 .410 bore, commonly misnamed the .410 gauge, is the smallest gauge of shotgun shell commonly available. it has similar base dimensions to the .45 colt revolver cartridge, though the .410 is significantly longer, up to , allowing many single-shot firearms and some revolvers chambered in that caliber to fire shot without any modifications. ==origin== lancasters pattern centrefire and pinfire .410 shot cartridges first appear in eley brothers ltd. advertising flysheets in 1857. by 1874 eleys were advertising modern centrefire .410 cartridges.eley cartridges by cw harding (2006)it appears to have become popular around 1900, although it was recommended as "suited to the requirements of naturalists, and for such weapons as walking-stick guns", presumably for self-defense, in 1892 by w. w. greener. the first ammunition was two inches (50.8&nbsp;mm) long, compared with the modern 2.5 and  sizes. ==uses== as the smallest of traditional shotgun sizes, .410 bore guns throw the least weight of shot, but are very easy to handle. this results in a very low recoil, so the .410 is often chosen for young shooters, who might have problems with a heavier recoiling shotgun. some shooters, however, discourage the use of the .410 as an introduction for young shooters, both because the negligible recoil does not familiarize the beginners with the heavier recoil of larger cartridges such as the 12 gauge, and because of the difficulty in hitting moving targets with the small charge of shot used by the .410. others believe starting young/new/small shooters with large recoiling guns will cause a habit of flinch
Shotgun_shells