Steel Shot Specials

[Wild Skies]

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.

[esetter - Gerry Addison]

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.

[John Allen]

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

[Wild Skies]

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.

[Herb Hewlett]

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?

[MD*GSP]

Originally Posted by Herb Hewlett

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.

[Wild Skies]

Originally Posted by Herb Hewlett

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?

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.

[John Safranek]

Originally Posted by Greg Baehman

This should be easy . . . Has anyone seen or know of a bona fide Steel Shot Special with a serial number higher than 12SS-00350? If so, what is that gun's serial number and can you verify it with pics?

I do. I recently acquired a SSS 2 bbl set, 28” bbl’s, 2 forearms, IC/M & F/F, 2 triggers. It’s SN is SS 39X and was special ordered from Jack Skuse. I’ll get you a picture soon… cant figure out how to load a picture.

[John Safranek]

I was wrong…it’s SS 296.

[Chris T.]

I've never seen a reproduction with Full/Full chokes, that's a really nice combo.