Parker 410 Question

[Russ Jackson]

Okay Guys ,as long as I have been chasing Parker Shotguns I probably should know the answer to this but I Do Not so here it is ! Did Parker ever make a 410 with 2 1/2" Chambers and if so does anyone know what year the 3" Chambering came to be ? Thank You ! :corn:

[Bill Murphy]

Good discussion about this very recently on this site, I think.

[Russ Jackson]

I did a search but didn't come up with it ,do you recall the outcome of it Bill ?

[Dave Noreen]

The Parker Bros. .410-bore was introduced circa 1926, and the 3-inch .410-bore shell was introduced in mid-1933, along with the Winchester Model 42 pump.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=34439

[Russ Jackson]

I have only ever been around a handful of 410 Parker's but all I have seen have been 3" ! Since so many years passed between the Introduction of the 410 Chambering and the 3" Shell you would assume the 3" is on the rare side and the 2 1/2 would be the most common although that doesn't seem to be the case ! As for value does the 2 1/2" Chambering add or deduct to the value of the gun and has anyone ever owned or seen a 2 1/2" chambered Parker 410 ,what is the opinion ? I always assumed the Parker 410's that were built on the OO Frame may have been 2 1/2 but maybe that isn't the case either ??

[Dean Romig]

A recorded 259 Parker .410’s were built before 1933, give or take. And we don’t know how far into or after 1933 the 2 1/2” chamber continued. So my guess is that well over half of the entire number of .410’s produced would have started out as 2 1/2” chambered guns.





.

[Russ Jackson]

This may sound stupid Dean but with the step down on the 410 at the Chamber area do you suppose the Brothers P just chambered the 410 at 3" for some other particular reason , Pressure maybe ??? As I had ask does anyone own a 410 Chambered at 2 1/2 or ever actually measured one up ? I know most people don't own collections of 410 Parker Guns at the price of them just wondering !

[Dean Romig]

My guess is that the stepped barrel contiur was simply a matter of weight reduction.

I’ll go measure the chambers of all my .410’s… :rotf:



.

[Russ Jackson]

If it takes all day to get through them ,would you give me an update tomorrow ! :rotf:

[Russ Jackson]

I like rare or lets just say " Unique " items and I just wonder if the different chamber length is like odd barrel Lengths or one of a kind Barrel Lengths etc .? Sort of like the the PH 20 Gauge I dug up a few weeks ago that letters with 25 1/2" Twist Barrels ! And By Golly it even has the Blank space in front of the Old Ivory Bead !

[edgarspencer]

Russ, my Dad's VHE .410 was most definitely chambered for 2 1/2", and I am pretty sure it measured 2 7/16". I confess I saw no real reason to keep it, and it became several other Parkers. This all took place way before the PGCA, and I have no recollection of it's serial number.

[Russ Jackson]

Edgar ,Thank You for the reply ,do you mean 2 9/16 ?

[Dave Noreen]

The one and only .410-bore hang-tag that has come to light 235582 shows "Use 2 1/2-inch shells" and that it was targeted with the 3/8-ounce load. When talking history of the .410-bore, keep in mind that from its introduction the 2-inch shell carried a 3/10-ounce load and the 2 1/2-inch shell a 3/8-ounce load. The 1/2-ounce load in the 2 1/2-inch shell that we all know didn't come along until about 1936.

[Dave Noreen]

The Remington era specification sheets list the chamber depth for the 3-inch .410-bore shell to be 2 15/16-inch. They don't show for a 2 1/2-inch shell, but one could speculate 2 7/16-inch.

[legh higgins]

what about 28 inch barrels.:bigbye: I want 28 inch!

[Russ Jackson]

I have an original hang tag that states Use 2 1/2 ,Serial # 222947 ,I believe ,this is from memory ,I recently looked at it I think this is correct ,I am not home but when I am I will get a picture and post it !

[charlie cleveland]

this has really been an interesting topic to me thanks fellows...I have some of those 3/8 ounce loads some where....charlie

[Dave Noreen]

It appears to me that most of the early .410-bore boxes and catalog listings don't mention how tiny the load really was.

101219

101220

101221

101222

101224

101225

The only boxes I've seen that admit to only 3/8 ounce is the early Western Super-X .410-bore --

101223

[Dave Noreen]

Some more --

101227

101228

101229

[Russ Jackson]

Here is the Hang Tag I posted about earlier ,sorry it took so long to post ,just sat down for the evening and turned on my computer !

[Dave Noreen]

My calculator says there are 129-130 #7 1/2 chilled shot in a 3/8-ounce load.

[Bill Murphy]

If Dave's and Parker's figures are right, old 222,947 throws 88.5% patterns at 30 yards.

[Paul D Narlesky]

Dave & Dean, I would like a couple of those great old cartridge boxes ! They will go along with my .410 collection of Parkers ! Thanks !!

[Dave Noreen]

Dave & Dean, I would like a couple of those great old cartridge boxes ! They will go along with my .410 collection of Parkers ! Thanks !!

Not much in the way of early .410-bore boxes in the current Ward's Auction. How many BB in a 3/10-ounce load --

https://www.wardscollectibles.com/viewitem.php?item=10399

Nothing pre the 1930 introduction of non-corrosive priming for the .410-bore shells.

[Bill Murphy]

Thirteen? And how about that great gun list?

[Bill Murphy]

I was just joking about the "13", but I'm amazed how close that is. The Tatham chart says 50 per ounce for BB, 18 or 19 in 3/8 ounce.

[charlie cleveland]

there putting bb s in the 410 self drfense loads now....charlie

[Thomas L. Benson Sr.]

I could only find 1 box of 3/8 410 shells in my small collection of 410 boxes

[Robert Brooks]

I have an unopened case 20 boxes paper 2 1/2 inch Western Super X 9 skeet loads but do not recall load info without looking. Bobby

[charlie cleveland]

all I have is a red head box mongumory wards 41o 2 inch ball load...on the same front posting it says 3/8 shot the across to the right it says 1/5 ball...this is a 2 piece box...charlie

[Larry Mason]

Howdy Russ, Pull out about five to ten of your .410s and I'm sure you will find one or two!
LOL :)