Info Needed On VH 20

[classicioi]

I looked at a VH 20 Ga today and was hoping someone might could help with anymore info than I was able to see today. Curious about the date of mfg and what length chambers it was made with etc. If I decide to buy it I will definitely get a letter.

Parker VH 20
Serial No. 175565
28" Barrels
Rt BBL @ .015
Left BBL @ .025
Capped Pistol Grip
1 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 14 LOP
Factory peak butt plate

Thanks in advance for any help.

Regards, Karl

[OH Osthaus]

according to the link from the home page

Parker 175565 was made in 1917

a letter may or may not tell you chamber length,

[Jeff Christie]

I think the best time to get a letter is before you buy the gun. It is such a small price to pay in relation to the price of the gun.

[Dean Romig]

I agree with Jeff - If you have doubts about a particular gun you're anticipating buying or if you need to confirm a particular feature or configuration, it only makes sense to order a letter before buying a gun you might later be very sorry about buying.

[Researcher]

The "standard" Parker Bros. 20-gauge chamber length at the time the gun was made was about 2 3/8 inch intended for 2 1/2 inch shells. One could order the gun chambered for the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8 or 3-inch 20-gauge shells, but very few guns were.

[Setter Man]

In theory its a great idea to get a letter first. Unfortunately, when one stumbles upon a desirable Parker, like a 20 ga V with 28" barrels, time is often of an essence as these guns don't last long. If you can get your hands on the gun it's not too difficult to measure the chambers. Even with a letter you probably won't know the chamber length unless the gun was ordered with a specific chamber length. I have owned two Parkers which were ordered that way; an early 12ga DH with 2-7/8" chambers and a 20 ga VH with 3" chambers.