RHD45, you are probably confusing A.P.Curtis with Captain P.A.Curtis. A.P.Curtis wrote about technical matters but very little about his own guns or his days with the big double gun companies. As Researcher implies, the ten gauge bird gun built for a Curtis was probably the Ithaca built for the Captain. Parker built dozens, maybe hundreds, of light, short barrel ten gauge bird guns. Most were probably ordered by duck shooters, but some seem to be originally choked like a classic bird gun. I have seen original 7 1/2 pound Parker tens with 27" and 28" barrels as well as at least one 7 1/2 pound 28" fluid steel Lefever ten gauge. The Brits often send ten gauge Damascus guns to the proof house to be proved for 3 1/2" shells. I have seen several that are stamped with marks indicating successful proof with these shells. My 6 1/4 pound ten gauge Krupp barrelled Sauer has quite acceptable wall thickness and would probably pass British proof for 3 1/2" tens. I once accidentally fired a Super-X 1 5/8 ounce load in this gun and will never make that mistake again.
