Parker factory test loads?

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

I just went into the junk files and found early stock book entries showing some entries for 10 and 12 gauge guns that were patterned at 45 yards in a 24" circle, and 16 gauge guns that were patterned at 30 yards in a 24" circle. Now it is obvious to me that we need to have all this information from the stock books to determine how our guns were patterned and with what size shot and how much of it. Unfortunately, our stock book copies are normally cut off before the pattern information, again, depending on the era. Sometimes, the order book information gives choke or pattern information that adds to any abbreviated stock book information that our researcher may be able to decipher. To add to the confusion, although later patterns shot with 12 gauges were with #7 1/2 shot, these early patterns were shot with #8 shot, even in 10 gauge. We just can't tell the original choke of a gun unless we have more information than is usually available. I have not seen a stock book entry for eight gauge guns, so can't comment on them.

Bill
have we ever seen an 8 gauge hang tag?
could someone post one?

[Jeff K.]

I'll try to help, or muddy up the discussion with some hang tags and tables from various parker catalogs.
Hang tags

136228 16 ga rh barrel 190 lf 190 1 oz #7 chilled tatham shot 32 grs nito powder 40 & 30"
216401 12 ga rh 320 lh 320 1 1/4 oz 7 1/2 tatham chilled 40 yrd 30"
130997 12 ga rh 250 lh 250 1 1/8 oz # 7 tatham chilled 37 gr hazards powder 40 & 30"199343 12 ga rh 230 lh 275 1 1/4 oz #7 tatham chilled # 1/8 drams nitro same
94914 16 ga rh 100 lh 185 1 oz #7 tatham chilled 30 gr Dupont same
121173 12 ga rh 125 lh 225 1 1/8 oz #7 tatham chilled 40 gr Dupont same
207094 12 ga rh 255 lh 255 1 1/8 #7 tatham chilled 3 drams bulk smokless same
232754 12 ga rh 320 lh 320 1 14 oz #7 1/2 tatham chilled 3 drams bulk smokless same

[Dean Romig]

Jeff, the last three - 121173, 207094, and 232754, don't show a shot size... is this because this important information was omitted from the hang tags?

[Jeff K.]

Dean,

Info there, just not typed Brain fart! I have edited the same.

[Jeff K.]

catalog tables

[Bill Zachow]

The hang tags are an excellent source for this type of info. I have the tag for my 1916, 12 gauge D. It reports targeted results of 230 pellets right, 275 left using 1 1/4 ounces of No. 7 Tatham chilled shot over 3 1/4 drams of "nitro powder". The order book entry specifies "RH 1/2 choke LH Full". Neat ibfo to have.

[Bill Murphy]

To the top for an April 2013 related thread

[Bindlestiff]

I have yet to find the elusive patterning info in TPS? I did re-read the old thread and the is lots of information in it which my old brain didn't remember .

I was thinking that the places where they specified the amount of shot was probably due to specific customer requests and they used a "standard" load for all other tests, but that is probably wrong. I begin to think that how they did this changed several times over the years and the necessary information required to be able to compute the choke from the test data is all contained on the hanging tag (maybe)?

[Dean Romig]

I think you're right Robin. In essence one size does not fit all, unfortunately.

[Bill Zachow]

Just for information, my D grade was ordered February 21, 1917 and the order specified "RH 1/2 choke, LH full. The hang tag, dated March 6, 1917, shows the gun was targeted at 40 yards using nitro powder and no. 7 Tatham shot. Results were 230 pellets Right and 274 Left. Tatham's no. 7 shot had 374 pellets in the 1 1/4 ounce specified load giving approximately 60 percent right and 73 percent left. When you have all the information--order, tag, and early shotshell data, it's easy to figure out how/why Parker targeted your gun. One last point that I never noticed before--the tag states "brass shells should never be used with Nitro Powder." I think Parker was concerned that reloaders would use their volumetric black powder dippers when reloading brass shells with nitro powders.