Variances in chokes?

[Austin W Hogan]

I remember several brief passages about methods of patterning including one which implied the old board had been replaced with a new 24 inch board. I would probably spend a week turning pages to reconstruct this.
The conclusion I have drawn is that the barrel department had a grid which was used to pattern. It was probably coated with whitewash between shots. The number of pellets in a sector were counted or estimated, and multiplied by a number to state a pattern.
Returning to the original question; has anyone found any pre 1920 cases?

Best, Austin

[Austin W Hogan]

A 24 x 24 square has 81% of the area of a 30 inch circle; the corners extend outside of the circle, and there are four little crescents of the circle that are outside the rectangle.

Dividing the 24 x 24 square into 16 6 x 6 squares would allow 1 square to be counted and multiplied by 19.6 to get the number of shot in a 30 inch circle.

Dividing the 24 x24 square into 6 8x8 squares would allow 1 square to be counted and multiplied by 11 to get the number in a 30 inch circle.

Applying random error statistics shows that a number of targets equal to the multiplier would need to be counted to differentiate the difference between the sample and the full 30 inch circle.

I am sure King figured this out quite quickly.

Best, Austin

[Bill Murphy]

Dean, to answer your question and clarify my point, "I don't think the patterning was random, I just feel that to know exactly what was used in the patterning, we have to read the stock book entry or have access to the hang tag." The range and diameter of the target probably remained the same for long periods of time. The load weight and shot size changed with the wind. I have seen stock book entries for #8, #7, #7 1/2, and all manner of charge weights. To know when changes were made, we would have to look at the book or the card. When the order book entry calls for a gun to pattern well with #4 bird shot or 00 Buck, I assume the stock book entry just may show test patterning with #4 bird shot or 00 Buck. I have some serial numbers of guns ordered to shoot buckshot. It would be interesting to read the stock book entries on those guns to see whether test patterning was done with buckshot. Unfortunately, as Mark and I have explained in the past, much patterning information is cut off the right end of the stock book copies because of the limitations of the copying equipment used by Commander Gunther when he copied the stock books. Page 866 of TPS shows an example of "loads changing with the wind" in the stock books. In a page of 12 gauge guns being patterned with 1 1/4 ounce loads of #7 1/2 shot, serial number 226,232 shows up being patterned with 1 1/8 ounces of #7 1/2 shot. Why? Who knows? But it is there for all of us to see (with a magnifier in my case). I have seen the same thing in the many Model 21 Winchester build sheets I have in my collection. The shells that are used to pattern these guns are all over the map. They used what they had, within the confines of what was proper for the gun. It tickles me to see the loads that they used to test 7 1/2 pound Model 21s with 3" chambers. They often used loads I would not even think to shoot in a 7 1/2 pound gun, but every day was a different day and the test loads changed with the wind just like they did at Parker Brothers.