I am looking to buy a drilling. I have looked at several and most that I have been interested in were 16ga and 8x57 or 7x57R. The probelm has been that the 16ga barrels are chambered 2 1/2 or 2 9/16; not 2 3/4. I am not interested in being limited on 16ga shell availability due to the short chamber. How feasible is it to have the chamber lengthened?

I appreciate any info or advice you have and feel free to PM me if you have one for sell.

Thanks......Larry

If you're running into short chambered guns, you are most likely looking at older (pre-war) drillings for the most part. I don't know how many shotgun shells you intend to shoot with the gun, but there are 2 1/2 or 2 9/16 shells available from several producers...and for little more than
normal 16 ga ammo.

Many older drillings in Germany have been opened up to 70mm and reproofed without a problem. I would guess that the 8mm (both .318 and .323) was more popular in the earlier guns because of the greater energy. The 7x57R develops less MV and ME than even the factory 7x57 because of its use in break action guns.
I would expect a well made early gun could be opened up but let a good smith make the final call.

If you'd rather go with 9,3x74R, 9,3x74R, and 20 ga 3", click on the link below

Beautiful rifle LRH270. However, I already have a Merkel 141E in 9.3x74R. I love the Merkels and wish your drilling was double shotgun over rifle.

JonP, thanks for the info. I have been seriously considering the short 16ga shell option as I have seen some beautiful drillings chambered for the short ammo. I have found the ammo available but what you can get appears to be limited. 8x57R (.318 and .323) is easy to find and I have a lot of 7x57R ammo as my wife shoots a Merkel K1 in that caliber.

Here are a couple of "affordable" options.

Both the wife and I have Sauer 3000 Drillings. Both are in 12x12x30/06. both have scopes in claw mounts.
These drillings handle like a fine shotgun, IMHO.
They are the same "gun" as the Colt Drillings, and the Weatherby Drillings. Most often found in 243 or 30/06.

As Sauer "labeled" guns they can be found in some European calibres as well.

Another choice is the Blaser D99's. They are "new technology" drillings. But they are excellent hunting guns, and you can get them in American rimless calibres as well as European calibres. They have 20ga 3" shotgun barrels. I have found no down side to the 3" 20ga barrels, I have taken several ducks, several turkeys, a lot of other small game and even a deer with 20ga buckshot. They are scary accurate.

You can also get them as Double Rifle Drillings, or as a 2 barrel set, with Drilling bbls and Double Rifle Drilling barrels.

I have nefver had any extraction problems with American rimless calibres in these guns. And I have shot and hunted them a lot.

A 16Ga drilling will generally be most affordable, as there are a lot of them out there. Many of them are in 8X57JR which is easy to find, especially by S&B. Buy RST 65mm shotgun ammo for the gun, then get a MEC loader and load those cases after you fire them. RST uses Cheddite cases so components are easy to find for light loads. I have several drillings. I consider 12GA drillings primarily varmint and turkey guns because of the heavier charges available in 12GA. 16GA drillings are better small game guns with a rifle barrel just in case a deer, bear or coyote shows up. They are lighter and easier to carry. My 12GA Merkel is a postwar gun with a 22 Savage HP rifle barrel. My 16 is a prewar Miller Val Greiss in 16 and 8X57JR with a 22 Magnum insert barrel.

I've never had a problem using moderate loads of 2 3/4" 16ga ammo in my 65mm chambered guns. One "fix" I use is my long forcing cone reamer for 16ga chambers. I've never had any pressure issues, BUT don't expect to feed the older guns heavy or magnum loads of any type. They were made for field loads and not our powerful modern loadings.

As to re-chambering to 2 3/4" chambers...that is a 50% possibility, IMO from 52 years of dealing with the three-eyed beasts. The pre-war guns were built as light as practical and are not overly strong, accordingly. They do have a certain grace and feel not found in the guns after about the late 1950s.

Also, remember to grease the hinge bearing surfaces with a good white grease or similar.

I have never felt under-gunned with 1 oz loads on top and 8X57JR in the bottom tube.

The first drilling I bought was one of the Sauer 3000,s in 12x12x30/06. It had a 4X Kahles scope in claw mounts.

It was actually for my wife to hunt with.

I have always opted to maybe pay a little more, to get a Drilling in 12 or 20ga, and American rifle calibres, except for the 9,3x74R, as it makes finding ammo so much easier.

I have not had any problems with rimless ammo in my drillings.

Also, the wife and I have shot a bunch of ducks over the years with our Drillings.
We use Bismuth shot and have had no problems.

It kills a lot better than steel shot, IMHO.

N E 450 No2 is sure nuff right about the 12 ga 30-06 Sauer drillings, Mine is a super great shooter and I could'nt see myself letting it go,(unless you payed me enough to buy that 9.3x73 Merkel of LRH270's) I really like that gun just don't have the cash right now.

Of the drillings availble nowdays here in the states I really like the Merkels. I really like the feel of them in my hands and I'm sure there is a wide range of choices of caliber.