I hear you, now I need to find ammo

[MarcusCarey]

Thank you all for your help. But I’m now concerned that the ammo I planned to shoot might do damage to the stock. Any referrals to a place that sells 16 gauge shells with a 7/8 ounce load and low powder charge? Google Has been no help. My preference is #6 shot for rabbits

[Garry L Gordon]

Try RST shells. A bit pricey, but made for our type of guns.

[Michael Hatton]

RST out of Pennsylvania. Buy them when they have them. I’ve broke a lot of clay birds and doves with a very similar Parker in that serial number range. Very pricy but fun to shoot and effective. Enjoy! I now reload a similar load when I have a little time. Congrats!

[Phil Yearout]

You could take a look at the RST thread on this forum for info, but the fact that you’re looking for 16ga ammo will cause some additional issues.

[Garth Gustafson]

Many of us are patiently waiting for RST to run 16ga. They expect to have supply in January. Go to their website, choose desired load and click on the buy button. You will see a pop up window with "notify me" when the load is available.

[Bill Zachow]

I stopped buying shells from RST when they sent me a flat of 16 gauge shells for my O frame 16 gauge hammer Parker. The shells had the lousy, overly thin primers that pierced on every shot. After 4 shots I quit using them as I did not want to damage anything from the blowback. I reload using modern 209 primers with no problem. When I mentioned this to Morris at a Parker annual meeting, he did not want to talk about it so this unhappy customer went down the road.

[Daryl Corona]

Unfortunately although reloading isn't for everyone it's the only way I can feed my old favorite and new favorite shotguns with the exact load I want. Once you get started you will never want to buy factory shells again.

[edgarspencer]

I stopped buying shells from RST when they sent me a flat of 16 gauge shells for my O frame 16 gauge hammer Parker. The shells had the lousy, overly thin primers that pierced on every shot. After 4 shots I quit using them as I did not want to damage anything from the blowback. I reload using modern 209 primers with no problem. When I mentioned this to Morris at a Parker annual meeting, he did not want to talk about it so this unhappy customer went down the road.

I rather doubt Morris hand picked thin primers just for you. Piercing cheddite primers on Parker hammer guns is not uncommon, but the problem lays with your gun, rather than the primers. It is a clear indication that your firing pins have, just as many Parker hammer guns, worn to a pointed profile and need to be dressed properly. You may have had better luck with another brand, which most likely had thicker Remington or Winchester primers, but pointing blame at RST is pointing in the wrong direction.
I too have pierced Cheddite primers, but only in hammer guns, and rectified the firing pins right away, never having had the problem again. I would estimate I've used more than 25,000 Cheddite primers in 12, 16, 20 and 28ga.

[Mike Koneski]

RST uses primed Cheddite hulls. They are what they are. Possibly you have a firing pin issue?

[Joe Graziano]

You’re way overthinking this.

[Andrew Sacco]

Friend of mine was piercing RST shells with a very old Belgian guild type gun. He had the same problem but it was his firing pin in one barrel that was custom made by a (lousy) gunsmith. Never heard of any RST shell problems from anyone but I'm sure they exist. To the OP I think BP now makes low pressure shells for classic guns but not sure about 16g.

[Bill Zachow]

I hear all guys and you may be right, but would not you think that Morris would have been willing to discuss the problem and point a paying customer towards a solution rather the,n telling me it is not their problem and walk away. Simple customer service would have been reasonable. By the way, I shot some of the same shells in one of my 16 gauge model 12s. Guess what, they all pierced. I stand by my original thought. Those shells are crap.

[Stan Hoover]

I hear all guys and you may be right, but would not you think that Morris would have been willing to discuss the problem and point a paying customer towards a solution rather the,n telling me it is not their problem and walk away. Simple customer service would have been reasonable. By the way, I shot some of the same shells in one of my 16 gauge model 12s. Guess what, they all pierced. I stand by my original thought. Those shells are crap.

Bill,
The RST ammo is about as good as we’re going to find for our old classic firearms. I by no means shoot it exclusively, but when I run short on time with reloading, RST is my first choice. I’ve been amazed at how some of their soft loads break clays and bring pheasants to hand.

I’ve had primers pierce also with their ammo, this was while using hammer guns, Parker and Ithaca. When I reload using Win 209’s, my problem normally disappears. RST uses Cheddite hulls and these are already primed with Cheddite primers.

I suppose I should correct the firing pins on a few of my hammer guns, but not really that big a deal to me.

Please send me a pm so I can send you my address for shipping purposes on the remainder of that flat of 16’s:)

[David C Porter]

I don't know if this applies, but I thought I had a pierced primer problem with Herters. I would usually Chuck them, but later on took some home to examine. What I found was the plating on the primers was flacking off where the firing pin strikes & they were not pierced as I thought they were.

[Jerry Harlow]

I stopped buying shells from RST when they sent me a flat of 16 gauge shells for my O frame 16 gauge hammer Parker. The shells had the lousy, overly thin primers that pierced on every shot. After 4 shots I quit using them as I did not want to damage anything from the blowback.

I was worried about the damage in a hammer gun from pierced primers also but I was made aware that no blowback can get to the wood as it could in a hammerless gun. The firing pins are contained in the action with no way to reach the wood on these guns. With glasses on, I would shoot them with no worry.

[Frank Srebro]

I've also had pierced Cheddite primers in reloads fired in Model 12 pump guns and also when shooting factory 16-gauge Remington Game Load shells with black hulls. I don't know whose primers are used in the Rem Game Loads but they don't look like standard Remington 209's, and they're not Cheddites. No real problem in the Model 12's; I just shortened/rounded the firing pin tip on the lathe for about .050" protrusion from the breech bolt face. Just goes to show how primers have changed in metallurgy since these vintage guns were made.