HOW RARE ARE 8 GUAGE PARKERS ?
 

I was reading the post about the 8 ga parker. Has anyone shot these cannons? Just how rare are they?

I've shot 8 gauge guns from several makers, and even a couple 4 gauge guns. They're scarce but they're out there, quite a few guys on the forum have one. I've owned half a dozen 8 gauges, but never a Parker oddly enough.

Cannon is a strong word really, you can buy 12 gauge shells today that are loaded a lot heavier than the 8 gauge shells of yesteryear. The guns themselves are usually pretty big and heavily built because that was the fashion of the time for a large bore shotgun. I've never seen a factory 8 gauge shell loaded with anything heavier than a 1 1/2 ounce charge. I shoot those out of 12 gauge guns pretty regular.


DLH


Destry

In a chat with another PGCA member today, he was looking at Puglisi's website and said they have currently listed 7 Parker 8 bore guns for sale.

I went through the tables in The Parker Story and counted about 360 8-gauges, so they are rarer than the .410-bores.

they are rare but seldom used as a shooter on acount of the weight...they were the longrange guns of yester year but today have took a back seat to the modern 12 and 10 ga...they are still used legally to hunt duck and other water fowl in a lot of places in europe... the 8 ga could be and is loaded in modern days with more shot and powder than the 12 and the 10 but is not legal to hunt water fowl in the U S...i also shoot a old 8 ga that is a parker i ve shot a few crows squirls one coyte a deer with buckshot a few turkeys with another old 8 ga loomis...there fun guns to qwn and shoot and because of there weight factor they do not kick very bad a magnum 12 ga will kick a lot more than my old parker and ive fired up to a 3 ounce load through the old loomis 8ga....but i mostly keep my loads at 1 1/2 ounce to 2 ounce of shot which is a pleasant load to shoot...its been a hoot for me and the ole 8.....charlie

well thanks for the info guys. I will check out that website. How hard is it to find shells for them?

Most eight gauge shooters load their own. Having someone like Tom Armbrust load for you is quite expensive. However, that may be a good solution if you only need a box or two.

bill i tried peeling some of those remington hulls today worked like a charm...but the 8 ga winchester hull is one piece brass they will not peel..the winchester hull i tried was one of them clear see thru jobs... but i have found a new and cheap way to press those hulls down to fit our guns.. i was looking in my pliers box for the needle nose pliers and saw a old set of car battery totin pliers ther about 12 inches in lenth...i tried using them but did not notice a couple little studs made inside of the head of pliers...used my small air operated cut ting tool and took care of those little dimples...you have to rotate the hull by hand as you squeeze the pliers...it takes about 30 secounds to squeze the brass and i did not get in a hurry timed myself with a watch... theresults are good and the brass still looks ok..it does not look as factory astom arbrust brass but it goes in the gun fine..and i fierd the hull up to 10 times with no problems... dont remember what i gave for these pliers butno more than 10.00 dollars...very little effort is required onsqueezing...remember these are car battery toting pliers...if i get a chance ill try to get some pictures of the pliers...ive solved the problem for myself on these old 8 ga hulls..believe some of you other fellas can make them work for you...but if i could get myself a one piece dye for ten bucks or less id probly get one but for now the pliers are tops...i only had the clear winchester hull to try this on was out of the remys... charlie

This REM-UMC topwad shows a typical load, which is also the heaviest smokeless load as per the 1911 WRA Co. catalog. The other smokeless loads carry 1-1/2 ounces of shot. The same 1911 catalog lists a black powder load with 7 drams of powder and 2 ounces of shot.

ive got some ofthese same loads....wonder why they loaded the black powder heavier.... i bet that black powder load was rough on the shoulder... charlie