16 Gauge Vulcan, 1 Frame 28 inch barrels choked m,f

[Bruce Day]

Parker 16ga guns were intended to shoot and were patterned with a 1oz load driven by 2 1/2 drams to 2 3/4 drams , which generally equates to about 1180fps. Parker patterning hang tags and specs by Parker bear this out and it is true for any PArker barrel. If you believe that your barrels are cracked, pitted or thin to the extent that shooting the design load is dangerous, I would not shoot the gun. If you believe that your stock is cracked or oil soaked weak then I suggest taking the stock off and correcting the damage or restocking so that the gun is safe to shoot with the design loads.

For recoil energy, all that really matters is weight of the shot, speed out the barrel and weight of the gun. Weight of the gas and wad out the barrel is minor in the calculation. You can find many calculators on the internet. Chamber pressure, chamber length, wad shock absorption, case material, crimp, are irrelevant
and relate only to “perceived” recoil, which means that one person may perceive it and another not.

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

Parker 16ga guns were intended to shoot and were patterned with a 1oz load driven by 2 3/4 drams, which generally equates to about 1180fps. Parker patterning hang tags and published specs by Parker bear this out and it is true for any PArker barrel. If you believe that your barrels are cracked, pitted or thin to the extent that shooting the design load is dangerous, I would not shoot the gun. If you believe that your stock is cracked or oil soaked weak then I suggest taking the stock off and correcting the damage or restocking so that the gun is safe to to shoot with the design loads.

Bruce thanks for your inputs. Very interesting. So as a hedge and what your suggesting, and is just an opinion based on your personal belief, is don't go over a 1 ounce load or 2 3/4 drams of powder, assuming all powder is the same and velocities don't exceed 1180 rounded to 1200. Then it should be copacetic If everything else checks out with the gun. Therefore the really only advantage RST or Polywad are offering is store bought ammunition that is 2.5 inch shells to fit old chambered 2.5 inch guns.