great grandfathers Parker
 

Just had my great grandfathers 1896 damascas steel 12ga. checked out the gunsmith said it was in very good shape. My question is where can I find black powder shot shells for it. I would love to take my first turkey with his gun. Their is an abrupt ring in the chamber is this for brass shells only or can I use paper shot shells. The gunsmith said it was a short chamber. Any help or advice on loading would be a big help. Thanks, Andrew

You can safely shoot smokeless powder shells with this gun. RST (rstshells.com) has just the ticket, called Maxi Lite, available in most shot sizes, and 2 1/2"

Thank you very much. It seems a lot of people say bp only. although it was probably crazy but fourty years ago I shot my first deer with my grandfathers double Charles Daly damascas with slugs off the shelf. Must have been a good set of barrels .

The RST shell are special low pressure shells designed for vintage double guns.

not only are they close to black powder levels - the lower recoil will help cushion the blow to the old wood.

It will help you to know exactly how long your chambers are to the "step".

The "abrupt ring" in the chamber is of concern. If this gun was chambered for roll crimp cartridges, and without much forcing cone, you could get some elevated pressures with anything but roll-crimped cartridges.
It would pay to have a real double gun 'smith check this gun out. Possibly even make a chamber cast if there are no pits in the chamber.
It's always better to know what you're dealing with before you are faced with dealing with the results.

this gun was manufactured in 1896 will this help to know if it should have roll- crimped shells

Andrew:
Sadly, no. Perhaps a PGCA letter might note the chamber. But... it's best to cast it and SEE what you have. If necessary, it can probably be opened/lengthened without danger.

I don't understand why a roll crimp or a pie crimp would make any difference?!? A 2 3/4 inch shell is the fired length and it is the same whether it was loaded with a roll crimp or a pie crimp. In the mid-1890s all the U.S. shells came with an overshot wad and a roll crimp. In the U.S., the pie crimp was introduced in about the 1938 time frame by Western Cartridge Co. on their Xpert Super-Trap and Super Skeet loads, and Winchester Ranger Super Trap and Super Skeet loads. In 1948, Western's Super-X and Winchester's Super-Speed hunting loads got the pie crimp. Similarly the Remington Shur Shot and Peters Victor trap and skeet loads got the pie crimp in the late 1930s and the Nitro Express and High Velocity had them by 1947.

Good news there not an abrupt ring in the barrel. I just picked up the old girl at the gunsmiths Dave polished the barrels and there was no pitting what so ever and the ring I thought was there was gone it is just a sharp tapper. I cant wait for Saturday morning , look out gobbler here we come. I sure would like to have a new butt plate for my parker any ideas of where to find one. Thanks, Andrew