Charlie:

The little Trojan is beautiful...However since the barrels are 26" with Mod. and IC. My guess is that the barrels have been cut. When weighing the barrels... the unstruck barrel weight is very close to the actual weight if I include the forend. I looked at the keels...they look very tight and smooth. barrels almost touch...maybe they do touch... I didn't see a smooth bar at the end of the rib...But then my
Parker PH (28" barrel) doesn't have one either and I know it has not been cut. If the Trojan was cut...it was done by a damn good gunsmith. Both of my parkers are 2 5/8 (2.625) Chambers...The PH grade is a 1927 year with Parker steel barrels ...The Trojan (1919 year) is Trojan steel...Sooo am I safe to shoot 2 3/4 (2.75) loads? ...OR should I get my reamer out and extend the chamber [0.125 (1/8th inch)]...then hone her a bit.

Remember...I told you all everything I know about Parker when I said hello...But...I love these guns....

P.S.-- How much is the valve drop if the trojan has been cut?...% wise I mean...

Carl

carl if them barrels are ok you can shoot the 2 3/4 inch shells all day..mind most of us shoot low brass shells on account of the wood but an ocasinal high brass will not bother these guns..the 2 2 5/8 inch chambers were made thus to get a better seal on the shell of 2 3/4 inch shells...now mind most folks stay away from steel shot especially if the gun has full chokes..most folks use bismuth or nice shot in the old doubles were required...you have a nice pair of parkers so enjoy them take them shooting or hunting... charlie

Without someone to measure your bores and chokes with a micrometer, your best bet to determine the originality of your Trojan is a PGCA letter, $40 for PGCA members. If it turns out to be an original 26" gun, it will be worth hundreds more than a cut gun. Some original guns have very little if any blank area at the end of the rib.

P grade guns with modern steel barrels are desired variants by many people. If the stock is original then the police probably ought to be looking for you.

The chambers were cut 1/8" shorter than the length of the fired shell to be used, in the belief that with the paper shells and fibre wads of the day, a better gas seal was created.

No you didn't get burned - I think you did very well. Dean explained very well why the chambers were 2 5/8. Sherman Bell did test on short chambers with longer shells and you ain't gonna hurt a thing by using 2 3/4" shells in your guns. Maybe up the pressures by 500psi. That's why many of us reload - to keep pressures down with in reason - or buy low pressure shells from someone like RST. Have fun shooting em.