Parker 12A Brass Shell
 

I’m a moment of extreme weakness, I bought this Parker Bros shell on eBay. To my surprise, after removing the primer with a punch it looks like this may be Berdan primed. I’ve not seen a primer pocket with three holes, and it’s too big for a large pistol primer. What do I have here?

Primer styles and technology was evolving in the 1880s.

In the 1880 Union Metallic Cartridge Co. catalog, their brass shotgun shells were offered in three primer versions -- for Berdan or Orcutt in most common sizes 12 cents each, Sturtevant in most common sizes 15 cents each, and Buffington in most common sizes 16 1/2 cents each.

By the 1882 catalog Buffington is gone and there are shells made for the Wesson #2 primer for 10 cents each in most common sizes.

In the 1884 UMC catalog there were four styles of brass shells -- for UMC (Wesson) No. 2; Berdan No. 1 1/2; Sturtevant using breech-loading shell cap and Sturtevant-Berdan using No. 1 1/2 Berdan primer.

From the best I can tell your shell is the Sturtevant style for use with the Breech-Loading Shell Cap.

Perhaps the correct answer is in those notebooks Bill Jolliff is giving away!!

Mills Morrison is in possession of Wilbur Parker's notebook of hand-written cartridge patents applied for with hand colored illustrations. It is incredibly informative!




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Forget all the above. Check out Volume Two of The Parker Story pages 537 to 548. They only show a couple of shells with the primers out, but one at the bottom corner of page 547 shows the three holes like your shell.

What is that other stamp on the shellhead? "XXUSTY" ??





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The shell head reads:

Parker Bro’s
12 A
West Meriden, CT.

It measures 2-1/2”.

Thanks Jim - I was actually questioning the 3-hole shell on page 547.





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If that thing is of a Berdan style the easist way to deprime them is with a wooden dowel thats just a tiny bit tight going in the shell mouth . Then put about a third of the hull full of water put the dowel in the hull and wack it with a mallet . The hydraulic tendecy of the water inside will force the primer out or thats what I've always been told .