Chamber lengths

Researcher · 09-10-2009, 01:17 PM

Those specification sheets in The Parker Story on pages 164 to 169 call for a 2 3/4 inch chamber for the 2 7/8 inch Super-Ten shell.

My feeling is that the practice of holding chambers an 1/8 inch shorter then the shell goes a lot earlier then the 1930s. The only two A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogues I've found that mention chamber lengths are the 1913 and 1914, and they both state that Ansley H. Fox guns are regularly chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells in 12-gauge, 2 9/16 inch shells in 16-gauge and 2 1/2 inch shells in 20-gauge. However, on unmolested guns from throughout the Philadelphia era, the chambers usually measure 2 5/8 in 12-gauge, 2 7/16 in 16-gauge and a hair over 2 3/8 in 20-gauge. I have an AE-Grade 20-gauge from 1920 that states on the order card "chamber for 2 3/4 inch shells" and the chambers are in fact 2 5/8 inch.

Bill Murphy · 09-10-2009, 03:06 PM

Robert, thirty some years ago, a well known gunsmith billed me for boring a short chambered Parker to 2 3/4". A couple of years ago I measured the chambers and somehow they were back to 2 1/2". I have fired thousands of 2 3/4" shells out of that gun. PM me the name of your gunsmith and I'll reply with the name of mine.

Pittypatdugan · 09-10-2009, 09:20 PM

Asa Kelley and I both had the chambers lengthened on the same gun, a 20 Ga
VH. They must grow as they get older. From all this information, we need to measure them again.

PDD

Bill Murphy · 09-11-2009, 10:43 AM

All that problem would be solved if no one gave any money to the barrel butchers. I can't think of any reason to fool with the inside of a barrel except to remove rust. "A fool and his money....."

Pittypatdugan · 09-11-2009, 11:37 AM

I wanted to shoot some 28 Ga shells to see if I would like an O frame 28 Ga Parker that a man south of Albany had for sale for $5000 several years ago.
I bought some little skeeters that converted the chambers to 28 Ga. on one of my 20 gauge Parkers. They fit fine and shot fine in one gun and not the other. The chambers were short in the gun they would not fit into. Later I had them lengthened and the recoil seemed to be less. No, I did not buy the gun because I thought why buy a real heavy 28 Ga Parker. Asa Kelley later found me an OO frame 28 which I now shoot. If I had to do it over, No I would not have the chambers lengthened.

PDD