VH with Vulcan steel barrels!

[Chuck Loveless]

I just picked up a 12ga. Parker VH with Vulcan steel barrels, serial number puts it at 1924. can I assume it has 2 3/4" chambers and that I can shoot modern powder loads out of it when I reload? Thanks for any and all help!

[Dean Romig]

Don't assume anything. Measure the chamber depth/length.

But yes, you can shoot modern powders if you stay within the load specs the gun was designed to be used with.





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[Researcher]

No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may be safe in a given gun. Your 1924 VH most likely started life with 2 5/8-inch chambers intended for 2 3/4-inch shells. Only accurate measuring will show what has been done to it in the intervening 99 years.

[Harold Pickens]

Hi Chuck, look at the thread before yours about shell length for the 28 ga, and everyone says they are shooting 2 3/4" shells out of 2 1/2" chambers, no problem. Your 16 VH should handle modern game loads without a hiccup. I shoot them out of my VH 16, up to 1 1/8 oz loads. I'm betting your gun has been fed a steady diet of modern 2 3/4" loads. I shoot standard loads thru my other steel barreled Parkers, a VH 20, VHE 20, PH 20, and DHE 16. I am more particular with my damascus guns, shooting 2 1/2" shells thru them. I shoot alot of 3/4 oz loads in 20's and 7/8 oz loads in 16's when shooting clays just to lesson the recoil.

[Researcher]

The 12-gauge progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity loads were introduced during 1922.

Early Super-X 12-ga box, Super Excellant.jpg

The progressive burning smokeless powders actually lowered pressures a bit from the heaviest loads offered with the old bulk or dense smokeless powders but moving that 1 1/4-ounce payload out at considerably higher velocity increases recoil forces which for many is an important consideration for hundred-year-old wood. The OP didn't state the frame size of his new gun. At that time most Parker Bros. 12-gauge guns were built on the 1 1/2 frame --

207492 03.jpg

but we also see 12-gauge guns of that vintage on the 2 frame --

207795 04.jpg

and less often lighter weight guns on the 1 frame --

209005 02.jpg

A while back, one of our members posted this picture of the hang-tags for 1924 vintage 12-gauge two-barrel set. The 28-inch barrels were targeted with a 1 1/8-ounce load and is stated "Use shells 2 5/8 long." The 30-inch barrels were targeted with a 1 1/4-ounce load and is stated "Use shells 2 3/4 long."

209255 01 two barrel set, 28-inch 2 5-8 inch & 30-inch 2 3-4 inch.jpg

I have saved another 1924 vintage hang-tag picture for a 7-pound 7-ounce 28-inch barrel 12-gauge and it was also targeted with a 1 1/8-ounce load and states "Use Shells 2 5/8 long."

With the North American nimrods taste for the heaviest shells he could lay his hands on I suspect that most of these old guns have digested plenty of Western Super-X, Peters High Velocity, Remington Nitro Express, etc. in their lifetimes.