hole in the middle without shortening the overall length of the loaded hull. MB

Try the Hartin crimp with an overshot card.

I too just shorten all my 16's to 2.5. I have a short shell kit on my MEC 600 and star crimp all my target loads. I do roll crimp my Bismuth and ITX loads in blue hulls and roll crimp my NP BB's in a different colored hull for coyote hunting in my drilling.