New (to me) Parker

[Hixie]

Back in the Spring of 2019 I had my local gunsmith do some minor repair work on a 12 gauge DH which he took care of very nicely. When I picked the gun up he said he had a gun he wanted me to look at to see if I was interested in it. He went on to explain that 30+ years prior he bought the gun to be his primary grouse and woodcock gun. Eventually he found that the stock dimensions were not ideal for him and he decided to restock it to dimensions more suited to his shooting style. Sometime many years ago he got started on the project but life and business got in the way and the gun sat with the partially completed stock ever since.

The gun was a DHE 20 gauge with 28” Titanic barrels choked IC/Mod on a 0 frame and I was definitely interested! Such a gun was on my bucket list of Parkers to acquire and this one had potential. He offered to fit\finish the stock to my preferences if I committed to buying the gun from him. No agreement was made at that time, he just asked that I think about it and when he got ready to finish it up he would call me.

Fast forward to early April of this year when he called me to say that he wanted to finish it up and asked if I was still interested. I visited him, we talked more about it, and a deal was struck. The letter says it was made in 1908 and shipped to a gentleman in Tate, GA. The chokes are listed as RH-cylinder and LH-modified. I asked the gunsmith to measure the bores/restrictions and they were RH-0.617”/0.006”, LH-0.618”/0.015”. This gun is very close to a configuration that I have always wanted and to my eye it is a fine example of one. Not perfect, but as close as I've seen. Functionally the action is tight and the triggers are crisp. I’ve patterned it with my 7/8 oz and ¾ oz hand loads (#8 & #9 shot) and they perform nicely at 30 yards. I’ll use those loads for grouse and woodcock and probably go with a bit heavier loads for pheasants. I’m really looking forward to fall!