28 gauge chamber

[John Bastiani]

Did the Parker 28 gauge come in different chamberings through the years? I have seen several different auction catalog listings from 2 1/2 -2 3/4-2 7/8 and one gun with 3 inch. The 1937 Parker catalog I have says 2 7/8 in the specs in back of catalog and something in the front about ordering the chambers within certain ranges for any of the gauges. Anyway- could anybody clear this up?

[Ken Descovich]

John I own a Darne V22 28 ga shotgun that is chambered for 2 7/8" shells (73mm) that was made around 1930.

[Dave Noreen]

From the introduction of the 28-gauge in North America it was offered in two loadings. The "standard" offering was a 2 1/2-inch shell with a load of 1 3/4-drams of bulk smokeless powder or 14-grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 5/8-ounce of shot. There was also a bit hotter load of 2-drams of bulk smokeless powder or 16-grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite put up in a 2 7/8-inch shell pushing the same 5/8-ounce of shot. From the 1915-16 Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. catalog --

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Gun cranks were doing hotter loads. In his 1910 book Chas. Askins wrote of loading 2 1/8-drams of bulk smokeless powder and 3/4 ounce of shot in the 2 7/8-inch case for use in his 30-inch barrel 6 3/4-pound Parker Bros.

Our ammunition manufacturers didn't rush to bring out a progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity, 28-gauge load, but by late 1931 Western Cartridge Co. introduced their Super-X load with 3/4-ounce of shot in a 2 7/8-inch shell. From the April 1932 Field & Stream --

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The first appearance of a 2 3/4-inch 28-gauge shell were Skeet Loads just before WW-II --

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The 2 7/8-inch shells continued through 1948 --

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By the May 1949 ammo catalogs the Remington Express and Western Super-X 28-gauge loads are listed as 2 3/4-inch --

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[Dave Noreen]

The Remington era Parker specification sheets, which were reproduced in The Parker Story, show the 28-gauges chambered slightly short but for 2 7/8-inch shells --

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[John Bastiani]

The Remington era Parker specification sheets, which were reproduced in The Parker Story, show the 28-gauges chambered slightly short but for 2 7/8-inch shells --

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So were there any Parker 28 gauges with 2 3/4 chambers in the Remington era or just 2 7/8? I also see alot more with 2 3/4 chambers listed in these auction catalogs than I do for 2 7/8.

[Dave Noreen]

1. Sloppy measuring by the sellers.

2. Who knows what may have been done to the chambers since the gun left Meriden or Ilion.

3. Were any very late Skeet Guns ordered for the 2 3/4-inch shell?

No way to know any of these things for sure.

[Dean Romig]

3.Were any very late Skeet Guns ordered for the 2 3/4-inch shell?


My 1936 ( 236912 ) VHE 28 gauge Skeet gun (for sale on another thread in the For Sale sub forum) letters both in the PGCA Research Letter prepared by Chuck Bishop, and in the Griffin & Howe records of the A&F Parkers, prepared by Bob Beach, as having true 2 3/4" chambers from the Meriden factory.





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[Dave Noreen]

The question will remain, "was that a 2 3/4-inch chamber intended for the 2 7/8-inch shell?" A 1936 gun is a couple of years before those 2 3/4-inch skeet shells appeared on the market in both the Western Cartridge Co. and Remington Arms Co., Inc. January 1938 price lists.

[Dean Romig]

Good question Dave… I don’t know, I don’t have the hang tags… just the letters that say “2 3/4” chambers”.

But according to the PGCA research letter it left the factory in ‘36 with 2 3/4” chambers.

But, in reference to the information you have provided I think we can presume it was chambered for the 2 7/8” shells?

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[Bill Murphy]

The Parker standard 2 13/16" is real close to 2 3/4" and someone measuring with a tapered gauge could easily call it 2 3/4" especially if they hadn't read the Parker specification sheet.

[John Bastiani]

My 1936 ( 236912 ) VHE 28 gauge Skeet gun (for sale on another thread in the For Sale sub forum) letters both in the PGCA Research Letter prepared by Chuck Bishop, and in the Griffin & Howe records of the A&F Parkers, prepared by Bob Beach, as having true 2 3/4" chambers from the Meriden factory.





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I have 2 28 gauge guns made in 1936 as your gun. The DHE 28 gauge skeet will accept a 2 7/8 paper shell thats from the same era. My VHE 28 guage will not accept the 2 7/8 shell but chambers the 2 3/4. Neither of the guns have the chambers listed in the factory letters. I wish that the early Meriden made Remington Parkers would have stamped the chamber size on the guns like they did when they moved to Ilion.

[Dave Noreen]

Visually there is not a lot of difference in the various loaded 28-gauge shells --

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From left to right --

1. Remington Shur Shot 2 1/2-inch, roll crimp, loaded length 2.357-inch

2. Western Super-X 2 7/8-inch, roll crimp, loaded length 2.612-inch

3. Western Super-X 2 7/8-inch, Super Seal crimp, loaded length 2.495-inch

4. Western Super-X 2 3/4-inch, Super Seal crimp, loaded length 2.425-inch

[Dave Noreen]

Looking through some of my stuff on another subject I found that a very late Parker 28-gauge from the September 2023 G & D auction had the hang-tag and it states, "Chambered for 2 7/8 inch shell."

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The SAAMI meeting where it was suggested that manufacturers begin marking the chamber length on their shotguns was in 1937. On Savage made A.H. Fox guns I see the chamber length markings on some 1938 guns but fully in use on 1939 guns. In my Remington pumps and autoloaders I see barrels with date codes as late as December 1940 that just have the gauge but no chamber length.