Parker 12A Brass Shell

[Jim Kremmel]

I’m a moment of extreme weakness, I bought this Parker Bros shell on eBay. To my surprise, after removing the primer with a punch it looks like this may be Berdan primed. I’ve not seen a primer pocket with three holes, and it’s too big for a large pistol primer. What do I have here?

[Dave Noreen]

Primer styles and technology was evolving in the 1880s.

In the 1880 Union Metallic Cartridge Co. catalog, their brass shotgun shells were offered in three primer versions -- for Berdan or Orcutt in most common sizes 12 cents each, Sturtevant in most common sizes 15 cents each, and Buffington in most common sizes 16 1/2 cents each.

By the 1882 catalog Buffington is gone and there are shells made for the Wesson #2 primer for 10 cents each in most common sizes.

In the 1884 UMC catalog there were four styles of brass shells -- for UMC (Wesson) No. 2; Berdan No. 1 1/2; Sturtevant using breech-loading shell cap and Sturtevant-Berdan using No. 1 1/2 Berdan primer.

From the best I can tell your shell is the Sturtevant style for use with the Breech-Loading Shell Cap.

Perhaps the correct answer is in those notebooks Bill Jolliff is giving away!!

[Dean Romig]

Mills Morrison is in possession of Wilbur Parker's notebook of hand-written cartridge patents applied for with hand colored illustrations. It is incredibly informative!




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[Dave Noreen]

Forget all the above. Check out Volume Two of The Parker Story pages 537 to 548. They only show a couple of shells with the primers out, but one at the bottom corner of page 547 shows the three holes like your shell.

[Dean Romig]

What is that other stamp on the shellhead? "XXUSTY" ??





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[Jim Kremmel]

The shell head reads:

Parker Bro’s
12 A
West Meriden, CT.

It measures 2-1/2”.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Jim - I was actually questioning the 3-hole shell on page 547.





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[CraigThompson]

If that thing is of a Berdan style the easist way to deprime them is with a wooden dowel thats just a tiny bit tight going in the shell mouth . Then put about a third of the hull full of water put the dowel in the hull and wack it with a mallet . The hydraulic tendecy of the water inside will force the primer out or thats what I've always been told .