New 12 GA DHE

[James Deemer]

I just bought my 1st Parker shotgun, it's a 12 ga. DHE grade. I joined the Parker club and just received my letter on my gun. The letter states it was made in 1935 and it has 2-5/8" chambers. Question is, do you only shoot
2-5/8" shells ? or will it bee ok to shoot 2-3/4" target loads ? I've heard the gun will pattern better with the 2-5/8" shells ........................

[Reggie Bishop]

You should be able to shoot low pressure 2 3/4" shells in your DHE without any issues.

[edgarspencer]

Guns with 2 5/8" Chambers were intended to shoot 2 3/4" shells.

[Reggie Bishop]

Guns with 2 5/8" Chambers were intended to shoot 2 3/4" shells.

Edgar I was trying to be kind................

[Dave Noreen]

No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may or may not be safe in a given gun.

The Remington era Parker specification sheets shown on pages 164 to 169 of The Parker Story clearly state 2 5/8 inch chambers intended for 2 3/4 inch shells. In theory, a 1935 vintage gun was made well after SAAMI specs for ammunition came into effect and your Parker should handle any commercial 2 3/4 inch lead loads. Whether the 86 year old wood is up to it is a whole different issue. Any of these guns that saw use in the 1920s to 80s probably digested plenty of Western Super-X, Peters High Velocity, Remington Heavy Duck Loads (later Nitro Express) or Winchester Super-Speed shells. These were the popular shells when your gun was made --

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[edgarspencer]

Edgar I was trying to be kind................

I think you're doin a helluva job, Reggie.

[Dean Romig]

I have a 1898 DH 12 on the 2-frame with 2 9/16" chambers in the original Titanic Steel barrels and I've shot all kinds of off-the-shelf 2 3/4" ammo (NOT magnum) in it with never a problem. Some kick harder than others though and some folks advise to shoot low-recoil loads because of the age of the wood.





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[Randy G Roberts]

James the first order of business is to determine if your barrels are safe to shoot any type of ammunition. You need to have the wall thickness measurements taken by someone who is qualified. Once you determine the integrity of your barrels then you can more appropriately decide what your gun is capable of handling. At the end of the day I always favor low pressure loads personally no matter how they measure but that's just me.

[James Deemer]

Guns with 2 5/8" Chambers were intended to shoot 2 3/4" shells.

Well I guess I learned something today, I have several vintage SxS of this time period of all makes & models and they have either 2-3/4" or 3" chambers stamped on the barrel or the water table.

[Dean Romig]

James, do you think those stamps are original or might they have been stamped by a smith who lengthened the chambers? No offense intended, just asking...

And which of your vintage SXS's are stamped that way, if you don't mind?





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[Dave Noreen]

The SAAMI meeting where it was suggested that manufacturers begin marking the chamber length on there guns was in 1937. Savage began stating 2 3/4 inch chambers in their 1938 A.H. Fox catalogs and marking the guns like this by 1939 were marking the guns like this --

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Remington got around to it by about 1940 --

1935 Sportsman --

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1940 --

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December 1940 Parker --

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[James Deemer]

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;336261]James, do you think those stamps are original or might they have been stamped by a smith who lengthened the chambers? No offense intended, just asking...

And which of your vintage SXS's are stamped that way, if you don't mind?





.[/QUOTE

I know all the ones on my LC Smith's are original, that is the ones that are stamped. The LC Smith's that are not stamped are 2-9/16" chambers. I'll have to check the AH Fox guns I have and some of the other SxS's in the safe.

[Bruce Hering]

I have a 1898 DH 12 on the 2-frame with 2 9/16" chambers in the original Titanic Steel barrels and I've shot all kinds of off-the-shelf 2 3/4" ammo (NOT magnum) in it with never a problem. Some kick harder than others though and some folks advise to shoot low-recoil loads because of the age of the wood..

Dean: Just as a note... I have had some experience shooting 2 3/4" ammo out of a 2 9/16 chambered 16 ga Euro gun. the 2 3/4 loads kicked noticeably more then the shorter shells. This was caused by the forcing cones being bored for the short shells not being able to allow the entire crimp on the shell to open completely. You might notice on the 2 3/4 ammo that the very front of the fired shell is somewhat "frayed". I now shoot nothing but 2.5" out of that and other short chambered guns. I dont know what shooting the longer shells does to pressures but I do know they kick noticeably more.

JMHO

[Dean Romig]

Right Bruce, they do kick a bit more and I would probably say the cone ends of the plastic shells are more pinched.

I have read however, that the increase in chamber pressure amounts to something like 100 psi and IMO that’s a negligible increase and in the realm of chamber pressures of from 5,000 to 8,000 in these old guns I’m not especially concerned when it comes to this stout DH.

But that’s just me. By no means am I suggesting others do the same.



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[edgarspencer]

I have a 1898 DH 12 on the 2-frame with 2 9/16" chambers in the original Titanic Steel barrels and I've shot all kinds of off-the-shelf 2 3/4" ammo (NOT magnum) in it with never a problem. Some kick harder than others though and some folks advise to shoot low-recoil loads because of the age of the wood.
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Do you think the 2 9/16” chamber was for 2 5/8” shells?

[Dean Romig]

Do you think the 2 9/16” chamber was for 2 5/8” shells?

Could be. Did they make a 2 5/8” shell in 1898?





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[Dave Noreen]

In the early days, the 2 5/8 inch paper case was the "standard" 12-gauge shell. The 12-gauge 2 5/8 inch shell could be had with loads up to 3 1/4 drams of bulk smokeless powder pushing 1 1/4 ounce of shot. Circa 1907 all of our U.S. ammunition companies dropped 1 1/4 ounce loads from the 2 5/8 inch 12-gauge shells. From then on one had to go to 2 3/4 inch or longer 12-gauge shells for 1 1/4 ounce loads. The Remington Autoloading Shotgun, the Remington Repeating Shotgun, the Winchester Model 1897 and the J. Stevens Model 520 pump were all made for 2 3/4 inch 12-gauge shells. Our U.S. ammunition companies continued to offer 1 and 1 1/8 ounce 12-gauge shells in the 2 5/8 inch case up to WW-II --

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In that the 2 5/8 inch shell was considered "standard" most boxes up to the later 1930s don't have the length given on them. If they were for the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8 or 3-inch they are so marked. Same with the 2 9/16 inch 16-gauge and the 2 1/2 inch 20-gauge, no length marked on the box?!?

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