The Short Ten - How many shooting one?

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

To me the 12 was always a big bore. Damn, now I'm really considering a 10 after I just bought a M12 HD. Does this madness ever end??

Sorry to tell you Daryl the madness never ends, it may go into remission for a periods of time but there is always one more gun out there somewhere you have yet to run across.

BTW having seen what you can do with your 32" Sterly 20ga and 3/4 ounce loads, if you should get a 10 bore the Fox Collectors will have to move the Bo-Whoop competition to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds

[Tom Flanigan]

I believe for some, the technical performance of the ten bore is just one of the reasons for its popularity. For me, the appreciation of the ten bore harkens back to the period in which the vintage guns were built. Before the turn of the century, the ten bore was very popular and in the 1870’s might have been the most popular gauge. When I was a boy growing up, my grandfather regaled me with stories of his old market gunner friend and his prowess on grouse. The man shot a hammer cylinder ten bore for the market. And so the 10 bore always held a fascination for me, from an early age. When components and hulls became readily availability, I jumped in.

I often load black powder for my goose and duck shooting and roll crimp the shells, color the top wad orange, like some of the old ten bore shells, and stamp the size of the shot. Although the cases are plastic, those shells are the closest I can come to the shells that were used before the turn of the century. I savor the boom and the smoke of the black powder and, in a small way, am transported back to the days of old. For me, it is a sublime experience taking game the way it was done long ago and with a fine Parker. I can easily imagine that my ride home will be in a horse drawn buggy. Using a vintage ten bore is one of the great pleasures of my life.

[Mills]

I have snagged 2 Parker 10 gauges this year and came close to 3. Lost count on how many I have

[charlie cleveland]

what tom said is my way of thinking too...shooting a parker 10 and loading my own shells most of the time and with a little imagination i too can change time back over a 100 years or more if need be....charlie

[Tom Hawkins]

The challenge of finding a short ten, putting it right to shoot, finding hulls and reloading with a roll crimper has been enjoyable as well as challenging. It has been much easier with the expertise of members here. I was extremely lucky to land a grade 5 top lever 4 frame. I had passed on the short tens for many years because of different reasons including ammo, weight, and application. It is now my new Parker endeavor and I am looking for the next one. I only wish I would have started sooner.

[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Tom Hawkins

The challenge of finding a short ten, putting it right to shoot, finding hulls and reloading with a roll crimper has been enjoyable as well as challenging. It has been much easier with the expertise of members here. I was extremely lucky to land a grade 5 top lever 4 frame. I had passed on the short tens for many years because of different reasons including ammo, weight, and application. It is now my new Parker endeavor and I am looking for the next one. I only wish I would have started sooner.

You are very fortunate to have found a grade 5 on a 4 frame. That is the holy grail for a lot of us. I am working on a currently purchased 10 bore. It is a run of the mill gun, so to speak, on a 3 frame. It had virtually no remaining finish but it had no turned screws and no large dings in the stock. I am currently finishing the stock and will do the twist barrels next.

Short tens are out there and with a little patience, one will eventually turn up that hasn't been abused or molested. I watch the market closely and will grab any unmolested 10 bore I see, regardless of the grade.

[Jeff Christie]

I probably missed it somewhere in the thread or site. Where can one find Sherman Bell's article on the Short Ten? I have really enjoyed using my EH on geese over the past several seasons. I'm reluctantly considering going down the reloading path.

[Ed Blake]

Tom is right. A grade 5 on a 4-frame would be quite a find. I was lucky enough to find a grade 3 on a 4-frame. Personally, I think tens are undervalued. There some good ones out there.

[Birdawg]

Can anyone recommend a gunsmith near Idaho to check out a 1884 grade 2 10 bore?
The action is tight but there is pitting of course.

[Harry Sanders]

I've got a pretty nice lifter that's a short ten upland gun. It's a great pleasure on preserve pheasants.