Parker and 2 3/4" chambers

[Gene Langston]

When did Parker go to 2 3/4" chambers in 12 ga? I don't have a means of measuring chamber depth on my old gun.

[Bill Murphy]

They have always made chambers to order. As far as a company policy of "2 3/4" chambers in 12 gauge guns", I haven't seen anything in their advertising or catalogs to indicate a break point.

[Steve McCarty]

I just dropped my Superposed open. It's a 3". I peeked down there and saw what looks like an obvious step about three inches down the chamber. I figured ah ha! I'll just measure the chamber length with a metal tape measure. I slid the tape down there thinking it'd land or stop when it hit that step. Didn't do it. It just slid on by. I didn't feel a thing. Am I breathing too much ozone? What gives?

How do you measure the chamber length anyway?

[Richard Flanders]

Measure to the start of the forcing cone I think.

[Fred Preston]

The cone shadow can look like a "step", or dirt. Use a blade chamber guage speced to your gun; or, better, a dial type chamber/bore guage.

[Brian Dudley]

What looks like a step is actially a taper called the forcing cone.
It is tricky to measure without a tool to do so. You can put a pencil or a dowel into it until it is at the taper and measure the depth.
Or if you have a gunsmith you work with just bring it to him and have him drop his gauge into it.

[Drew Hause]

http://www.lcsmith.org/faq/chamlgth.html

[calvin humburg]

I've did what Brain said before you can figure it out with that method.

[Bill Murphy]

A method used by some is the credit card method. Cut a credit card lengthwise until it's just a friction fit in the chamber mouth. Push it in until it hits the beginning of the forcing cone, mark the card. Most chambers are slightly tapered, so the card will get tighter as it goes in, but will stop at the forcing cone.

[Steve McCarty]

Think I'll use a gunsmith to measure chambers. I've got too good ones here. I'm pretty serious about this chamber length question since my GH, that I'm picking up Monday will likely sport a shorter chamber. Did they make 2 3/4 chambers in those early (1895) GH grade guns? Can I assume it is short?

If it is, should I just shoot 2.5 inch shells or have the chamberes reemed to 2 3/4? Frankly, being new to damascus tubes, I don't know how much flexibility I have. No matter how much I read that they are strong enough, I have to admit being leary. Moreover I am not opposed to shooting shorter shells. I'll never shoot standard store bought shells in my GH. I'll shoot RST/Polywad and/or load my own.

[Bill Murphy]

If you're going to use RST shells, you won't need to extend the chambers. I wouldn't trust a gunsmith to measure anything more complicated than barrel length. Is cutting your wife's credit card so hard?

[Bruce Day]

Just go buy some light load shells, Rem, Win, Fiocci, Fed, RST etc and don't worry about it. We have thread after thread here about chamber pressures being minimal, about actual hull lengths being less than nominal, ad infinitum. Remember, these things were proofed the same as fluid steel.

If a person is leary about damascus, they can bundle themselves up like Ralphie in A Christmas Story, wear a motorcycle helmet, hold the gun at arms length and pull the trigger. Absolutely nothing dire will happen. I know, because that's what I did years back.

[Mark Ouellette]

Longer shells in short chambers won't raise pressure much. This practice can however add "felt" recoil. Case in point, I shoot 3" shells in a 2 3/4" Parker for ducks with no noticable effect in recoil. Alternatively, I have a Lefever 20 gauge that had 2 1/2" chambers. Boy would it kick with 2 3/4" shells!!! I had those chambers lengthened to 2 3/4". The problem may have been due to the angle of the forcing cones but I have no data on this...

Sherman Bell published his tests of long shells in short chambers in recent years in the Double Gun Journel. The maximum effect in pressure was for one gun/shell combination was to raise it by 1000 psi. Most combinations were much lower than that.

Mark

[Steve McCarty]

If you're going to use RST shells, you won't need to extend the chambers. I wouldn't trust a gunsmith to measure anything more complicated than barrel length. Is cutting your wife's credit card so hard?

No one be touch'en my wife's credit card! You want to keep your fingers? One year I gave her a Swiss Army Knife to keep in her purse. Big mistake. Now she goes armed.

Truthfully, she likes to see me messing with my gun collection. She says I look so involved and contented, which is true. That last buy, of the GH, made her eyes perk up however. I told her it was my last. I lied. She knew it. We've been hitched for over 30 years....thirty long, long years.