Chamber Length

[Bill Murphy]

If someone ordered a gun with 2 3/4" chambers, ten or another gauge, that is what he got. Parker Brothers did not seem to dispute anyone's preference when honoring an order.

[J.B. Books]

Bill my point is that if Parker did deliberately (rather than "market" such information) make chamber lengths 1/8" shorter than the intended shell there is little evidence I have seen of that in 10 gauge where far fewer options for shell length were available. My question is, where are the 2 1/2" 10ga guns (for 2 5/8") and 2 3/4" for the 2 7/8" shells. All the guns I have seen for myself measured a true 2 7/8".

We all know there is little harm in shooting a slightly longer shell than the chamber length. We also know there was some advertising of a benefit to holding chambers 1/8" short. We also know there were a lack of standards and many options in the 12, 16 and 20 gauge shell length. However we also know Parker Brothers were very good at their marketing and I still believe guns were chambered for a specific length shell.

[Roundsworth]

Here is a box of 2-3/4" 10 gauge. It is the only one I have ever seen. I wonder if there were actually 10 gauge chambers out there at 2-3/4", or if these were for the 2-5/8" chamber (taking into account Parker's policy on shorter chambers).

[Bill Murphy]

Although we have seen Parker drawings and hang tags that show chambers 1/8" shorter than the shells meant to be fired in those chambers, there is a factory chart of chamber lengths, dated 1920, that shows chambers of nominal shell length. This chart is in Volume 2 or TPS in the Barrels, Bores, and Chambers chapter.

[Bill Murphy]

Mark, that is a wonderful box of Canucks. I have that same box in BB size shot in my ten gauge collection, a gift from my friend Claudio Opacek.

[Roundsworth]

I wish I could afford to collect boxes! When I see a nice box photo on the internet, I download it for reference against my collection of singles. It is nice to be able to see what a specimen came in when new.