Brass Shells

[Researcher]

I guess this is a question for Chuck. Up to the 1885-6 Union Metallic Cartridge Co. catalog with the brass NPEs they discuss that those marked A are for guns chambered for paper shells and those marked B are for guns chambered for brass shells only. No mention of the A or B in the 1887 catalog. In the 1870s and early 1880s were Parker Bros. guns ordered for the B brass shells? The handful of Parker Bros. brass shells I've saved pictures of are all marked A.

[Dean Romig]

Correct me if I’m wrong, and I may well be misremembering, but haven’t we seen Lifters with a letter A or B on the water table above or beneath the serial number?
We’ve seen the letter U and we’ve seen F9R in that location and I thought we had seen A and B as well…?





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[Jay Oliver]

There is some mention in The Parker Story about the 12-B and alot on the 12-A shotshells. The 12b seemed somewhat popular early on, but didn't seem to last.

Every 12-B Parker I have seen has been a back action lifter in the early days of production to the early 1870s. Sometimes the 12b will be confused with a 14 gauge. They are close but easy to see the difference when you have both guns together.

I do a shoot Parker chambered in 12b and use a 12 gauge wad and RedDot powder in RMC brass shells I had made from original 12b shells I have. It is nice to take it out on occasion, serial# 029.

The 12b just didn't last and the 12a became what we are familiar with as a 12ga today.

[Dean Romig]

I believe the stepped chamber without a forcing cone was designed and cut to receive the “B” or brass shell and the chamber cut with a forcing cone was designed for use with paper shells.





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[Phil Yearout]

I have these eight Parker stamped brass shells which a chum gave to me, neatly fitted into this box that originally held screws. And yes, each is stamped with an "A"...

[Jay Oliver]

Here are some original 12b's and my RMC copies...

[Bob Jurewicz]

Dean mentioned the letter U on the water table of some lifters. What is its meaning?
Bob Jurewicz

[Dean Romig]

I have always believed it represented Underlifter but there have been those who contend that is not its meaning… without having offered something different.





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[Researcher]

I see the very early high-grade lifter that Josh has for sale on GI as an 11-gauge has a B stamped on the watertable. What would be the difference between the chamber dimensions of an 11-gauge paper shell and a 10B brass shell?