Patterning

[Cold Spring]

Nowadays I rarely do paper or plate patterning except to determine efficiency (percentage 30"/40-50-60 yards) when testing loads in special long range shotguns. I shoot a variety of guns regularly and with a new one I'll shoot a shot or two at a floating leaf or such in the water at about 30 yards and while on a platform or hill etc. I see the pattern in the water and can determine the approximate degree of choke and point of impact; rarely do I see much of a horizontal deviation. As the saying goes, "close enough for government work"; you can go nuts trying to be too precise given the poi variation with different loads and even a new lot of the same loading. That's something I learned from the late Kenny Eyster the noted barrelsmith from many days in his shop while tuning competition shotguns. I keep track of the vertical "water" height in a notebook and refer to it when using that shotgun on future outings. Subconscious does the rest.

[Ed Blake]

That’s a handsome gun Randy. Congratulations

[Randy Roberts]

Originally Posted by Ed Blake

That’s a handsome gun Randy. Congratulations

Thanks Ed, it's growing on me. Might be a good idea to keep a couple of spreaders handy for those pesky 15 yard bunnies with this one.

[James L. Martin]

Randy, could the reason they shoot flat be the 34" barrels? Do you have other Parker guns with 34" barrels? If so how do they shoot

[Drew Hause]

Randy: does the letter document the original purchaser? If so I could check the Sporting Life archives and see if he was a "Top Gun". Also let me know the DOM so I know where to look.

[Jeff K.]

[Randy Roberts]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

Randy: does the letter document the original purchaser? If so I could check the Sporting Life archives and see if he was a "Top Gun". Also let me know the DOM so I know where to look.

Much appreciated Drew. The following as copied from the letter:

Parker shotgun, serial number 170918, was ordered by Mr. G.B. Cragg of Dallas, TX on April
12, 1915 and shipped on June 11, 1915. According to Parker Bros. Order Book No. 92, it was a DH
hammerless, 12-gauge. It featured Titanic steel barrels with a length of 34 inches. The stock
configuration was a pistol grip. The requested specifications were Length of Pull 14 ½”, Drop at Comb
1 3/8”, Drop at Heel 2”, Weight 7 ¾ to 8 pounds. Special instructions were Silvers rubber butt, medium
thick comb, 2” of pitch, no safety, trigger pull 3 pounds, 2 Lyman sights, and full choke. The gun was
consigned.
The price was $75.00 plus $10.00 for extra long barrels, $18,75 for ejectors, $5.00 for Silvers
pad, and $1.00 for Lyman sights

[Drew Hause]

In 1912 he shot in a tournament in Boston
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...d/27368/rec/11

at the Dallas Trap Club in March
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...d/26318/rec/13

He represented the U.S. Cartridge Co. in Texas
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...d/26341/rec/14

and was listed as a Professional in 1913
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...id/25406/rec/1

His 1914 average is listed under Professionals here
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...id/56176/rec/2

In 1919 he was living in New Orleans
https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU19191...t-txIN--------

[Randy Roberts]

Originally Posted by James L. Martin

Randy, could the reason they shoot flat be the 34" barrels? Do you have other Parker guns with 34" barrels? If so how do they shoot

James my other 34" guns have measurements that fit my preferences more closely and they pattern just fine as one would expect. As far as the 34" barrels having some sort of impact on the patterning results I am probably not qualified to answer that.
BTW I remember your gun from a Rock Mtn. shoot where you had it out as I recall, I think that's where we were

[Stan Hillis]

Originally Posted by Randy Roberts

Of course that does not explain why I can see more of the rib on this one vs other guns and still shoot spot on, back to the quandary I suppose.

That's the part that's buggin' me. I've never shot a gun that shot flat for me when I was looking down on the rib. But, rules are made to be broken. Now, I'll start second guessing myself when I pass on a nice shotgun stocked high for the traps, or such. Livinlearn.

Originally Posted by Harry Geitler

If the gun is shooting low when you are looking over the ''Rib'' its just one thing,
''the barrels are bent downward'', that's it!

Pitch plays into it too, Harry.