Pattern Test?

[Jim McKee]

Did Parker pattern test all their 12 and 10 bore shotguns?
Was there a standard shot size used when pattern testing their 10 bore shotguns?
Thanks!
Jim

[Dean Romig]

From the records we have Parker Bros. probably patterned all of their shotguns. During various time periods they used various shot sizes, various sizes and shapes of 'circles', and various yardages at which they were tested.

Have you ordered a letter for a gun you may have in mind? There may be patterning records for your gun.





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[Drew Hause]

Parker SN 1500 (c. 1878) - 4200 (c. 1884) patterning was done at 45 yards in a 18 x 24 oval or possibly a rectangle. Between SNs 4500 and 86000 patterning was at 45 yards in a 24" circle.

After 1896, Parker used the standard 40 yards in a 30" circle. (Courtesy of Chuck Bishop)

12g Parker SN 71792 c. 1891 was patterned with 1 1/4 oz. No. 7 and 42 grains (3 1/4 Drams) DuPont Bulk.

A 1900 Parker hang tag states that 12g 2 5/8” chambered guns were patterned at 40 yds. in a 30” circle using a 2 5/8” shell with 1 1/8 oz. No. 7 chilled shot and 40 grains ( 3 1/4 Drams) of DuPont Bulk Smokeless powder. (Courtesy of Bruce Day)



1920s tags listed both 1 1/8 oz. and 1 1/4 oz., still with DuPont Bulk Smokeless.

A 1924 16g was patterned with a 2 9/16” shell, 1 oz. No. 7 Tatham chilled shot (291 per oz.), and 2 1/2 Drams Bulk Smokeless.

A 1925 20g tag lists a 2 1/2” shell, 7/8 oz. No. 7, and 2 1/4 Bulk Smokeless.

[Dean Romig]

You can usually determine the "choke" of a Parker by the number of pellets of a prescribed size within the circle at a given yardage.

For instance, 220 pellets of number 7 chilled in a 24-inch circle at forty-five yards would probably be full choke in a 12-gauge gun.

The tag shown however, is for a gun that would probably have been patterned at forty yards in a thirty-inch circle.



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[edgarspencer]

There are plenty of records indicating the customer wanted a particular shot size and quantity into a smaller circle. Most grouse hunters would find the info of a 40 yard test pattern useless, knowing full well their average shot was between 20 and 30 yards.

[Drew Hause]

What Edgar said
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=20289

Scroll down a bit here for the pattern methods of other U.S. makers
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...UOZEFU/preview

Hunter Arms 1906 catalog courtesy of David Williamson

[Bill Murphy]

I wonder if Parker Brothers subscribed to the same blarny about "less penetration in tight chokes" that Smith writes about?

[John Truitt]

Mr Murphy,

Could you please elaborate re: the penetration in tight chokes.
I don't understand.

Thank you.

John

[Jeff K.]

John,
Read the Hunter Arms catalog page that Drew included.

[John Truitt]

Mr Murphy refers to less penetration.

The way I read the article they seem to be referring to greater penetration with a full choke but less with something ultra tight like a modern turkey choke. they make no reference to the degree or measure of constriction to determine one vs the other.

Am I missing something?

I may be thinking too modern as in choke being determined by thousandths of constriction vs the actual down range pattern. IMO the actual down range pattern is the best measure but I was looking for more info to establish at what point or measure of constriction do we start to get less penetration (55 thous vs 60 or what? Is 40 thou the optimum/ etc)

Mr Murphy is and has a wealth of knowledge. I thought maybe he knew something beyond what was posted above.