Questions about Reproductions
 

I have recently developed an interest in purchasing a repro. Luckily, I came across this forum while researching the possibilities. The main reasons I'm interested in a repro, as opposed to an original, are that I want a modern gun and I don't really have the knowledge base to find a good original. Are there specific repro problems that I should be looking to avoid? For instance, I see posts on here about sticking safeties, and I've read in other places about problems with the single trigger models. Is there a range of serial numbers that is more prone to problems than others? Any guidance would be appreciated.

As far as I know, it's a crap shoot as to whether you have problems with a Repro. I'd guess that some of them that have been stored away since new in the 80's may be in need of a cleaning more than some that are being used or have already been cleaned internally. What gauge are you interested in? You'll find a lot of them for sale on the Internet auction websites. You can get just about anything you want right now but those with dbl triggers and straight grips are relatively rare and higher priced, especially in the smaller gauges.

I have a 28 ga DT gun that I have owned for the past 3-4 years and have shot several hundred rounds through it for clay games and hunting. I did have a minor problem with the safety (can't remember exactly what is was) but it was easily fixed for little money.

Two biggest complaints I have read about on the web are doubling (almost always a result of crud build up) finicky single selective triggers (again related to crud) and straight grip stocks breaking. Regarding stock breakage - some of the wood used was less than ideal for straight stocked guns because the grain was wrong for the wrist. If you are looking for a straight stocked gun just take a close look at the wrist and make sure the grain is straight there (and for possible repairs from previous owners).

Good luck

Jay is correct on the breaking wrists. I think the ones that tend to break have the attractive wood that does not have a straight grain. The wilder the grain through the wrist, the more likely it is to break. The grain should be straight and ideally horizontal through the wrist and follow the wrist as much as possible.

Thanks for the input. I haven't decided on gauge or stock/trigger configuration. I suspect I'll use the gun mostly for dove and quail hunting. I may also use it on an occasional pheasant or duck hunt. However, my pheasant hunts are usually for wild birds in South Dakota during December, and I usually duck hunts out of pits in rice fields. I'm hesitant to subject a nice repro to those conditions very often. A 12 gauge may be the more versatile option. But I suppose a 20 with 3 inch chambers may be more pleasant for the light work while still being able to handle the ducks and pheasants. Were the 12 gauge repros made with 3 inch chambers?

Yes, and the twenty gauge Repros were made with 3" chambers too. A 28" twenty gauge may be just the ticket for the all-around shooting you describe.

12-ga. 3" Repros were also built--I believe all the guns with 28" long barrels, the Steel Shot Special, the Sporting Clays Classic and the standard DHE, BHE and A1-Specials.

Byron, they are great guns! There are no serial numbers that are better than others, and as has already been said, single trigger (and sticky safety) problems are most likely due to the gun needing a good cleaning. I've owned 8 of them and have never had a single problem. The only thing wrong with getting a 3" chambered 20 or 12 ga gun is that nearly all will be Mod/Full choke. That's too tight for quail, and Full choke is too tight for steel. The 12 ga "Steel Shot Specials" had 28" bbls, 3" chambered, IC/Mod (few were made), and it is also possible to find non-"Steel Shot Specials" in that configuration (I know because I own one) but they are rare. Any Parker Repro with chokes more open than Full can be used with steel shot. Maybe your best bet would be a 12 ga with 26" bbls and IC/Mod chokes. They tend to be the least expensive combination, and would be good for quail and doves, plus you could still shoot 2 3/4" steel loads for ducks (plenty of shell in my opinion). Broken stocks can happen with any shotgun; I broke the wrist of my pistol grip 28 ga Repro (it's not just straight grip guns that break). However, I fell down pretty hard on the gun, and I'm not sure that any gun wouldn't have broken in 2! The figure in the wrist was fine; there is just not much wood in the wrist, especially on the 28 ga guns, and it broke behind the tangs where there is deep inletting for the tangs plus a hole from top to bottom for the rear tang screw. It was not too hard to fix though. Good luck and let us know what you buy!
Joe

I have a 20 ga. Repro with 26" & 28" barrels both choked Q1 & Q2 and both sets have 3" chambers.

Not all of the 28" 12 ga guns have 3" chambers. All the Steel Shot Specials do, some of the Sporting Clays Classics do, and some of the regulars 12s do. As for 20 ga guns, some do some don't. I've had very few problems with the ones I've owned. I did have a sticky safety recently on a 20ga thats seen 19 straight years in the field and never been taken apart for cleaning. I had a 12 ga double once on the first shot after I had taken it apart, cleaned it, and put it back together Its never done that again since. All in all very few problems - great guns.