Barrel questions

[Bruce Day]

See following documentation:

1. Parker 1893 Catalog. States that all Parkers regardless of barrel composition are designed and constructed for shooting nitro powder. By the early 1890's smokeless powder had thoroughly taken hold in shooting such that many competition matches were smokeless only.

2. Parker Small Bore brochure. circa 1905. Provides Parker recommended loads. Note 1. these are speeds at 100 feet. Velocity when calculated to muzzle speeds runs to about 1150 . Note 2. A few years after this publication, Parker started patterning 16ga guns with 1 oz.loads.

3. Typical early 12ga hang tag documenting patterning and loads. Note for this and most 12ga guns regardless of whether fluid steel or damascus, the load is 3 drams equivalent of NITRO powder with 1 1/8 oz shot. The patterning load is the Parker preferred load for effectiveness.

I make no recommendations for your guns. However for mine, such as my usual 12 ga hunting 1910 GHE with the typical #2 frame damascus barrels , I shoot Fed or Rem 1 1/8 oz , 3 drams loads, after all that's what Parker patterned my gun with.

A person interested in loads and what was intended for the gun might also read Dave Noreen's fine post documenting the loads and pressures of vintage nitro loads, some of which are quite high. Parker did not publish any documents stating any cartridge pressure limits, although TPS does provide a table used by Parker which gives pressures for use and proof that are consistent with SAAMI standards.

Sometimes a person will see rather low pressure limits recommended. As near as I have been able to determine, these are based on British light 12 black powder loads, which in my opinion, are inappropriate for Parker limitations. Of course for shooting , the lighter the better consistent with hunting requirements. Parkers are not weak or insubstantial guns.