The Rise & Fall of Gauges

From our March/April 2026 Issue

Shotgunning, like rifle or pistol shooting, involves a multiplicity of ammunition sizes that in turn match a multiplicity of internal chamber and barrel diameters. In the US and most of the world the variations in diameters of shotshell ammunition and barrel diameters are called “gauges.” The British call these same shotgunning phenomena “bores.”

What is interesting and undeniable is that over time the popularity, sales and usage of the various gauges, especially for hunting purposes, have been evolving. An example is the mighty 10 gauge. At one time, especially during the 1800s and very early 1900s, the 10 was king for all forms of bird hunting. The most common loading was 1 1⁄4 ounces of lead shot in 2 7⁄8" shells. It’s hard to imagine 19th Century upland hunters tromping about for forest and prairie grouse (and later that century pheasants) lugging 10- to 12-pound doubles, but they did. The 10 gauge hung on still longer as king for waterfowl hunting. This was probably due principally to the fact that most typical waterfowl shots are longer, justifying larger shotshells to hold larger pellets; plus waterfowling is done principally from blinds where shotguns can be propped up or laid safely on the ground. This eliminates having to walk, carry and hold the guns most of the day.

But as Bob Dylan sang, “The times they are a-changin’.” In 1873 when the 12 gauge was invented by the American Christopher Spencer, it was so quickly adopted for both military and hunting purposes that the days for the big 10 being the most popular gauge became quickly numbered. In fact, today the 12 remains the most popular shotgun gauge ever and enjoys the great majority of sales for hunting, clay target shooting and military and home-defense purposes. The same is true of 12-gauge shotshell ammunition, which today is available in 2", 2 1⁄2", 2 3⁄4", 3" and 3 1⁄2" loadings. Of these, 2 3⁄4" 12-gauge shells remain king for all purposes combined. For hunting purposes, 3" 12s are a close second, especially where nontoxic shot is required.

Because they were significantly lighter (weighing 7 1⁄2 to 8 pounds) with concomitant smaller frames than 10s, 12-gauge guns quickly took over the lion’s share of upland hunting and a little later waterfowling duties. In fact, by 1940 the 12 gauge accounted for more than 75% of all shotguns and shotshells sold for bird hunting of any kind. And by 1960 the 12 accounted for more than 80% of all shotshells handloaded.

But near the end of the 19th Century things were in flux gauge-wise. coming on was 16-gauge ammunition, invented and patented by Thomas L. Sturtevant in 1866 in what is now known as the UK. In 1889 Parker Bros. built sme of the first—if not the first—16-gauge shotguns, with Browning following in 1909. The most famous early purchaser was William Harnden Foster of Eastern US ruffed grouse hunting and book-writing fame. And because the 16 was built on a lighter frame than the 12 and tended to weigh less than 7 1⁄2 pounds, it initially was used primarily for forest-grouse and woodcock hunting, where again lots of walking and gun carrying were involved. The 16 also became popular, of course, for pheasant and prairie grouse hunting as well as for quail.

This continued through the mid-20th Century, when there were plenty of forest grouse. But the degeneration of—and in the West clear-cutting of—much of the forested acreage in the US and the shift in wildlife-management focus to increasing white-tailed deer numbers and introducing and proliferating wild turkeys have contributed to a decline in forest grouse and woodcock populations. Today the most hunting licenses soldin the US are not for bird hunting but rather for whitetailed deer hunting, with turkey hunting a close second.

As time marched on another gauge, even lighter and trimmer than the 16, entered the American bird hunting scene. I’m speaking, of course, about the 20. The 20 gauge’s origin is shrouded in the fog of time as to when and where it was invented, but general agreement says it was developed in England or France in the early 19th Century. The 20 languished in obscurity for more than a century before being “discovered” around World War II and pushed to the forefront of usage by American upland hunters. By the 1970s the 20 had risen to eclipse the 16 as the second-most popular gauge in the US, and it remains so today. The reason once again was gun-weight reduction, with 20s typically coming in at between 6 1⁄2 and 7 pounds. This was achieved with smaller frames in autoloaders, pumps and doubles. Shotshells for the 20 were available in 2 1⁄2" and 2 3⁄4" lengths with lead-shot payloads up to 1 1⁄8 ounce. This was plenty for all upland birds taken at less than 40 yards.

The final downfall of the 16’s popularity in the US came in 1954 with Winchester’s introduction of the Model 21 side-by-side chambered for the 3" 20-gauge Super-X Magnum shell, manufactured by Western Cartridge the same year. The Super-X Magnum held a whopping 1 1⁄4 ounces of lead shot—fully the equivalent of the 16’s heaviest charge and the 12’s most popular hunting loads—but could be shot in still-lighter 20-gauge guns. Since then the 16 has continued to shrink in popularity, and today 16s are the second-lowest-selling shotguns and shotshells in the US.

This brings us to the little .410, which is actually a caliber, and if it were a gauge, would be the 67 1⁄2 gauge. Another size of shotshell invented in the US in the late 19th Century, the .410 was originally available only in 2 1⁄2" shells. The 2 1⁄2" .410 has always been principally fired at clay targets. But in 1933 Winchester introduced the Model 42-pump chambered for 3" .410 shells. Both exploded in popularity for hunting small birds like quail and doves as well as squirrels and rabbits and for pest management and even self-defense.

Today the growth gauge is the 28. Invented in England in 1857, the 28 languished until 1903, when Parker Bros. introduced a side-by-side for it in the US. This quickly catapulted the 28 into popularity for grouse, woodcock, quail and dove hunting. Later it was adopted as one of the gauges to be shot in American Skeet. As a result, over time many more 28-gauge skeet loads have sold than hunting loads. In the US 28-gauge shells have been largely available only in 2 3⁄4" lengths. Recent 7⁄8- and 1-oz lead-shot charges have lifted the 28 into greater usage for upland hunting—even for pheasants. Many prefer to shoot the heavier 28-gauge ammo in shotguns with 20-gauge frames.

Of late, the introduction of the 3" 28 has been an attempt to increase the gauge‘s hunting utility (by creating more room for bulky nontoxic wads and shot charges) and appeal to those attracted to novel gauges and shell lengths. I can’t say, however, that a lot of 3" 28-gauge shells have been sold. Nevertheless, in the past 10 years the 8 in the US has grown exponentially and now sells more shells than either the 16, the 2 1⁄2" .410 or the 10.

All in all, the long-term shotgunning-gauge trend has been a switch to smaller gauges using lighter guns and loads. These guns and loads offer lower recoil and less muzzle-blast noise—both excellent aides to successful and enjoyable shooting, especially for new, young and aging shooters.