Parker Recommended Hammer Gun Loads
 

Here is Parker's recommended load chart. While powder is black powder equivalents can be determined through drams equivalent DRE. These are stout loads. A person may choose to use less powerful loads however the guns were built for stout loads.

Got a date for this chart?

It's from the catalog of the transition between lifter and top action models. What was the catalog date. About 1881?

Bruce and Dave that is exact text as seen in the 1882 catalog.

It makes my shoulder hurt just looking at those 8ga load.

7 drams of black powder in a 8 ga would betough on the shoulder for sure and don t you guess it would make a lot of smoke...i have fired 57 grains of bluedot with a 2 1/2 ounce load in a 8 ga its a stiff load for sure but i m sure 7 drams of black would be stiffer...charlie

While the Parker Gun was made for heavy loads, Parker also published lighter loads for its hammer shot guns. Note the following recommendation of 1 oz and 2 1/2 drams as a "fair charge" for birds with a 12ga .

Parker collectors are fortunate that we have so many documents from Parker for maximum service loads and lighter loads in both hammer and hammerless guns . It is part of basic Parker knowledge for enthusiasts. So when a person asks what he can shoot, a definitive answer can be given by those who know their Parkers, based of course on design specifications.

2 1/2 Drams 1 oz is a favorite load for Clays in my Parker Lifter.

William Davis

Wow those are serious BP loads! I load about 110 grains of BP in #6 frame 10's, one hammer and one hammerless with about 1.25 oz of shot in full length short brass. I'm not sure what difference the hammers make or the barrel length. My barrels are 34 and 36.
5.50 drams is about what I put in my beer can mortar!
I need to load more powder.

Black Powder Pressures:
3 dram / 82 grains 1 1/8 oz. (1200 fps) is about 5000 psi.
3 3/4 dram GOEX FFFg with 1 1/4 oz. (1240 fps) is about 6000 psi.
4 drams of FFF (about 108 gr) with 1 1/8 oz. (1420 fps) is about 7000 psi.

From
“Powder Pressures At Different Parts of the Gunbarrel, 1895” p. 32
http://books.google.com/books?id=inQ...essure&f=false
(scroll down and click on p. 31)
1855-1925 British Definitive proof for 2 1/2" and 2 5/8" 12g shells - 6 1/2 Drams BP with 1 2/3 oz. No. 6 shot = 4 1/2 Long Tons or about 14,000 psi by LUP or about 15,000 psi by modern piezo transducers.

1925-1954 British Definitive Proof for 2 3/4" 12g shells - 7 1/2 Drams FFFg with 2 oz. shot. Mean pressure to be developed by the proof load was 7.1 tons LUP / 15,900 psi with a maximum of 7.8 tons / 17,500 psi.