Barrel weights and Frame sizes.
 

When reading Parker frame sizes and barrel weights...can anyone give me a quick crash course in how they work and how to read them myself?

Adam:

Go right to PARKER IDENTIFICATION, which will appear half-way down on a column on the left after you click on "PGCA Home" which is on the upper left of this page.

Two clicks and you are there.

Thank you so much.

With respect to barrel weights, I didn't see any information there regarding how to understand them. Can anyone elaborate on that? For instance, would a #2 frame 12 with #4 barrels be a heavier duty gun vs a #2 frame with #2 barrels?

I understand the smaller the frame the smaller the action; that is clear. The barrel weights I am still not educated.

Parker Bros. barrels are not classified numerically, nor any other way that we know of.





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Adam, the frame size will appear as a number on the barrel lug. The unstruck barrel weight will be stamped on the barrel flats. If my terminology is not correct, I'm sure someone will come along and fix it.

Adam this is what John was referring to.

Parker Bros. did all sorts of weird and wonderful things with weight and balance. While the great bulk of the 2-frame 12-gauge barrels I've saved pictures of have weight stamps in the 4 2 to 4 6 range, I've recorded them from 3 15 to 5 8.

As Researcher stated Parkers can vary a great deal. I have a #3 frame 12/32 with a barrel weight of 4/12 and a total weight of 8/4. I have a #2 frame 12/32 with a stamped barrel weight of 4/13 and a total weight of 8/5. So frame size is not necessarily a predictor of total weight.

On the heavier side I have a 3 frame 12 with 34" barrels with an unstruck weight of 6-8 that weighs in at just a tick under 10 pounds today.

What a gun that must be.