Parker 8 Gauge Hammer SxS
 

I collect large bore market/punt guns and have just purchased an 8 Gauge that happens to be my first Parker! I'm looking for info about the gun, how many were made, and your thoughts about the interesting factory records behind the gun. A friend called and the gun letters as an 8 Gauge, 38" bbls, hammerless, straight grip. Only problem is the gun is a hammer gun with a pistol grip and 34" bbls!?! As you can see by the pics it is a honest used gun and completely original. The serial number is 56757, matching throughout on the gun, and frame size is marked 7. The water table is marked 2 (GH grade?) The gun has Damascus barrels and is a toplever. Its a very nice gun overall with good bores, no cracks/chips in the wood, and looks to be 100% original. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks, -Dean

Wow what a find. The book definitely says hammerless 38''. A 7 frame 8 gauge what dreams are made of. What does she weigh?

I think you need to order a PGCA Research Letter on your 'new' Parker. Obviously some serious mistakes in the Serialization and ID Book and the order book records may support the actual configuration of the gun and may even give some interesting provenance.

A research letter for a non-member is $100....
But a research letter for a PGCA Member is only $40. Annual membership dues are $40 so you can save yourself $20 by joining before you order the letter.

you made a good find in that 8 ga also looks like a shooter to me.keep us posted on the 8 ga theparker 8 is a well made gun...charlie

forgot to mention about 400 parker 8 ga made in differant models...charlie

Research
 

Dean has given you the best advice on spending your money. The research letter that Chuck Bishop will give you will be the best investment you will ever make.
A good provenance is priceless.

Aside from the $20 saved on the research letter the benefits of membership are worth many times over the $40 membership fee.

You will receive 4 (quarterly) issues of Parker Pages, the journal of the PGCA, (48 page color, glossy magazine) full of technical articles and hunting and shooting stories... All about Parkers.

You will have access to the PGCA Members Only section of the Web Forum where you can buy and sell Parkers and other old doubles.

You will be mailed an entire PGCA Membership roster so you can easily find other PGCA members in your area.

Come on guys - help me out here... there are lots more too, but it's getting late...

"PGCA Member" looks a lot cooler under your name than Forum Associate.
You're right dean. It's really getting g late

The new friends you'll make in the PGCA will be lifelong, interesting, and dedicated to the best interests of all Parker Collectors.

Congratulations on your 'new' Parker. Most every member will remember their first, but few can say it's the rarest out there. While it's possible the barrels have been bobbed, there have been plenty of Serialization Book errors found. Either way, your gun will still command attention wherever it travels.

The buttstock looks original, or should I at least say Parker factory. So it was likely either restocked by the factory or it is an error in the book.

Also, the barrel length could have been altered. There is no rib matting, so that cannot be a tell tale sign, other things like the style of the bead and appearance of the end fill/if tubes are touching or not can be indicators as well.

The barrel length can also be an error in the book. As other suggested, the only way of getting a very good idea will be to get a research letter.

Odd that the gun is made all by itself with no other 8g guns around it. Sometimes 8g. guns are seen in batches of 4 or 6 in production. For example, S/Ns 54476 - 54485 are all a group of 8g. guns. However, looking at the pages surrounding yours, there are some singular 8g. guns peppered about. The closest 8g. guns to yours are listed before and after. One about 800 S/Ns behind and one about 500 S/Ns in front.