That table is from the 1910 Parker Small Bore brochure. While I don't know when ammunition companies started loading 1 oz 16ga loads ( Dave Noreen would know) I am aware that at least by 1920, Parker was patterning 16ga guns with 1 oz loads. The hang tags provide verification. Sometime between 1910 and 1920, they moved from 7/8 to 1 oz. I have not seen any difference in barrel measurements to accompany the change, but then I haven't seen all the Parkers.
As for me personally, I reload 16's with 7/8oz because I like the lighter loads but I use 1 oz on the pheasant and prairie grouse we have out here. I have even shot the 1 1/8 oz loads from my P fluid steel that I have shot for over 40 years ( still tight) but I know that load is on the marginal high side and whacks me and the gun hard, but hey, sometimes I feel like I need to throw lead. Everyone has their personal views. The 1910 brochure 16 load was a 7/8 2 3/4dre whereas the modern Fed load , for example, is a 1 , 2 1/2 . I probably think too much about these matters. A good buddy with a lot of fine guns just buys cases of promo loads from Wal Mart.
Dave, just keep in mind the service load pressures from p.515, TPS.
Here's what is left from a 196, ??? patterning tag, showing a 1 oz 2 1/2 dram load being used by Parker. That's the same load made today by Fed, Win, Rem and RST. I've seen , but do have have, the same load tag for a G dam 16.
|