1886-7 Chamberlin Cartridge Co.

[Dave Noreen]

A friend sent me a photocopy of an 1886-7 Chamberlin Cartridge Co. catalogue. I don't know if this is new information or not, but I thought the special loading of cartridges for Parker Guns might be of interest.

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Note on the bottom of Page 7 it states that "The loads adapted for Parker Guns were formulated by Mr. S.A. Tucker, of Parker Brothers."

On the cover it states that they have the capacity to load 200000 shells daily.

[Jeff Kuss]

Not bad, 300 shells for under $10. Made for Parker guns.

[Dave Noreen]

Yeah, but most folks in 1886-7 didn't make that $10 in two weeks.

[Craig Larter]

Dave: Thanks very much for posting very interesting. I am always amazed by the number of different loadings when factory loaded shells became available. Does anyone know how these factories were set up? I would guess there was very little automation, low paid workings basically hand loading shells at a bench with some very basic tools.

[Dean Romig]

I would guess there was very little automation, low paid workings basically hand loading shells at a bench with some very basic tools.

Such a system would leave considerable room for error. I wonder what their failure rate was... Overcharges? Undercharges?

[George M. Purtill]

Chamberlain Cartridges are quite rare. Chamberlain had other companies load for them I think. These are full boxes loaded by Atlantic which was fully automated.

[charlie cleveland]

thanks for posting this very interesting....charlie

[William Davis]

4 1/4 D 1 1/4 Oz. 10 G think I will load a few for my 1886 Parker, bet it gets my attention

Thanks for posting

William!

[Dave Noreen]

More mechanized than you think.

Inside front cover --

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[Daryl Corona]

Thanks Dave. Great reading.

[Dave Noreen]

Chamberlain had other companies load for them I think.

I think it was probably a bit the other way around. Atlantic Ammunition had Chamberlin machines and loaded "Chamberlin" cartridges for sale in New York area.

Most of these cartridge loading companies were assemblers, getting their NPEs from Winchester, UMC or U.S. Peters Cartridge Co. and Western Cartridge Co. both grew from being assemblers into ammunition manufacturing companies. Many of these other regional assemblers fell by the wayside. Even into the 20th Century, out west here the reports from the big trap shoots show most shooters using shells loaded by local companies, Selby in California being the largest, but Piper & Taft and Hardy Hall in Seattle, Miller Bros. in Tacoma, Honeyman Hardware in Portland, Ware Bros. in Spokane, etc. were well represented.

[Daniel Carter]

It is easy to forget that this period was referred to as the industrial revolution.

[Bill Murphy]

It is interesting that Chamberlain and Tucker recognized that Parker guns were overbored and would perform better with larger diameter wads.

[Craig Larter]

Wow great stuff thanks so much. Craig

[charlie cleveland]

yes good reading....charlie

[Steve Cambria]

WHOAAAAA. So much for primitive, hand-loading techniques. That contraption looks like a precursor to the MEC 9000H, sans the SAE30. I assume it was driven by that serpentine belt over to the right? Foot pedals or AC?? Had no clue reloading tools were that progressive so early on in the game. Very cool stuff (as always) Dave!

[Bill Murphy]

I'd like to tune that baby up and load a couple of thousand AA loads.