This gun and I are both very old.

[Joe M. Frank]

The gun is marked Parker and belonged to my Grandpa (1857-1940) then to my Pa (1892-1968) and at age 86 I’m fixing to pass it to my son and grandson. It can’t be an expensive gun because Grandpa raised 4 kids in the log house he built near the present “Boon’s Lick Historic Site” in the hills of mid Missouri. They raised most of their food and a little tobacco for cash crop and I think he used this old blunder bust to help put meat on the table.
Like me it’s a wall hanger and I guess it’s a 10 gauge (I measure .80” bore) and with 31 ¾ “ barrels I would sure hate to pull both triggers at the same time. I want to find out is it a true Parker Bros. gun and when was it made before I pass it on. Any info would be appreciated and also, if it is a Parker would purchase of the book “Parker Gun, Identification & Serialization” be worth while for info on this specific gun.
Thanks for any help

[Dean Romig]

Hello Joe and welcome to the PGCA Forum. In answer to your question of it being a true Parker Bros. gun I can inform you that it definitely is not. However, it is about the nicest non Parker Bros. "Parker" I have ever seen.

[Fishtail]

Sorry, it appears to be a knock-off, not a real Parker Bros.

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

Agree with Greg and Dean but I want to tell you that is a nice old gun and should be proudly passed down WITH ITS HISTORY before its history gets lost.

[Bill Murphy]

Nice gun, exceptional buttplate.

[Brush Buster]

These Fellows know what they are talking about and it really is a nice gun ! It's amazing a gun or any thing else can stay in a Family that long ,you are very fortunate to have it and your Son and Grandson are fortunate to be receiving it ! Before my Uncle Passed ,he contacted me and said ,My Aunt would be coming home to visit from Mt. Rannier Wa. and she would have a package for me ,I was to take care of it and then pass it along down the Family line ,it is a Model 99 Savage, Take Down ,Chambered in the 300 Savage Caliber and purchased Brand New by my Grand Father ,although it has been drilled and tapped for a scope and I have only carried it a few times ,I can say ,it is one of my most cherished Firearms ! I can't even imagine ,how my Grandfather felt the Day he picked it up, Brand New while running a small Farm , Black Smithing and raising a litter of Kids !

[Paul P.]

Joe, that is realy cool. The history of the family with your gun is great. You might just want to wright it down lest we forget. I'm not as old as you but my wife says that I'm forgetting stuff all the time.Have the gun checked out and keep the history alive.

[OH Osthaus]

certainly not a Parkers Brothers shotgun but still a nice piece of family history - i would not use the words "knock off" to describe it,

there was a W Parker who made guns in the UK starting with muzzleloaders- and I see early Birmingham proof marks as well as barrel makers initials. It is hard to be making "knock offs" if you predate the product being copied. people making junk didn't bother to sign their work.

what I see here is a decent - certainly not top - quality gun made for the export market - that was a big part of the Birmingham trade of the 1800's. the 13 tells me the barrel as proofed measure to the 13 guage level- although the chamber will likely be 12's.

I would bet great grandpa laid out what was to him a considerable sum to step up a level from the typical Belgium clunker that saturated the rural shotgun market.

clean and oil it, have a wall plaque made for it and let the future generations know about the man that bought it and fed his family with pride.

and - as to age - hard to pin down - but if you made me guess - 1870's or 80's

[Fishtail]

That settles it - it's a real Parker. How could I have been so foolish?

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by greg conomos

That settles it - it's a real Parker. How could I have been so foolish?

right you are - just not a Parker Brothers