16 TA Grade 3 out for some cold clays....
 

Just a few rushed pictures on an overly bright day of a Grade 3 16 TA hammer gun. A “new” addition this year. It was a little chilly, but fun to get out and shoot some sporting clays earlier today. 28” damascus barrels on a 0 frame. The gun is choked around improved modified(maybe closer to light full) in both barrels. It is a great shooter, even at close crossing targets. I brought some spreader shells but never used/needed them.

I shot RST 7/8 and 3/4 ounce shells. This gun loves those 3/4 ounce shells, little recoil and I was hitting some targets that were way out there. I am going to start reloading in 16 and see if I can duplicate those ¾ oz loads.

What a beauty!

Beautiful 16, when was it born?

Thanks! The gun was made in 1886. These pictures really don't do it justice. I had been wanting to share with the group and since I was out today, I thought it would go ahead and post a few pictures. Even in the cold with 20mph winds(and no gloves) I was having a little too much fun...

Now there's a pretty little sixteen Jay!

You'll have to bring it to Addieville the next time we have a get together there. I'd love to heft it.





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Wow , only way that one would look better was if it were in my safe :whistle: VERY NICE !!!!!

There is a nice low pressure 3/4 oz load listed on the Hogdon reloading site using 2 1/2" cheddite/RST hulls, International, and the DR 16 wad--that wad may be hard to find as of late, I still have a couple bags.
I have some info on 3/4 oz loads, low pressure, using cheddite hulls , Green Dot, and the SG 16 wad. I use Universal for 7/8 oz loads, SG wad

Thanks Dean, I have been looking forward to showing you this Parker. It is a wonderful light hammer gun. Hopefully, we'll have a chance in 2021 at Addieville.

Harold, I am going to try and figure out a good 16 ¾ ounce load, I haven’t been able to find the 16DR wads anywhere. The RST 3/4oz shells use the Gualandi SG16 Wad. I am tempted to try it out in one of my heaver 16 gauge guns. Or maybe better yet, load up some to get pressure tested. I attached a picture from Hodgdon, their 3/4 ounce load uses Hodgdon International powder. The lightest load listed at 1100fps is the same speed as RST’s 3/4 oz. load…and I was hitting everything with those today :)

Very nice!!

Jay, I will post the Green Dot, SG 16 3/4oz loads that i got off the Yahoo 16 ga loaders site . They were tested by Tom Armbrust.

Here are 3 tested loads( not by me) that I saved in my reloading notebook because I thought they looked good, and I had the components. I have both cheddite and win 209 primers and would use either one. These 3 all call for 2 1/2" cheddite hulls, cheddite primers , and SG 16 wads.

16.6 gr Green Dot
SG 16
1275 fps @ 7662 psi

15.5 gr Green Dot
SG 16
1177 fps @ 7400 psi

16.6 gr International
SG 16
1208 fps @ 6737

The 3/4 oz load I have been shooting, and I like it, is Hogdons
Cheddite 2 1/2"
DR16 wad
16 gr International
1150 fps @ 6200 psi

That is a beautiful gun! Inspires me to get my little 0 Frame 16 out and do some shooting.

Harold that is very helpful information. Thanks for posting those tested loads. I have all the components and both Green Dot and International. I like the lower pressure of the international powder.

Based on what you posted, I think 15.5 grains of International and the SG16 wad in a Cheddite hull would make a nice light(and low pressure) 3/4oz. load in the 1100-1125 fps range.

Now for the embarrassing part...I have a new 16 gauge MEC Jr. that is still in the box after almost a year. I have saved all of my Cheddite empties, it's time to get to work and start reloading for my Parker 16s!

VERY beautiful gun, Jay. Were you shooting at Addieville? We were planning all week to come down on Sunday, but ended up shooting up at the farm, and putting out chuckers in the afternoon. I definitely need to see that gun.

That is indeed one very (very!) nice little gun.

Fortunately, Moses stopped just short of the eleventh Commandment, 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's gun'.
While the bolsters have the appearance of a grade three, my initial reaction was that the locks and hammers seem to be more profusely engraved. If that was all I could see, I surely would have said grade 4, maybe grade 5.

Thanks Edgar, I was shooting at Peace Dale Shooting Preserve, in South Kingstown, RI. It's just 10 minutes from my house. I would be happy to meet up at Addieville one day. I have been meaning to get up their anyway.

Your message reminded me that you usually roll crimp all of your hammer gun shells? Hopefully, I'll see you soon.

Include me if I may join you.





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To only be able to shoot with Mr. Spencer!

Of course Dean, let's make a plan and go! I have been waiting to show off this little Parker all year...

Yeah, that would be a fun group to shoot with. I have shot with Dean and Edgar before at Hausmann's. Good times. Jay, one more load that I use alot is:
2 1/2" cheddite with 7/8 oz load
19.9 gr Universal SG 16 wad
1150 fps @ 7500 psi
dropping to 19.7 gr Universal gives 1125 fps and 7100 psi.

Just to make life simple, i have pretty much gone to this 7/8 oz load as my go to load now in 16 ga . Loaded with #6's, the 7/8 load was effective on pheasants with my 16 O frame hammer.

That's a nice rooster Harold! Thanks for posting that 7/8 load .My #0 frame handled the 7/8 fine as well, which would be a good hunting load. I am hoping to start reloading a few by the weekend.

I need to get my 16 hammer gun out hunting. I'll probably take it on a preserve hunt in a few weeks.

I'll take it under advisement.

I load 7/8 oz. 16’s too and use that load in all of my 16 0-frames. I’ll bring one ir two of them to Addieville.





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The 16 load I recently obtained is pretty light . Guy I got the components from used it in a three barrel Belgium all shotgun barrel gun that he said was very light . He claimed less then 6000 on pressure and about 1150 on velocity . The ones I loaded and fired were most certainly pussy cat loads . Only problem is his load uses SR4756 and as we all know no longer sold by IMR . And very soon that most likely will be the way of the SP-16 wad .

I don’t have any need or use for anything heavier than the loads I use. They break clays and kill birds with authority. I really don’t like anything heavier and I suspect my Parkers don’t either.






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I’d be happy to just carry your guns, Reggie.

!6 gauge hammer gun
 

That is one heck of a gun Jay; beautiful.

Very nice gun Jay, I have an open spot in the safe!!!!

Love seeing those purple shells , reminds me of my friends grandpa growing up . My friend never wanted to hangout with his grandpa but to me he was the coolest old man . I used to go with him when he would squirrel hunt with his Sweet Sixteen and watch him drop them all day with those purple shells .

Someday I am going to find a 16 ga double I really want .

Ya know, Just the other day I was thinking 'Someday I am going to find a 16 ga double I don't want'.

haha well I look at one then ill see another one I like and then I will run across a 10ga I like . I would like a PH 16ga to go with my NH 10 ga and its been listed for a long time but I never seen the seller going down on his prices . Now a dream 16 ga to me would be on a #3 frame , I have heard of them before never seen one however .

I heard that I have I think seven Parker 16’s and a couple more by other makers . For a 16 I suppose a Parker top lever Grade 2 on an 0 frame with 26 or 28 inch barrels would be at the top of the list for a want !

Same here Milton but they aren't always purple. I can tolerate a variety of colors in a nice 16, I bet most of us can. :)

Those thirty or so year old red Winchester AA style 16’s do it for me ! But I kinda like the old AA red 12’s 28’s and 410’s as well ! Heck I’ve even got 4 or 5 old red Winchester AA 20’s .

I have had some 16 RSTs come in Red. Not many, but a few boxes. I was going to reload them as spreader shells.

In 16 gauge, Cheddite in addition to purple, makes the shells in red and blue. They also make(made?) some paper blue primed hulls that I would love to find. Those would be perfect in this hammer gun with a roll crimp :)

I think its the Federal hulls that are purple and they are usually more costly than others . The only 16 gauge I owned was a 57' Ithaca 37 and I shot mostly Rios out of it . Even walmart here stocks 16 and 28 gauge shells because we have alot of quail hunters .