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New Member in California
I just this week discovered that the rifle case in our attic that I always thought probably held a .22 rifle in fact held a Parker Bros. 1912 12 gauge Trojan shotgun. It has a 32" inch barrel. It was fun spending some time on the site figuring out what the various markings meant. It is SN 158611.
The gun was probably purchased by my wife's great-grandfather on her mother's side. We came into possession of it some years back and it has just been sitting in the attic. Recently I took a home defense shotgun course and bought a Mossberg tactical shotgun and joined a local sportsmen's club. They do trap and skeet shooting and I had been thinking about getting a second barrel for the Mossberg pump, but if this Trojan is functional I may use it instead. The gun is tarnished and in need of a cleaning. Any suggestions? Also I thought it would make sense to arrange to have it remotely fired the first time just to ensure that there are no issues since I have no real performance and maintenance history on this shotgun. Does this make sense or am I being silly? |
A 32" Trojan is an extreme rarity. It would have been a special order gun and that is even more rare, being a Trojan.
I would suggest measuring the barrel length again and check the legend on the top rib to make sure is says "Trojan Steel". "Tarnish" is one thing while rust and the associated pitting is quite another. As long as the bores are clean and unblemished and without dents I would say it is probably good to shoot with appropriate loads. I'm sure the chambers are probably 2 1/2-inch or 2 9/16-inch at most so don't just grab any box of 12 gauge Ammo off the shelf at Dick's or Walmart. . |
Dean, it is a Vulcan Steel barrel model. Frame size 2. The website says that frame size was used with 10, 12 and 20 gauge. The photos I took with the iPhone are not great so I will take some more and post. I'll re-measure the barrel but I think I got it right. I assumed it was a Trojan based on the description I read on the website, but I guess I'll need to get a research letter to get the final word.
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It sounds more like you bought a VH which is a grade higher than the Trojan.
The 32" barrels made me suspicious because Parker Bros. didn't offer that barrel length in the Trojans. . |
Ron - if you go to the Parker home page, on the left is a tab which says "Parker Grades". Click on that and you can see what a Trojan looks like versus higher grades
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Looks like a VH in average, but noticeably unmolested, shape (except for the cracked buttplate). You might want to have the bores checked for diameter. Assuming the bores are not significantly rusty or pitted or thinned, it should be a great gun on the trap range. Mild cleaning with Frontier pads on the rusty areas and oil based soap on the stock should make it look even better. Or, just ordinary handling and wipe downs over time. Enjoy.
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It will take time but shooting, handling, and carry with a leather glove will clean up the receiver pretty good. I have a GH that looked similar to yours and it cleaned up nice. Wipe down the wood and metal lightly with Ballistol and enjoy shooting it. You'll get a lot of questions and attention at the trap range. What is the hole in the stock near the trigger guard? |
It seems 32 inch 20 gauges were popular with some duck clubs out in California. You should order a research letter and see what it says.
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