Research letter on 36"Parker V Grade

[OLD GEEZER]

Jeff: If you think of it you can order a double pin and it will look great with your new patch from Destry. Any chance we can get together this fall over your way for some hunting. I was hoping to see you in Watertown but that got canceled. Thomas

[charlie cleveland]

boy that is some long barrel on that goose gun...looks to be 8 foot long...please tell us more about this long barrel gun...charlie

[todd allen]

Besides the longer sighting radius, 8 ft barrels really smooth out your swing.

[Mike McKinney]

I am probably the least qualified to comment on your post, but I will put my stab in. It would seem to me the letter was composed from only repair orders or books, which says to me this information is all Chuck had to work with. Evidently, the owner supplied the barrels from another gun. From there who knows if the 32” barrels, as stated in the letter, was misspoke or if there was a later barrel ordered that were 36”, but it sounds like the barrels reflect re-stamping at Parker., but others may say not a chance. Some of the other work was probably done independent of Parker, therefore the FrankenParker referral. As hot as long barrels are in today’s world, my opinion is that you’ve either got a great shooter or a gun worth restorations if that is your choice. I believe yours is the first letter I’ve seen that ask Parker to fit a currently owned set of barrels.

[Jeff Sweeter]

Thomas, always ready to do some hunting.Except for last year I'm usually looking out of a window of a combine during a lot of hunting season,but hopefully will get a few chances.Have to keep in touch,hoping this virus gets under control.I was sure planning on going to the Watertown show,plus a couple others that got cancelled.Wait all year for gun show season.We only get so many around here in the winter.

[Jeff Sweeter]

I'm sure Dave collected all the info on this gun that was available to him,and I thank him for that.I am going to make a couple phone calls tomorrow and see if I can trace this gun back hopefully to some relative of the original owner.Im thinking it was lastly set up for shooting trap,as per the stock configuration.And then with the long chambers it probably digested some 3 inch magnums and the original stock cracked and the current one was installed,which has also been pinned.Yep this gun is a mess,but I can't wait to take it hunting again this fall.I got 4 ducks with it the only time I took it out.I used 1 1/4 oz of #5 bismuth that I reloaded for it.A couple of those ducks were pretty high,but they folded like you hit them with a bat.I need to pattern test it some day.

[Dean Romig]

I think before you pattern it you should really measure the barrel wall thickness at the juncture of the chambers and the forcing cones.





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[Jeff Sweeter]

I've got a barrel wall thickness gauge on order,actually on backorder.I have a good barrel mik but could only get an average using a caliper to measure the outside.No need to shoot it till I can get it measured.

[Jeff Sweeter]

The shell I loaded for it with bismuth came from the hodgdon web site and was the lightest pressure listed with longshot powder.I reload a lot and have for over 40 years and am pretty cautious.I have had quite a few loads tested by Tom Armbrust,especially if I plan on shooting them in a Damascus barrel.

[Bill Murphy]

I few decades ago, at Shenandoah Guns in Berryville, VA, there was a 16 gauge GH with 40" Vulcan Steel barrels. I can't remember whether it was for sale or not. I haven't heard of that gun since, but it is probably in Virginia. This is the store where I bought my A.P. Curtis Parker try gun. They also sold a few neat Parkers from the General Billy Mitchell collection.