Parker Research Letter and Pattern Information
 

I have a question about the information found in Parker research letters. Many provide the pattern as the number of pellets of a specified size and at a specified distance. But, there is no information about the shell used.

My question: Is it safe to assume that Parker used a 1oz. load in the shells used for patterns?

I have been assuming that so that I could use the information in our FAQ section to compute the choke type. Using FAQ #5 and #44 and assuming 1oz of shot, the choke can be computed. But, if they use other than 1oz. of shot the information seems meaningless to me.

Robin, I am not near my TPS but from what I remember the loads used for targeting were either customer spec'd or 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 oz. for 12 gauge guns.

The shot weight, the shot size, the range of the target, the size of the target are all over the map. We have done our best to root out the possibilities on earlier threads, but I don't know how to locate those threads. Order book entries are usually of no help, only specifying one or two variables. The stock book entries are of more help, but are not often available to the researcher. The stock books were too big to fit on the copier and show the entire content. The pattern information was the part of the stock book page normally cut off. The PGCA Research Team did not copy the stock books. Those copies were gifted to us by The Parker Story author Commander Gunther.

Depending on the year or period in which the gun was made the shot size varied between 7 and 7 1/2 and the distance to the target board varied between twenty-five to forty yards. The pattern board used a 30" circle in some periods or a 24" long oval in another period. The Parker Story has some of this information and some hang tags have some information if somebody is lucky enough to have a hang tag for his gun. Some orders had specific patterning parameters so specified by the buyer of the gun. That's a tough one to try to nail down Robin.

this is my opinion...in the first years of britch loading guns the 12 ga used a standard of 1 ounce in their paper shells..the 10 ga load was 1 1/8 ounce... about the 1920 era 12 ga began to use 1 1/8 ounce in the field load and is still standard today..this was pretty much the standards for all shell makers..so ROBIN i think you could on the average base your findings on what parker used to shoot in the guns patterning them across the board...my opinion they used the 1 ounce load in the early gun before 1920 and the 1 1/8 load from 1920 and on till they closed....we will never knoiw what each individual shell was used in each parker gun. i would like to know what they patterened the old silent auction 8 ga with... hope this can help if not its just my opinion.... charlie

From the earliest Parker Catalogs/Price Lists to 1904, Parker recommended 1 1/8 oz loads for 12ga guns and not dependent on the weight of the gun.

In the 1926 catalog it states, "We target all guns on 30-in circle, 40 yds. with proper loads for the gauge of the gun, using standard factory loads."

Also in the 1926 or 1927 catalog, Parker lists standard 12 gauge shotgun loads. Depending on the birds being shot, the largest weight of shot recommended was for large geese using 1 1/4 oz of shot, most other birds were using 1 1/8 oz and a few were recommended at 1 oz of shot.

Just a guess but unless the buyer specified a certain size shot, powder, and or shot weight, they used 1 1/8 oz of shot for patterning.

Interesting that the D lifter I just bought, the buyer wanted the gun targeted with #6 shot. The stock book shows they used #8. Interesting!

It is probably common for an order to specify one load and the stock book entry list another load. My 216,000 series 12 gauge VH was patterned with 1 1/4 ounce loads. I have brought the old thread about the same subject to the top so we can reread it and answer some questions.