shot-shell question
 

Has anyone run these shell through a 2 5/8 non-damascus Parker steel barrel gun (trojan,Vulcan,special, Titanic etc) I wonder how light they really are and what the pressures are.
Thanks

Eric, I have shot those through fluid steel Parkers with no problems. They are a nice load. Enjoy!

I've shot them a lot in Damascus Parkers, one with 2 5/8" chambers on a 1 1/2 frame at skeet probably 150 rounds a week.

I've heard they can be a bit disappointing in very cold weather.

I used those shells in my 'C' Grade Marlin Standard Model pump. The Standard was an extremely high quality repeater, but had some design flaws that can render them unsafe if not kept clean. The FeatherLites (FL) were easy on the gun.

Low recoil does not always equate to low pressure. A minimum dram 7/8 ounce (26 gram) load will be gentle on the wood and the shoulder. Published pressures on factory ammo are hard to find. Often times ammo makers use small amounts (= less $) of fast burning powder. This holds costs down but brings pressures up. If chamber pressure is a concern it is best to shoot one's own reloads. In the 80's before I knew much of anything I ran all kinds of stuff through 1913 Trojan 12ga. Lots of 1 1/4 factory loads and reloads and some early 1 3/8 ounce 2 3/4" Bismuth factory loads. The gun remains tight as drum. Most fluid steel 2 frame 12's will take whatever you feed them without trouble.

I certainly don't need anything else lowering my scores. They at least look re-loadable from the outside.

Here's a friend who owns the Admiral Fletcher gun shooting the UltraLite Winchester loads, which are little stouter than the very low speed loads you pictured. He usually shoots in the 80's with this gun and the UltraLite loads , 90's with a Perazzi and a bit stouter loads. The Fletcher gun is a light damascus 1 frame A grade 12, so this response is not on point to your question, but close. The Adm Fletcher gun is the one with an engraved shorebird scene and sailing ship offshore, has the grip cap engraved as F F Fletcher, Fleet Adm, USN , and anchor chain around the skeleton butt.

At the Duluth Puglisi shoot a couple years ago.

I do not agree with Jent's assessment of the performance of these loads, but I have experienced off sound results with this load. I do believe that they are below acceptable performance level because of the off sound characteristics, just not as bad as Jent describes . I have also heard somewhere that these loads are indeed low pressure loads.

I called Winchester about these loads a few years back and they told me they are right at 6,500 psi. As far as breaking targets, they do just fine in my experience at skeet and most 5-stand distances. They are ideal for back yard clay games. People find the low report and lack of recoil odd.

Which would be 4000 psi below the Parker calculated service loads for the gun.

It may be Ed's information that I was repeating. Thanks, Bruce, for your information that seems to insure that these loads are quite benign for use in Parkers with sufficient wall thickness.

Well thanks Bill, I appreciate the thanks. But I want folks to know that its not my information or something I developed out of any expertise on my part. Parker had load recommendations that they published and TPS published the service and proof standards that Parker used, so I just refer to that and those have been published on this forum many many times. I specifically disclaim any expertise, I just refer to what Parker said about their guns as they were built.

4000 PSI below Parker calculated service loads for the gun......and if I may add "When it was new".

I think Dean bought some of his new didn't he? :)

But at what point is a Parker considered "old"? 50 years? 100 years? I'm more concerned with cracking the stock with a lot of recoil rather than harming the barrels with loads the gun was built for.

Ed, I think that even a 242,000 serial number gun is "old". And I agree with you about going easy on 60 year old wood. I shoot both damascus and fluid steel guns and we know that barrels both composite or fluid will go through strain cycles of firing.I just don,t see a need to shoot hot loads through them.

There are about 80,000 rounds through my old 1921 P 16ga.

The 637 class nuclear submarines built 40+ years ago would still be in operation if the hull could take unlimited excursions to test depth. However, they were only guaranteed for so many. Shotguns are another animal all together, but who wants to press the envelope?

Harry

Therefore, under no circumstace should anyone attempt to fire a Parker at depths more than 100 meters below the surface :eek:

Exactly John.....:)