Desireability

[Angel Cruz]

How desireable are the 10 ga hammer guns with the 3 inch chambers? I'm thinking of selling my G grade with 30 inch bbls. I'm asking because there's another post on the forum about The Short Ten and it seems they are pretty popular.
Are the 3 inch just as popular? thanks...

[Brian Dudley]

From what I understand is that the Longer 10's are actually more valuable.
Someone else with more knowledge of the topic might have more to add.

[charlie cleveland]

the 3 1/2 inch chamber guns are rare and will bring a lot bigger premium than shooter grade tens but short chambered tens in the hihg grade guns are also expensive... charlie

[Mark Ouellette]

Angel,

The British have a 3" 10 gauge chambering.

The short ten had two chamber lengths:
1. 2&5/8" for brass shell cases in the very early Parkers.
2. 2&7/8" for paper shell cases in other Parkers.

As Charlie stated, there were relatively few 3&1/2" 10 gauge magnum Parkers. I think that Destry and Bill Murphy own all of them! :)

The value on your short 10 Parker will depend on condition and rarety. If you post some photos I think you will receive a range of potential value in a hurry! Please include a description and the gun's choke constrictions and weight.

Mark

[Angel Cruz]

Mark, thanks for the info. I was not too clear on my questioning but my
10ga has the 3 inch chambers, a LOP of 14-1/4 and DAH 3 inches on a number 3 frame with 30 inch bbls. The bores are moderately pitted in front of the chambers and then it decreases down the bores. The bbls were 5 lbs unstruck so I think the gun is over 9 lbs.

[Jeff Bonadurer]

Hi Angel,

PM sent.


Best regards,

Jeff

[Bill Murphy]

Angel, regardless of the fact that your ten has 3" chambers, it is lumped in with the "short ten" category guns. Destry does own a real factory rebarrelled 3 1/2" ten that I had been looking at for some time before he wisely bit the bullet. My 3 1/2" ten is also a factory rebarrelled gun on a #6 frame but not marked with Remington chamber marks like Destry's. My gun was apparently rebarrelled in Vulcan Steel at Parker Brothers before the purchase by Remington. A friend has a CH Grade 3 1/2" ten that was also rebarrelled at Remington and marked. I looked at the ad for that gun in the Gun List, decided it had too many questions, turned it over to my friend. When it arrived, it turned out to be a 34" Bernard barrelled ten on a three frame with extra 34" Remington barrels, marked 3 1/2". Both sets of barrels are factory rib engraved with the owners' names, two generations of the same family. The gun also still has the original skeleton butt. If I were coming to Louisville, I would bring it. It is the only C Grade mag ten I have heard of and the only 34" mag ten, and one of two Bernard guns with names engraved on the ribs. It's some gun. You win some and you lose some.

[Angel Cruz]

Thank you for that bit of info Murph!!

[Bill Murphy]

Bill Mullins also has a very nice mag ten, apparently made that way at the factory for a well known personality whose name I can't recall.

[Jack Kuzepski]

Angel,

Thanks for posting the question. I have a 3" 10 ga hammer gun also and was wondering how many others had the longer chambers. I had figgured (and now had it confirmed) that it is still a short chambered 10.

Jack Kuzepski

[Angel Cruz]

You're welcome Jack! Now we both know.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I've always wondered if anybody else on the forum had a magnum 10 gauge other than Murphy and I. That 34 inch gun sounds like a dandy, you missed the boat there Bill. I like your #6 frame gun better than my #3 frame gun, yours would handle 2 1/4 ounce loads a lot better. I've got to stick with 2 ounce stuff, anything heavier literally drives you into the ground with recoil. I can stand a few shots but then you get to flinching it's so harsh. Hard on the body and definitely hard on the gun.

Destry

[Bill Murphy]

The big six frame was test fired with Chambermates in 12 gauge. The trick is to pull both triggers so you know the gun has actually discharged.

[Patrick Lien]

I've always wondered if anybody else on the forum had a magnum 10 gauge other than Murphy and I.

A number of years ago I was talking to a gentleman at the Vegas winter show about Parkers and he told me that he had a Parker magnum 10 gauge with a vent rib. I think he told me that it was a BHE. I was certainly suprised to hear of such an interesting gun. I never saw the gun but it was an interesting story.

Then last year there was another 3.5" gun at the Vegas show. I think it was a GH damascus gun that went back to Parker for new steel magnum barrels. I think Researcher looked this gun over as well and might have more specifics. They are out there....

Patrick

[Bill Murphy]

Patrick, the vent rib ten at Winter Vegas some years ago may have belonged to Mr. Parker. At least it was on a table near his tables. Maybe it was in the Parker auction but I don't remember it being there. Destry's GH Grade rebarrelled gun has been to Winter Vegas, but not last year. It was several years ago. Could there be two of them?

[Patrick Lien]

Patrick, the vent rib ten at Winter Vegas some years ago may have belonged to Mr. Parker. At least it was on a table near his tables. Maybe it was in the Parker auction but I don't remember it being there. Destry's GH Grade rebarrelled gun has been to Winter Vegas, but not last year. It was several years ago. Could there be two of them?


Bill,
I think the BHE 10 ga. spent it life in southern Colorado and was unknown to the TPS authors.... or so the story went. I remember asking the owner if it was fun to shoot and the answer was "I don't know, I have never shot it". I thought this was strange as I would surely light off a gun like that if I owned it. Anyway, it would be a neat gun to see in person. The gun last year was "redone" and being shopped on the dealer side. Is Destry's gun re-cased? I think there is more than one. I am not sure who you mean by "Mr. Parker"?

Patrick

[Bill Murphy]

Jim Parker.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

My gun is refinished but several guys have said they thought it was Remington work so I'd imagine it got done when the gun was sent in for it's new tubes. I've owned mine for something like 10 years so I don't think it's the one that was at Vegas. I kept track for awhile of the geese I'd killed with it but stopped writing them down when it was around 200, that was a few years ago......


Destry

[Dean Romig]

Angel, regardless of the fact that your ten has 3" chambers, it is lumped in with the "short ten" category guns. Destry does own a real factory rebarrelled 3 1/2" ten that I had been looking at for some time before he wisely bit the bullet. My 3 1/2" ten is also a factory rebarrelled gun on a #6 frame but not marked with Remington chamber marks like Destry's. My gun was apparently rebarrelled in Vulcan Steel at Parker Brothers before the purchase by Remington. A friend has a CH Grade 3 1/2" ten that was also rebarrelled at Remington and marked. I looked at the ad for that gun in the Gun List, decided it had too many questions, turned it over to my friend. When it arrived, it turned out to be a 34" Bernard barrelled ten on a three frame with extra 34" Remington barrels, marked 3 1/2". Both sets of barrels are factory rib engraved with the owners' names, two generations of the same family. The gun also still has the original skeleton butt. If I were coming to Louisville, I would bring it. It is the only C Grade mag ten I have heard of and the only 34" mag ten, and one of two Bernard guns with names engraved on the ribs. It's some gun. You win some and you lose some.

There are obvious pitfalls to being an admitted "bottom feeder":shock:

Sorry Bill - but I know you'll agree ;)

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Destry, I have a 3-1/2" PH 10ga that I duck hunt with 32" barrels. Do not know if it was rebored or came that way I shoot 3-1/2 Bismuth all the time. great gun! Gary

[Bill Murphy]

Gary, is your PH a steel barrel gun or Twist? You all will be glad to know that not only did I turn over the C Grade mag ten to a friend, I also sold him a great Parker Steel PH ten in a weak moment.

[Kurt Densmore]

Although most of the Parker hammer 10ga guns are chambered in 2 7/8" I had a Grade 2 Lifter with 34" Laminated steel bbls that lettered with 3" chambers. Unfortunately it had no choke left in either barrel. It wasn't worth a damn for what it was intended for so I sold it. It did however make a pretty good sporting clays gun. It was 10.5 lbs, built in 1879.

Kurt

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Bill, It is a steel barrel gun, 50% case and same with barrels, Since I screwed my back up I cannot shoot it! and have a couple cases of 3-1/2 Bismuth have thought about parting with it but have not made my mind up yet. Regards Gary

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Gary,

What frame size is yours on? Mine is only on a #3 and I've often wished it was a bit heavier. It will handle 2 ounce lead loads just fine but anything more sporty and it drives you into the ground. The lighter 1 5/8 bismuth stuff is fine too but the 1 7/8 ounce ones are a bit too hot. Kaas was shooting some in his Ithaca NID Magnum 10 gauge and they actually made it jump open they kick so hard. I don't know what kind of powder they used or how much of it but they're heavy.


Destry

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Destry, Mine is also a 3 frame gun and I used 1-7/8 oz Bismuth when I was duck hunting, The old girl would reach out and touch them if you know what I mean. Used number 4 shot most of the time. Gary

[Bill Murphy]

Gary, what serial number range is your PH 10 gun?

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Bill, I am walking out the door but I believe it is in the 228-230,000 range will check when I get back,I know the books are missing for this gun as I have tried to get a letter, regards, Gary

[Dave Suponski]

Gary, Interesting....Could be one of the last P grades made.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

OK, My computer crashed, just got it up and running again but lost all data and bookmarks. This would be easy for some but I am not a geek. Hell if you could fix it with a 12" adjustable and hammer I could have done it but had to get outside help! Any way the ser# on the PH Parker 32" steel barrel is not 228 but 223,000 range sorry for the delay. Gary