The Central Wisconsin Skeet League, in which I participate, schedules a 5-Man Team event once per year. About 3 or 4 years ago we fielded a team of shooters all shooting 12-ga. Repros. I was shooting a Sporting Clays Classic model and the other four shooters were shooting their DHE Repros -- all with 28" bbls., 3" chambers, factory choked IC/M, SG, SPL & DT -- none had the SS stamps.

They may be scarce, but they seem plentiful around here.

I believe I read somewhere that the SSS guns had chokes that were longer than the normal chokes. Anyone else remember reading that? May have been in one of the sales brochures. Said it made the steel shot pattern better I believe.

To my knowledge the choke length was standard.The constriction was where the difference was.

Gerry, I also recall reading (on this forum and maybe elsewhere) that the geometry was a little different with the SSS guns than the non-SSS marked guns. (See Scot's comments regarding choke geometry on pg. 3 of this thread: http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22914 )

John, take a look at what you wrote on pg. 4 regarding the choke geometry in the above referenced thread.

How would a laymen know if he has an unmarked 12 ga ss?Is any 28"brl.,3" chambered repro a steel shot? If so are the values higher?

28" barrels choked IC/MOD would be akin to a Steel Shot Spec, Herb. Now of course that doesn't take into account that the geometry of the chokes between a D-grade and a SSS may very well be different..mine are.

Is your gun factory choked IC/M or M/F?

If IC/M, you can say "it's just like a SSS, but it doesn't have the SS stamps, lacks the chrome lined choke area, nor does it have the same choke geometry of a bonafide SSS". If M/F, then it's a standard DHE.

IMHO, a bonafide SSS with the SS stamps, chrome lined choke area and choke geometry will command a premium over a standard DHE version.