What shells can I use?
 

Hi,

I have on hold an 1887 grade 1 Parker hammer gun. The frame size is #1 and the bbl's are laminated steel. Was curious as to the chamber length (i.e. 2 1/2
2 7/8, 2 3/4 etc.) and what factory shells I can use to try it out. I do some shotshells reloading for 28g but not much as I mostly shoot trap and the 12g factory loads can be had relatively cheap in bulk. I will probably start reloading for this particular gun down the road. Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

RiccO

Take or send your gun to a competant gunsmith who knows about double guns not someone who specializes in 870's. If you don't know of such a smith tell us where you live and one can be recomended.

Have the chambers measured (there probably 2 1/2 or maybe 2 9/16), have the bore diameter checked to be sure it hasn't been honed, have the wall thickness measured. All this is in addition to makeing sure your gun is tight on face and the overall condition is safe.

Your gun is over 100 years old she deserves to be treated correctly.

Buy some Win. low pressue, low recoil shells. Or some RST or someone who makes low pressure shells for the old guns. I have never measured barrel thickness - just looked to make sure the sun wasn't shinning through any holes. If it looks good and you're useing low pressure shells, shoot it. Or you can go as Rich suggests and get it checked out. Paul

The barrels on this gun are laminated steel? Which I believe is the cheapest barrel Parker used, and the least likely to be safe now. I don't think anyone should recommend that you shoot it, without having it checked out by a gunsmith who knows these guns. Or at least a person with the proper gauges.
That's just my opinion, but it's your face and hands. :)

was laminated steel cheaper than plain steel ...just wondering .. charlie

From the time Parker Bros. stopped using "Decarbonized Steel" all of the barrel steels they used were composite, meaning Plain Twist, Stub Twist, Twist, Laminated Steel, the various grades of Damascus Steel, Bernard Steel and the first fluid-pressed steel Parker Bros used was Vulcan Steel on the VH guns I believe in the late 1880's.
I don't remember which was cheapest of the composite steels but it was certainly one of the 'Twist' steels.

Dean, I will have to check on this but i believe that Titanic predates Vulcan by a little bit.

Yes, check it out - I know Titanic Steel was introduced in 1897 but I'm not cretain when Vulcan Steel was introduced. I may be totally wrong about the introduction of Vulcan - I may be confusing that with the introduction of hammerless guns.

Vulcan Steel was first offered in the 1899 catalog with the introduction of the Vulcan grade gun with black barrels.

Thanks Dave. I stand corrected - Titanic came before Vulcan.