VH with Vulcan steel barrels!
 

I just picked up a 12ga. Parker VH with Vulcan steel barrels, serial number puts it at 1924. can I assume it has 2 3/4" chambers and that I can shoot modern powder loads out of it when I reload? Thanks for any and all help!

Don't assume anything. Measure the chamber depth/length.

But yes, you can shoot modern powders if you stay within the load specs the gun was designed to be used with.





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No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may be safe in a given gun. Your 1924 VH most likely started life with 2 5/8-inch chambers intended for 2 3/4-inch shells. Only accurate measuring will show what has been done to it in the intervening 99 years.

Hi Chuck, look at the thread before yours about shell length for the 28 ga, and everyone says they are shooting 2 3/4" shells out of 2 1/2" chambers, no problem. Your 16 VH should handle modern game loads without a hiccup. I shoot them out of my VH 16, up to 1 1/8 oz loads. I'm betting your gun has been fed a steady diet of modern 2 3/4" loads. I shoot standard loads thru my other steel barreled Parkers, a VH 20, VHE 20, PH 20, and DHE 16. I am more particular with my damascus guns, shooting 2 1/2" shells thru them. I shoot alot of 3/4 oz loads in 20's and 7/8 oz loads in 16's when shooting clays just to lesson the recoil.

The 12-gauge progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity loads were introduced during 1922.

Attachment 113815

The progressive burning smokeless powders actually lowered pressures a bit from the heaviest loads offered with the old bulk or dense smokeless powders but moving that 1 1/4-ounce payload out at considerably higher velocity increases recoil forces which for many is an important consideration for hundred-year-old wood. The OP didn't state the frame size of his new gun. At that time most Parker Bros. 12-gauge guns were built on the 1 1/2 frame --

Attachment 113816

but we also see 12-gauge guns of that vintage on the 2 frame --

Attachment 113817

and less often lighter weight guns on the 1 frame --

Attachment 113818

A while back, one of our members posted this picture of the hang-tags for 1924 vintage 12-gauge two-barrel set. The 28-inch barrels were targeted with a 1 1/8-ounce load and is stated "Use shells 2 5/8 long." The 30-inch barrels were targeted with a 1 1/4-ounce load and is stated "Use shells 2 3/4 long."

Attachment 113819

I have saved another 1924 vintage hang-tag picture for a 7-pound 7-ounce 28-inch barrel 12-gauge and it was also targeted with a 1 1/8-ounce load and states "Use Shells 2 5/8 long."

With the North American nimrods taste for the heaviest shells he could lay his hands on I suspect that most of these old guns have digested plenty of Western Super-X, Peters High Velocity, Remington Nitro Express, etc. in their lifetimes.