3" GHE

[jeffery c]

Charlie do you happen to have barrel wall measurements for a factory 3" chambered gun? I should would appreciate it if someone did have those measurements. That could answer whether Parker filed 3" guns different or just chambered them longer and used the same outside contour. If anyone even had exterior diameters at 2 5/8" and 3" from the breech that would be a help to me.

[charlie cleveland]

I do not have any way to measure them...I hope someone else does for you....charlie

[jeffery c]

I measured my 12 gauges at the barrel/forcing cone and weighed them with the following results:
Baker Paragon L-.97, R-.103 weighs 3# 13 oz. 2 5/8" chamber
Win 21 L-.115, R-.119 weighs 3# 9 oz. 2 3/4" chamber
LC Smith Field L .102, R .105 weighs 3# 15 oz. 2 3/4" chamber
Parker PH L .107 R .115 weighs 4# 1 oz. 2 1/2" chamber, 1 frame
Parker VH L .90, R .90 weighs 3# 4 oz. 2 5/8" chamber, 1 1/2 frame
Parker GHE L .96 R .104 weighs 3# 10 3" chamber, 2 frame

These are original finish and bores, I'm pretty certain. All are 30" except for the VH which is 28".

Can anyone help me out with these dimensions or even outside contour diameters of a factory 3" or 2 7/8"? The GHE doesn't have records to say one way or the other as to whether the chamber was done at the factory. It seems unlikely the 3" chamber is original, but I'm curious as to the contour of a confirmed and lettered long chamber gun.

Are these thicknesses typical in your opinion?

[Researcher]

Here is the link to another 3-inch chamber thread where Larry the Gun Guy posts pictures of a righteous Remington era 3-inch 12-gauge --

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...=3-inch&page=4

[jeffery c]

Thanks, Researcher! I reached out to the poster in that thread and he had already sold that gun. I would sure like to compare outside diameters with similar weight and length Parkers with standard and long chambers. I'm sort of wondering if Parker filed or selected barrels to be extra thick in the breech when long chambers were selected in original orders. This GHE's minimum end of chamber measurement is not especially low compared to the other 12 gauges I own, it is in the middle in regards to thickness.

[Craig Larter]

I own a lettered gun specified with 2 7/8" chambers. Both barrels have a wall thickness of .120 at the front of the chamber.

[Researcher]

Keep in mind that the Remington era 12-gauge 3-inch guns were on the 1 1/2 frame, and these were mostly made after the progressive burning powder 12-gauge 3-inch Magnum, 4 1/4 dram equiv., 1 5/8 ounce loads were introduced along with Winchester's Model 12 Heavy Duck.

[jeffery c]

That's a good thought, Researcher. This gun is a 1910 era gun with the possibility the lengthened chambers were to gain extra thick wadding, not extra power.

[Richard Flanders]

Jeffery brought this gun over to my house the other night before I left to fly to Denver. It's a very stout gun and really nice. Seems the stoutest #2 frame gun I've seen. Original chamber length or not, those barrels are plenty thick enough for 3" shells in my opinion.