Availability of 12 Ga Aquila Mini or Federal Shorty 1 3/4" shotshells

**Katlagter** · 01-11-2023, 21:47

Are 12 bore 1 3/4" shotshells ((Aquila Mini or Federal Shorty) available anywhere in South Africa? I'd like to experiment using them in my Beretta A300, as it should increase it's capacity from three shells to five or six. I had no luck finding any on Google

**oafpatroll** · 01-11-2023, 22:42

I haven't ever seen any but have experimented with buck and slug shorty handloads in my Mossberg semi auto with success. They depend on not using modern wads which have lots of crush space built in. Can't remember exactly how short I got 9 pellet 00 and slug with pin board fibre wads but it was surprising.

**Vaal** · 01-11-2023, 22:59

Originally Posted by Katlagter

Are 12 bore 1 3/4" shotshells ((Aquila Mini or Federal Shorty) available anywhere in South Africa? I'd like to experiment using them in my Beretta A300, as it should increase it's capacity from three shells to five or six. I had no luck finding any on Google

My Fabarms SAT8 wants to put two 65mm rounds in the lifter, but with 67mm rds it works perfect.

As a test you can make a couple of dummy rounds by using a empty case and put n tight fitting wooden dowel in it and cut them shorter. Then you can see cheaply, if its going to work. But it will not see if the gun can cycle.

**Katlagter** · 02-11-2023, 20:40

Than you Oafpatrol and Vaal. I'll have a look at reloading, although I've never reloaded shotgun shells. With the price of shotshells maybe should consider reloading in general. Looking on the internet I see very little shotgun reloading components. Where are fible wads, no. 7 shot, slugs, etc. available? I have MS200, would that do? I see on the internet it's possible to reload shotgun shells with minimal equipment

**oafpatroll** · 02-11-2023, 21:04

Originally Posted by Katlagter

Than you Oafpatrol and Vaal. I'll have a look at reloading, although I've never reloaded shotgun shells. With the price of shotshells maybe should consider reloading in general. Looking on the internet I see very little shotgun reloading components. Where are fible wads, no. 7 shot, slugs, etc. available? I have MS200, would that do? I see on the internet it's possible to reload shotgun shells with minimal equipment

I make the fibre wads with a ghetto grade homemade hollow punch that I filed from a conical steel furniture leg till it made the right size discs from a pin board I picked up on a job site years ago.

Standard plastic wads are available in three weights directly from Jannock in Roodepoort and can be used to make diy gas seals and 'pistons' with the use of a tube jig if you want to try and replicate special american stuff.

Shotgun primers have been freely available in the past but i haven't kept track of whether they still are and i assume they are an awful lot more expensive than they were. Advanced Shooting Supplies has a fairly extensive range of shotgun reloading stuff available including shot in various sizes as well as some slugs.

MS was my go to before somchem shat the bed and i had excellent results with it in pigeon, buck, slug and seriously hot slug loads. I had them test a range of buck and slug loads that i had developed and they all came back within sane pressure levels with MS.

It is entirely possible to reload shot shells with no commercial tools at all when using shells fired in your own gun but if you are doing more than a few something like a Lee Load All will do you very well and make it less of a ball ache for a grand or so second hand and allow you to resize range pickup cases. I recently put mine into reserve after upgrading to a bargain windfall MEC press and it served me extremely well. I certainly wouldn't feel handicapped if i need to return to using it.

For slug and buck loads I like roll crimps rather than star so i can see what the payload is without having to bugger about with labeling and ASP has a lekker drill mounted roll crimper and super bargain 3D printed hull trimmer for that.

**A-R** · 02-11-2023, 21:16

Hi Katlagter.

I doubt that you will find the short shells in SA. My suggestion would be to load your own.
I have experimented a bit with shorter loads in various configurations. Some shotguns feed them, others not. You will have to make a few with different lengths and see what your A300 likes.
My friend Pieter at Roscoe Tactical in Krugersdorp (0723280839) manufactures a nifty little adjustable hull cutter, that cuts a plastic 12 bore hull neatly and accurately to the length that you set it to.
With the shorter hull, you will usually not be able to use the normal star crimp tool in a typical reloading press, since the hull will be too short to reach it. This means you will need to roll crimp it. Pieter makes a roll crimper too. It works best in a drill press, but if you have a steady hand, a slow-turning (adjustable speed) hand drill can also work.
To get the whole cartridge shorter, you will need to use a shorter wad. Cutting out the collapsible "shock absorber" between the powder and shot cup is one way of doing this. Keep in mind that this will increase your peak pressure, so consider changing to a slower powder for these loads.

Hope this works. I would like to see your 6+1 A300 in action.

**Katlagter** · 02-11-2023, 21:28

Originally Posted by oafpatroll

I make the fibre wads with a ghetto grade homemade hollow punch that I filed from a conical steel furniture leg till it made the right size discs from a pin board I picked up on a job site years ago. ...

Thanks for the info; I'll see whether I can get something going. I'm been reloading handgun and rifle cartridges for more than fifty years, this will be a new adventure :)

**oafpatroll** · 02-11-2023, 21:39

Originally Posted by Katlagter

Thanks for the info; I'll see whether I can get something going. I'm been reloading handgun and rifle cartridges for more than fifty years, this will be a new adventure :)

Pleasure. I have found shotshell reloading to be quite forgiving. The stuff I sent to Somchem for testing covered a lot of ground and only at the very high end of stupid and unproductive velocities did they get into above spec pressures. That's not to advocate for imprudence of course.

**Katlagter** · 02-11-2023, 21:41

Originally Posted by A-R

Hi Katlagter.

I doubt that you will find the short shells in SA. My suggestion would be to load your own.
I have experimented a bit with shorter loads in various configurations. Some shotguns feed them, others not. You will have to make a few with different lengths and see what your A300 likes.

Thanks A-R. I hoped you would enter the discussion; as usual I can trust on your encyclopaedic knowledge on shooting matters!

**BBCT** · 02-11-2023, 22:34

Short shells have been available here in the past. The SA designed MAG-7 shotgun used shells about 60mm long and the ammo certainly was available but it isn't exactly something you'd get on the shelf at your LGS now. Maybe some gunshop somewhere has old stock that they don't bother to advertise?

I also have a shell with a Swartklip headstamp in my collection measuring 30mm in length but I suspect it is a blank of some sort or maybe an engine starter as it is too light to have any shot in it.