10 Gauge, A View from the Past
 

In researching a piece for submission to the Parker Pages, I purchased through EBay a copy of the September, 1957 Pennsylvania Game News. It is fun to read a time capsule. I thought I would share a somewhat amusing passage from an article on new shotguns for that year.

“The ten gauge shotgun is largely a thing of the past. No domestic firearms company is making them and you must import them. There are two ‘super tens’ being imported today that are the counterpart of the long departed Ithaca and Parker super-tens of the 1930’s. These shot a 3 1/2 inch shell developed by Western cartridge company. It used two full ounces of shot at high velocity.”

Ouch

joe i too love reading the old magazines from the past....i like shooting sportsman the best...my favorite gun is the 10 ga...i m gladits made in america again.....the big ten i 3 1/2 inch chambers is a small 8 gauge in disguise...it can be loaded up to 3 ounces if a person wants that much of shot.....charlie

In "correct" terms the Super-Ten was the 2 7/8 inch, progressive burning powder, high velocity, 1 5/8 ounce load 10-gauge introduced circa 1925/6 --

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and the Magnum-Ten was/is the 3 1/2 inch shell loaded with progressive burning powder pushing two ounces of shot (originally) introduced in 1932 --

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Charlie, Dave great info and pics of the Super 10. I can only imagine the effectiveness on geese of 2 oz-3 oz. of lead shot. Those days are long past, but it is fun to read the old magazines.

I bought one of the Remington SP-10’s with a 26” barrel in 1990 . It was one of the first year guns as it had the 89 LE in the serial number . I bought that thing for turkey mainly and Federal was making a 2 1/4 ounce #4 or #6 load for it . I had both and wanted to pattern them at 25 and 40 yards from a sitting position with my back against something like I’d be sitting in the woods . Back then I crawled the stock way more then I do now . Anyway the first shot from that thing with those shells opened up a whole new world . Now while I’d still like to have a Parker or Ithaca NID for 10 gauge 3 1/2” I don’t think I care to shoot the 2 1/4 ounce turkey loads in them any longer .

I would not feel uncomfortable to shoot 2 1/4 ounce 3 1/2" tens in a fluid steel #6 frame ten gauge Parker. In fact, I may do that.

Sit down with your back against a tree as if you were about to shoot a turkey . Standing and rolling with the punch is one thing sitting an unable to roll back is a skoosh different .

i have fired the 3 1/2 inch 2 1/4 ounce load out of a parker that i have with 3 1/2 inch chambers it kicks but is manageable...killed a turkey with this same load and gun....fired a 3 ounce load out of my ithaca 10 ga magnum automatic itkickeds about like the double barrel 10 parker but would not want to fire the 3 ounce load in a double gun... as i looked at the first shell pictured which is a super x shell the thing i noticed was the short brass on it as compared to the other 2 shells...i have never seen the short brass before any idea s about this....charlie

Where’s Elmer Keith when we need him? Bigger is ALWAYS better with Elmer. Just for the fun of it.

I was not of the Elmer Keith school ! I was more of the Jack O’Conner school on rifles .

Me too. 7mm metrics were enough gun. I am a fan of Roark and his USE ENOUGH GUN though. There’s a lot of good advice in that book.

Here is Elmer supposedly shooting the Magnum-Ten from the December 1965, Guns & Ammo.

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Doesn't really look like old 500000 to me --

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or it with the super ugly new wood --

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For those that like old magazine ads here is one for an earlier Ithaca 10-gauge --

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You know he had atleast two Mag 10’s . The Ithaca and an AYA he had built .

I had bought one of the Ithaca Mag 10s back in the 80s. I hand-loaded for it, and developed some pretty effective long range waterfowl loads. Had lots of fun with that gun. But that was back when I was a big, strong kid, and not much affected by recoil.
When shooting a 10-mag, you definitely would not want to have your back resting against an unmovable object. The gun is going to travel backwards, and either your body moves, or it gets mashed a bit.

I had a pair of the Ithaca semi auto 10’s inbthe last ten years a field grade and a DeLuxe . Also had a Browning BPS 10 one of these days I’ll get an Ithaca NID Mag 10 but the desire isn’t as great as it used to be . When I patterned that SP-10 I was a stock crawler to the Nth degree to the point that my nose was against/beside my thumb . At the first shot my eyes watered and I immediately felt beneath my nose and it was wet I “assumed” it was blood and after stomping around a bit I looked at my hand , that gun had literally knocked the SNOT out of me . Next couple shots as you can bet my nose was not against my thumb . Had a somewhat similar incident when I was working up loads for a friends 505 Gibbs only that wasn’t my nose the bolt handle got me in the web of the hand .

If be willing to bet this was the AYA he had built and recently was at auction .

The next big gun on my list is a Model 21 Duck. We'll see. Trying to get small bores this year

M21's are IMHO great guns

I acquired a M21 duck a few years ago. Bought it because it was in like new condition and it is great gun. Didn't enter in to my decision to buy it but it happened to come with Briley tubes in 20ga, 28 and .410. I've had more fun shooting it at clays with those small gauge tubes after duck season was over for the year.

Do you already have a Smith "long Range" or "Wildfowler" and a Fox HE ?

I've not had an overabundance of them in my hands . But all the 12's felt a touch on the bulky side to me . I had a 16 gauge skeet with 26" barrels straight grip and a semi BT forend that felt wonderfull . We had it at the shop for work and I tried more then a little to get it away from the owner .

We have a 21 12 gauge skeet with a straight grip single trigger and a BT forend in the shop now . It doesn't feel bad but it doesn't feel great (to me) either .

Yep. I have a long range and a super fox.

Model 21s are the most bland looking of the America doubles but I love mine

We had one in the shop for repair that was a post 64 from the custom shop . It was profusely engraved a a fair amount of good inlay . When it was time to test fire I volunteered just so I could say I’d shot a 21 from the custom shop lols !

I always felt the same way, but early this year I acquired a very early 30” dt, splinter, pg Model 21. I simply cannot miss with it. It does feel heavy, until I throw it up.....zero learning curve with this gun....

never owned a model 21 butwould own one if i could afford it....them long barrel 20 s sure look good to me....charlie

The only other gun Elmer describes in that December 1965 article is his best quality Westley Richards 12-gauge 3-inch Magnum. I do recall an article by Col. Askins on having a Spanish over/under built in the Magnum-Ten.

In the last Julia’s/Morphy auction I think it was , there was a AYA 10 Mag that supposedly had provenance to Elmer Kieth and it “claimed” he had it Custom made . I don’t remember what year he passed but I wouldn’t think he had much special made after the mid 70’s . And while it may not have been part of the article that’s not to say he didn’t use a picture with the AYA and think no one would know the difference . Not meaning to argue just my thoughts on the picture .

I had a Remington Model 32 12 gauge 26” solid rib skeet and skeet I never missed a skeet bird with . Now to be honest I only shot 250 shots with it and only 50 or so at a time . But I sold it to my gunsmith buddy before I could miss with it LOL’s !

32's and K80's are great target guns. The 3200 has many of the same features. My 3200 is perhaps the gun I shoot better than any other. Scored a punch last weekend at a 5 stand shoot in Mich with it.

I love the Model 32 platform. I’ve had a 3200, K80 and K32. I currently use a K32 for trap, skeet and clays. I shoot a 32 in skeet gun but the gun fits me so well, it just works for me. I would love a Model 21. To me, they are just beautiful and rock solid. My dad’s dream gun has always been a Model 21 in 16 ga. My goal is to get him one next year for his 80th birthday.

An R-32 , K-32 or K-80 and the K-20 aren’t bad as dove guns if a person is so inclined . While I’ve never been to South America for dove if I had my druthers and was certain quality shells could be had a pair of K-20’s with 20 and 28 gauge barrels would be the thing as far as I’m concerned !

Had some time today and looked for some Ithaca Gun Co. Magnum-Ten ads. From my limited search it doesn't seem they launched an advertising blitz for the big gun. In the July 1932, sporting magazines an ad like this appeared with the launch articles --

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National Sportsman, July 1932

From then on it seems from my limited search that Ithaca Gun Co. ran a smaller Magnum-Ten ad each August.

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National Sportsman, August 1933

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National Sportsman, August 1934

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National Sportsman, August 1935

That’s great ! My pop turned 83 in December only things I ever heard him speak a whole lot about were a Ruger #1B in 243 WIN so I got him one for Christmas about 12 years ago and a Parker VHE 20 gauge . We took care of the Parker about five years ago . I think he’d like an honest Richmond musket , but the prices they get for those and as easy as it is to get taken I think we’ll pass on that one ! The sad part is my pops got Parkinson’s and not fired a gunnin fifteen years . He just likes having them and looking from time to time . I took his 243 worked up a couple loads and killed a couple deer . The VHE we both actually wanted that so after the joint effort of acquiring it I take it out and excercise it every so often on skeet or dove or pheasents .

Dave, do you know if Ithaca ever changed their mag 10 ad to recognize their 12 gauge 3" magnum built on the mag 10 frame as the heaviest 12 gauge load available?

Don't wait too long to buy your dad his dream gun. When I was a kid my dad used to say that he really wanted a Winchester 490 .22 to match his model 100 .308. With seven kids and having other cheaper .22s, he just couldn't justify it. About 10 or 12 years ago at an auction sale for a gun shop that was shutting down they had a new in the box 490 that was found buried in the stock room. I bought it and tried to give it to him, but Dad said I might as well keep it as he didn't think he could get out and use it. He passed away last summer. The two rifles did get together in the end though.

That is just what I have. I think 1934 production, 30" bbls, splinter fore end and double triggers.

Craig, there is something about dads and shotguns and dogs. Although your dad can't shoot them anymore, I'm glad he enjoys having them around and you shooting them for him. Dad and I will be at the sportsman's show soon in Harrisburg. I treasure those times together, in the field and out. BTW, I see you are in Orange. I got my 2-year-old GSP from a breeder there. Great pointer, insane house pet but I love him. Today, another training class to make him even more loveable and livable.

Would love to have an Ithaca magnum 12. Someday, but trying to focus on small bores this year

the ithaca heavy duck guns have 2 7/8 chambers with steel barrels i shoot 3 inch heavy loads in mine got it from russ jackson...took a coupla good turkeys with this gun...these guns are affordable too....are the ithaca 12 ga magnums marked as such....charlie

The true Ithaca 12-gauge 3-inch magnums were built on the same long NID frame, with the lug through the bottom, as the Magnum-Tens, with serial numbers from 500000 to 501011. The accounting Ithaca did back in the 1960s, showed they made 887 Magnum-Tens, and only made 87 Magnum-12s. Ithaca Gun Co. didn't begin cataloging the Magnum-12 until their 1937 catalogs, the first catalogs without the Super-Ten. However, I've recorded Magnum-12s with serial numbers as low as 500144, a No. 2E at the Cabelas flagship store in November 2002. Had a ring bulge behind the choke in the left barrel. The Magnum-12s were cataloged with 30-inch barrels, but I've seen them with 32- and 34-inch barrels. The No. 2E I mentioned above had 32-inch barrels and this No. 1 --

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has 34-inch. The only $1000 grade NID was this Magnum-12 Walter Snyder did an article on in the latest The Double Gun Journal --

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