Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Purnell
Ok, first, on the faceof it, I was wrong about trying a modern 12ga shell in an early Parker gun, Dean is correct, but also, so is Robin. At the time of this early gun there was brass shells marked A & B. According to The Parker Story, at about 1870 the A & B shells appeared on the market. The "A" shell was for use in chambers sized for paper shells of the time. Paper had thicker walls so also a larger outside diameter. Then, shells for earlier guns that were chambered originally for brass shells, were marked with a "B". TPS also states in an undated chart that 12ga had tapered chambers from .811 to .797. FWIW, I believe this size corresponds to size of modern 12ga shells. This size would also be the "B" size shell, as the "12A" was a larger diameter matching the overall paper shell of the time. Confused yet? So, I still think you can try a modern unfired 12ga shell to help make a determination of what you have. If the gun is a 13ga, then the chamber will be smaller, and the 12ga shell won't fit.
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Thanks so much for sticking with me, Dave! As I was telling Dean, as impatient as I am, I think I'm just going to have to wait and find a gunsmith who can make a gauge determination for me, even if it means waiting a while!