28 gauge chamber
 

Did the Parker 28 gauge come in different chamberings through the years? I have seen several different auction catalog listings from 2 1/2 -2 3/4-2 7/8 and one gun with 3 inch. The 1937 Parker catalog I have says 2 7/8 in the specs in back of catalog and something in the front about ordering the chambers within certain ranges for any of the gauges. Anyway- could anybody clear this up?

John I own a Darne V22 28 ga shotgun that is chambered for 2 7/8" shells (73mm) that was made around 1930.

From the introduction of the 28-gauge in North America it was offered in two loadings. The "standard" offering was a 2 1/2-inch shell with a load of 1 3/4-drams of bulk smokeless powder or 14-grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 5/8-ounce of shot. There was also a bit hotter load of 2-drams of bulk smokeless powder or 16-grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite put up in a 2 7/8-inch shell pushing the same 5/8-ounce of shot. From the 1915-16 Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. catalog --

Attachment 133917

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Gun cranks were doing hotter loads. In his 1910 book Chas. Askins wrote of loading 2 1/8-drams of bulk smokeless powder and 3/4 ounce of shot in the 2 7/8-inch case for use in his 30-inch barrel 6 3/4-pound Parker Bros.

Our ammunition manufacturers didn't rush to bring out a progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity, 28-gauge load, but by late 1931 Western Cartridge Co. introduced their Super-X load with 3/4-ounce of shot in a 2 7/8-inch shell. From the April 1932 Field & Stream --

Attachment 133919

The first appearance of a 2 3/4-inch 28-gauge shell were Skeet Loads just before WW-II --

Attachment 133920

The 2 7/8-inch shells continued through 1948 --

Attachment 133921

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By the May 1949 ammo catalogs the Remington Express and Western Super-X 28-gauge loads are listed as 2 3/4-inch --

Attachment 133922

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The Remington era Parker specification sheets, which were reproduced in The Parker Story, show the 28-gauges chambered slightly short but for 2 7/8-inch shells --

Attachment 133933

So were there any Parker 28 gauges with 2 3/4 chambers in the Remington era or just 2 7/8? I also see alot more with 2 3/4 chambers listed in these auction catalogs than I do for 2 7/8.

1. Sloppy measuring by the sellers.

2. Who knows what may have been done to the chambers since the gun left Meriden or Ilion.

3. Were any very late Skeet Guns ordered for the 2 3/4-inch shell?

No way to know any of these things for sure.

My 1936 ( 236912 ) VHE 28 gauge Skeet gun (for sale on another thread in the For Sale sub forum) letters both in the PGCA Research Letter prepared by Chuck Bishop, and in the Griffin & Howe records of the A&F Parkers, prepared by Bob Beach, as having true 2 3/4" chambers from the Meriden factory.





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The question will remain, "was that a 2 3/4-inch chamber intended for the 2 7/8-inch shell?" A 1936 gun is a couple of years before those 2 3/4-inch skeet shells appeared on the market in both the Western Cartridge Co. and Remington Arms Co., Inc. January 1938 price lists.

Good question Dave… I don’t know, I don’t have the hang tags… just the letters that say “2 3/4” chambers”.

But according to the PGCA research letter it left the factory in ‘36 with 2 3/4” chambers.

But, in reference to the information you have provided I think we can presume it was chambered for the 2 7/8” shells?

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The Parker standard 2 13/16" is real close to 2 3/4" and someone measuring with a tapered gauge could easily call it 2 3/4" especially if they hadn't read the Parker specification sheet.