SN 35114

[Jason Boshers]

Thought I would post some pictures of this gal. She is a 12 ga twist barrel. Recently passed down to me from my dad. He bought it from the daughter of the original owner in 1958. Survived a house fire in 1966 and was reworked then. I mailed the paperwork for a Research Letter today.
Barrels have some pitting. The last he shot it was back in the 70's. I have been shooting a V Grade 16 for a little while and I would like to shoot this gun. Got a friend who is a gunsmith and he is going to check it out next week and if he gives a nod it will be shot. I already shot light loads in skeet and trap but do not know about black powder.
Pictures did not turn out well as I had to take them inside. When the weather gets a little better I will take her outside to photograph.

[Eric Eis]

If your gunsmith gives it a thumbs up you can shoot RST's through it which are low pressure smokeless loads, lot easier to clean up

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Eric has it right there, RST makes the best shells of this type anywhere.

www.rstshells.com


Destry

[Jason Boshers]

I have read a bunch of good things about RST shells in the forums and in Parker Pages.

Any idea what pressures the Twist barrels can handle if they are okay to shoot?

[Harry Collins]

Jason,

I shoot an 1881 lifter Parker 12 gauge on a #2 frame with Twist barrels. I started shooting reloads at around 5100 psi and below. At the Southern a few years ago I shot factory 2 3/4" Winchester AA XTRA LITE 1 oz loads. In the reloading manual they are about 7200 psi and someone said the factory loads are around 8000 psi. I have more Winchester WST powder than IMR 7625 at the moment and am shooting the 1 oz loads at 7200 psi. I will shoot 100 plus rounds a week through that old lifter. If I could afford factory loads I would shoot RST's 2 1/2" shells. I still have a few and save them for special occasions. RST's are better than anything I can make at home.

Harry

[Jason Boshers]

I have not been to the Southern and I am planning on going this year. I hope to try some RST's then. If I get the okay to shoot the gun, I will work up some light loads using Promo or Solo. I have a skeet load using Promo that is less than 6000 psi.
Gonna be fun to play with this old gal.

[Eric Eis]

Jason, when you say Promo loads I hope you are not talking about promo loads like Game Loads etc that you buy cheap at Walmart, Kmart etc because those loads are Hot over 10,000 psi since they have to be able to work in any gun. So stay far far away from those:shock:

[Jason Boshers]

No I am not talking about those horrible things. Promo is a powder put out by Alliant. Very similar burn characteristics as Red Dot but denser, using a MEC 9000G reloader is takes a bushing two sizes smaller to drop the same grains. Alliant calls for it to be used in 12 ga only. Ordering through the gun club I am in, I can get an 8 lb keg for $80. I use it for skeet and trap. Cleans up easier than Red Dot.

[Eric Eis]

Ok just wanted to clarify that... so any newbies reading this would think they could use Wally loads in their guns....

[Chuck Bishop]

Promo is a good powder at a good price. You must mix the jug before use and weigh your powder drop especially when changing jugs. It varies quite a bit from jug to jug and lot to lot.

[Jason Boshers]

Promo is a good powder at a good price. You must mix the jug before use and weigh your powder drop especially when changing jugs. It varies quite a bit from jug to jug and lot to lot.

Very true. It is a good bargain powder but it does vary. I do shake the jug before each time I fill the bottle.

[Jason Boshers]

Finally got the nod from a gunsmith so I took her out yesterday afternoon and she shot like a beauty. The Parker Letter said she started out with 30" barrels and full/full. The barrels had been cut off to 27" before my dad got her. The chokes are now cyl/cyl and I think it will be a good skeet gun.
She worked like a champ and was a ball to shoot.