[Bruce Day]

Danny, you mentioned "earlier" Parkers without definition.

Parker made no distinction between damascus and fluid steel gun for both working and proof pressures. Parker used damascus barrels until 1927 and from early on, tested both with smokeless powder. If I recall correctly from TPS, the 12ga working pressures were about 11,000psi and the proof about 13,500 until late ( 1930's) when Parker adapted the then industry standard 17,000. All the research done by Sherman Bell and documented in the DGJ prove that black and smokeless pressure curves were substantially the same.

So, yes a person generally should not shoot full pressure loads regularly in a Parker regardless of barrel steel, but as stated, know your gun, the key being barrel wall thickness. Look for at least .025 and many Parkers run .030 to .038, some as much as .045. As an engineer, this is something you can get quite involved in and many here have engineering, machining or other technical backgrounds. In comparision to motorcycles, you know they were designed to run at x max velocity, and some in good shape still do, others maybe you need to back off on the throttle.

PS I shoot heavy duck loads ( 1 1/4oz and 1300fps) on occasion in my old damascus guns, but I know my guns. If you shoot straight and use some choke you generally don't need a heavy load, and don't get me started on these so called pheasant loads at 1 3/8oz and 1400fps that the ammo makers love to sell at $18 per box.