Parker pattern tests as recorded in the stock book?

[Bindlestiff]

What do we know about how Parker Bros. pattern tested their barrels.

I have a letter on a 16ga gun that states they used #8 shot at a 30 inch circle at 40 yards (no mention of how many oz. of shot in shell). Another 16ga gun's letter states 7/8 oz of #8 shot at 30 yards (no mention of circle size, could this letter be wrong in that yards should be inches?).

A Parker hang tag has 30 inch circle at 40 yards printed as part of the tag with blank spaces to be filled in with the shot weight and size.



So, my questions:

1. What size shot did Parker Bros. use in their normal test process?
2. How many oz. of shot did they use in these tests, I assume the amount varied by gauge; probably more in an 8ga than in a 28ga?

If you have a hang tag, it would be interested in knowing what it says for oz. of shot and shot size used; it would be interesting to see that for several gauges.

[Drew Hause]

A 1900 Parker hang tag states that 12g 2 5/8” chambered guns were patterned at 40 yds. in a 30” circle using 2 3/4” shells with 1 1/8 oz. No. 7 chilled shot and 40 grains (3 1/4 Dram) of DuPont Bulk smokeless powder. 1920s tags still listed Bulk smokeless.

Scroll down just past 1/2 way here for other maker's hang tags:
https://docs.google.com/a/damascuskn...UOZEFU/preview

[Bill Murphy]

There is a world of difference in ranges, circle sizes, sometimes a square target rather than round, amount of shot, size of shot as well as different brands of shot with differences in number of shot per ounce. These differences show up by the day as well as by the era. The most confusion takes place when one or more of the variables are left out completely. There are some examples of stock book pages in The Parker Story. A previous thread discussed different pattern information included in various stock book pages and hang tags.

[Drew Hause]

I believe Bro. Bruce has posted this c. 1900 hang tag several times, and it has been repeated that 12g guns were patterned with 1 1/8 oz. 3 Dram Eq.
Turns out that 40 grains of DuPont Bulk Smokeless is 3 1/4 Dram Eq.



For comparison, the 1933 edition of ”Smokeless Shotgun Powders” by Wallace Coxe and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. reported the LUP pressure for 1 1/4 oz. 3 Dram Eq. of DuPont bulk smokeless at 9,600 psi.

A 1963 George Herter Reloaders Handbook (courtesy of Mark Ouellette) lists 23 grains (3 1/4 Eq.) of Infallible, now Unique Dense Smokeless, with 1 1/8 oz. shot in a paper case with paper wads (card & fiber) at 8,725 psi by LUP. By modern piezoelectric transducers that would be more like 9,500 psi.


And found this
http://www.bidsquare.com/l/917/parke...nd-2-hang-tags

16g SN 98546 c. 1899 patterned with 1 oz. and 30 grains DuPont Bulk Smokeless
12g SN 71792 c. 1891 patterned with 1 1/4 oz. and 42 grains DuPont likely Black Powder

[Pa SxS]

Check out the recently new post in the FAQ's. http://parkerguns.org/pages/faq/PatternTest.html

I'm guessing but Parker may have changed over to the 30" at 40 yards around the late 1890's or early 1900's. Maybe with the introduction of the hammerless guns. I'll see if I can narrow it down more. The problem is that most of our copies of the stock book are cut off right at the middle of the patterning info. I need to page through to find some that can be read.

[Bill Murphy]

As an example, two twelve gauge guns in the 216,000 range, 210 numbers apart, one patterned with 1 1/8 ounces, one patterned with 1 1/4 ounces.

[William Davis]

Is it possible the pattern test parameters were linked to the buyers order ?

William

[Bill Murphy]

Yes, that is very common. You want to shoot #4, they will give you #4 patterns.

[Bill Murphy]

By the way, Chuck, "They", the PGCA Research Committee, did not copy the stock books. Our good friend and The Parker Story author, Captain Roy Gunther copied the stock books.

[Pa SxS]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

By the way, Chuck, "They", the PGCA Research Committee, did not copy the stock books. Our good friend and The Parker Story author, Captain Roy Gunther copied the stock books.

I know the PGCA Research Committee wasn't involved but if Gunther did all that work without any outside help,, that was quite an achievement. He even took the time to edit hard to read entries in Red Ink which later turned out to be mistakes in many instances.