plain steel barrels on parkers

[charlie cleveland]

has any one ever shot a plain steel barrel parker gun...i do understand they are considered unsafe by many...im tempted to fire my old parker with lite pressure loads.. whatdoes every one think...barrels are in good shape... interesting subject the plain steel barrels.... to me any way.... charlie

[Brian Dudley]

I take it you mean the very old "Decarbonized Steel" barrels?

[Drew Hause]

"Decarbonized Steel" is "Bessemer process homogenous wrought iron" and was sourced from Remington. Pages 503 & 504 of The Parker Story state that Parker changed the name to "Plain Steel" as Remington was using the name "Decarbonized" on their newly introduced Model 1873 & 1875/1876 Hammer Lifter doubles.

This is different stuff than the "Gun Iron" barrels made from surplus musket barrels used on "Charles Parker Makers" guns.

c. 1866 Price List courtesy of Richard Hoover

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/325553103.jpg

"Best Gun Iron" barrels were listed in the 1869 Price List for the $50 grade; Decarbonized for the $75 grade.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/325553101.jpg

[ed good]

not a good idea. think about it..why did parker go to twist or damascus barrels, if decarb steel was a good idea?

[King Brown]

charlie, I'll say something that will get me thrown off the board. You said you'd use low pressure. From your posts, I know you're a responsible person, careful, no hotdogger. You know guns. If I had the gun with your instincts for safety, I'd give it a go. I say this because I grew up a barefoot boy in a fishing village where most gunners used doubles that would scare every member of this board today. Never an incident, period. The loads were the stiffest (and most expensive) made, Canadian Industries Limited 12 ga "blue" Imperials. My mentors skimpted to gun but never on their shells.

[ed good]

another option is to have briley fit the barrels with a set of full length 20 ga tubes with screw in chokes. i have a four digit lifter with this set up. it is a favorite fun skeet gun.

[charlie cleveland]

king i wish you lived closer by the way..thanks for your opinion you and me think alike...thanks fellas for your imput and thoughts..i will let every one know how this turns out....wander how many of these plain steel parkers have survived..cant be many.... charlie

[calvin humburg]

If one was going to shoot it I would probably cut some shells two chamber lenght find out what a real light black powder load was and shoot it once and a while. And if it blows up like a bomb and you live you can say I should of listened to thoes other fellows.:)

[charlie cleveland]

probably aint going to live forever so im going to try it...will use light load of bluedot about 20 grains...this is ultra light for a ten ga... charlie