Posted by SGT on September 12, 2008, 9:22 am, in reply to "3" chambers"
Standard factory 12-bore chambers were 2 3/4"; but a customer could specify shorter or longer chambers on special request. No records exist that provide that sort of information; so who knows if what you have is original or aftermarket. I personally have had several Smith 12-bores in which I lengthened the chambers to 3" to remove forcing cones, and know of many other guns that have also been modified to include guns with Damascus barrels; so it is impossible to know on the early Smith guns if those chambers are factory original. On post-1913 guns with 3" chambers the factory stamped the barrel flats to indicate those longer chambers (see previous post on that topic).