My First Parker SBT

[J. Scott Hanes]

Gentlemen,
I have owned 7 Parkers in my life (all doubles) and just purchased my first SBT. For being a trapshooter at heart for 45 years, one would think I would have started with this one. It is a shooter that I intended to have on hand should I decide to shoot at the "Nostalgia Shoot" at the ATA Grand American World Trapshooting Tournament.
I would welcome any and all feedback on what you see in the following photos to further educate me on this fine Parker. As I noted, I purchased it to shoot it; mainly because of the stock dimensions being 1-3/8" DAC on the MC stock. I know the stock is not original, however the workmanship is very good; wood to metal fit is excellent and the checkering is very good in a pleasing pattern.
The FE is attached to the iron in a different method from Parker and if anyone can identify the maker that would be very helpful.
The metal is likely refinished as it is in excellent shape; 98+% blue and 90+% CC. It appears to my eye to be Del Grego and I am going to contact Lawrence about that possibility.
According to the Serial Number book, it was made in 1927 and originally had a straight grip stock which has obviously been replaced. Other than the wood, it appears everything else is kosher.
I shot 25 rounds with it Saturday with the installed Pachmayer "sporting" type pad and it hurt. Replaced it with a "Kick-Eez" today and shot another 25 and it is really comfortable now. It will obliterate targets at 16 all the way back to 23 and 25. Boy does it move quick!! I shoot an 11# K-80 Trap Special in my regular shoots so there is not a lot of similarity.

Serial # 223403
Bore: .742
Choke: .703
Constriction: .039 (and it IS tight-shooting)
Weight: 9#
Balances right on the hinge pin
Pitch = 0
32" uncut barrel
DAC: 1-3/8"
DAH: 1-3/4"
LOP: 14-1/8"
Red Front Site
White Mid Site on the 5th post from the rear
Forearm Lug has had metal welded into the hook

I am just looking for input on 1. Who the experts here think may have made the stock/FE. If the rest of the gun from the photos looks 'right', even if refinished. Any opinions on the quality of the work and suggestions otherwise. Thanks in advance for an assistance from all of you out there who have experience on these Parkers.

Scott Hanes

[J. Scott Hanes]

Four More photos SBT 223403

[J. Scott Hanes]

More photos SBT 223403

[J. Scott Hanes]

Final photos SBT 223403

[John Davis]

Looks like a Remington repair code stamp but I don't believe any of those modifications were done by Remington. Only other thing I can add is, I wouldn't just save her for a nostalgia shoot. The only guns I shoot in ATA events are my Parkers. My GHE for doubles and my SBT's (3) for singles and handicap. They always get a lot of attention. Shot a 97 x 100 in singles yesterday for a win in the A class, all thanks to my SB.

[Brian Dudley]

The gun WAS originally a straight grip. I knew this first because your trigger guard is shorter than it should be for a pistol grip which initially told me it was likely shortened and bent for a pistol grip. And the serial number is not in the proper location. It is scrunched in there in front of the screw. Originally the number would have been behind the screw on both a pistol grip and a straight grip guard. And, the screw is father back from the bow on a legit pistol grip guard then that.
AND, the book lists your serial number as a straight grip when I checked it to confirm my initial thoughts.

The style of the forend draw bolt has been modified by whomever stocked it. Not sure why, there would have been no need to do so unless they just did not feel like drilling the long hole in the proper location required to use it as it was.

The case colors are very nice on the gun. They do not appear to be Delgrego cyanide colors as you suggest. They are nicer looking than that.

It is an attractive gun and if you shoot it well, even better.

[J. Scott Hanes]

Thanks for the comments, Brian. Have you ever seen a forend iron configuration like this one has? Does the stock work look familiar enough to guess who the maker was?

Any guess who did the case coloring? I can't imagine that it is original unless the past owner(s) took very good care of it. The blueing is excellent except for a thin patch on the left side of the chamber area. Also can't imagine that is original.

The grip is quite thin [I am used to a palm swell on my K-80] and difficult to control. I am thinking about adding a rubber wrap made for tennis racquets to take up some space. My dilemma is I don't want to get the adhesive on the wood and perhaps ruin the finish. Any suggestions? I thought I might put a few layers of plastic wrap on first before the sticky stuff goes on.

I really appreciate your expertise and comments on what you saw. Thanks again!

Scott Hanes

[Brian Dudley]

The method that the forend iron drawbolt is attached is similar to how some other makers did it, Winchester on the model 21 is one example. It just isn't how Parker did it.

It is anyones best guess as to who may have stocked the gun. Maybe it is marked under the pad or something? But likely not. I am by no way up on the trap shooting circles and the stock makers that frequent those groups. But unless the checkering pattern is super specific to a certain stocker/checkerer, I doubt they would have any idea either.
I dont have any specific ideas on the case coloring. It is overall very well done.
Ultimately none of that really matters too much. It is more what the gun is, what is correct and what isnt and that speaks for itself. If it goes bang and you break targets, then even better.

[J. Scott Hanes]

John, have you shot at the Grand before? Or at North Carolina state shoot? I saw a gentleman a few years back that shot a Parker SC at some shoot. Where do you shoot ATA now? Maybe we will meet up some time. I shoot here in TX, likely KS this year, the SW Grand in San Antonio and at Sparta.

Scott Hanes

[John Davis]

Scott, I've been shooting ATA here in Georgia and a little in Alabama. Hope to shoot in North Carolina this year as well. I attended the Grand for the first time last year and planning on returning this year. Perhaps we will cross paths in Sparta.

[Dean Romig]

I have never seen a stock or forend like that come out of the DelGrego shop.

Isn’t that grip referred to as a “Rudy Etchen grip”?





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[Bill Murphy]

An Etchen grip is much more radical than this one. Not suggesting that any or this wood ever saw the Parker factory, but there have been a few Parkers built with severely curved pistol grips. They are very rare. This is a wonderful gun and it should not be modified from its present form.

[J. Scott Hanes]

Dean,
I was close friends with Rudy from 1980 until his passing, having met him in Shreveport, LA on my first sales assignment with Remington. I have handled many of his shotguns with the "Etchen Grip" and this is not one of them. Wish it WAS! The Etchen grip had more radius to it and was not as thin (I know it is hard to tell from the photos). Mr. Murphy noted such.
Rudy had a Model 12 that fit me perfectly, but how was a Remington man supposed to get away with that?

Scott Hanes

[Dean Romig]

Have you ever seen a forend iron configuration like this one has? Thanks again! Scott Hanes


The forend iron and the latch are completely Parker however, the forend lug on the barrel is not - But, it could be the original lug modified to accept the new placement of the iron/latch in the replacement forend wood.





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[Bill Murphy]

J. Scott, Rudy may have been a Remington man, but his stockmaking enterprise didn't play any favorites. He made stocks for all guns. His some time headquarters in Sun Valley was a good deal for a stockmaker. I have no idea who the actual craftsman was, but I doubt it was Rudy. Rudy was in residence at the Remington plant at Ilion one time I was there, but we never crossed paths. Some of his guns and paraphernalia including his famous Remington 870 are on display at the National Firearms Museum. Rudy didn't just shoot Remingtons, however. I tried to purchase his Purdey pigeon gun some years ago, but was too late. His son was offering it for sale for a very attractive price.

[J. Scott Hanes]

That is a great observation, Dean! Thank you. I did note the welded piece added to the lug, but did not know about its originality. Appreciate that info.

Scott

[J. Scott Hanes]

Bill, all the stocks were made by Rudy's dad, Fred. Rudy had very large hands with thick fingers. When he had that 870 in his hand, you could not see the grip at all! He always claimed that the grip design helped control the gun. In all the trapshooting he did, he never used a release trigger. With that huge hand and the small, tight radius' grip, nothing moved except his trigger finger. If you ever read his father's book "Commensense Shotgun Shooting", there is a photo of Rudy on a skeet field, standing on one leg on the shell stand they used to have on skeet and trap fields, holding a Model 12 in his right hand only from station 8 and station 4 to show how one could control the gun with the Etchen grip.

Also pictured in that book are two Parkers (one 30" VR and one 32") with the Etchen grip, a Model 31 Rem (Fred's gun) and 2 model 12 Winchesters.

Was that Purdey the "Bar in Wood"?? That was a beautiful shotgun.

Scott

[Bill Murphy]

I have Fred's book in my collection. No, Rudy's Purdey was a standard late vintage (post WW1) pigeon gun, self opener, hammerless, 32" barrels as I recall. I have a picture of it around here somewhere.

[Chuck Bishop]

I donated a signed copy of "Commonsense Shotgun Shooting" to the ATA museum many years ago. Rudy's son Joel is also a great shot. Must run in the family!