Your perspective on handling?

[Jeff K.]

It's an addiction. Unfortunately half of the high is the search. We all know the regular places to look.

[Alfred Greeson]

The story of the 0 frame 16 Parker is real. You see it mentioned from time to time by the well respected writers, they are out there but seldom found for sale. It is like mention of the Knights of the round table, they say you can search for the castle and just at dawn on the perfect morning, through the swirling fog you can hear the sound of hoofs and horses going by, if you are close but you never know, you never see them but you know you heard them.....0 frame 16's are like that. When you pick one up you know it, when you point it the bird will fall, almost automatic, mystical. Keep looking, yours is out there!

[Andy]

Alfred I'm almost afraid to find one now. If I try to rationalize it- I guess my kids college education isn't THAT important right? ; )

[Researcher]

Much of this is myth and legend. There are 0-frame 16-gauges out there that weigh more than some of the 1-frame 16-gauges. There have been many posts about this before.

Parker Bros. did many strange things with balance and handling. My Grandfather's early Quality PH 12-gauge is on a 3-frame, but its 30-inch barrels have a lot of swamp and the gun weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces. My early Quality GH 12-gauge is on a 2-frame but its originally 32-inch barrels (now 30-inch) are very straight with almost no swamp and the gun weighs a fraction of an ounce over nine pounds.

In the mythical 1/2 frame Parkers there are 12-gauges well under 7 pounds and those over 8 pounds.

[Chris T.]

The best handling/well balanced Parker I have ever experienced was a #1 frame DHE 20 duck club gun that Josh had on display a few years ago. It just felt right the second I picked it up.

I would also mention that the frame size will not make or break a gun. There are light 1 frames and heavy 0 frames too.

[Stan Hillis]

Handling ......... that's a nebulous subject when it comes to shotguns. Having been a shotgunner for 61 years I know no more about it than I did at age 8, ground swatting doves with my .410 S X S around Grandad's cattle troughs.

I have visited with Don Amos and had him spin guns to get the hard and fast numbers on moment of inertia and swing effort. I've gone the route from short barrels to long barrels, with no foolproof answer as to why some guns are easier to shoot well than others. But, I have an opinion.....

I shoot a big 32" barreled HE Fox the weighs 9 lbs. 7 oz., AIR, for ducks. I also shoot .410 doubles at doves and quail that weigh under 5 lbs. I shoot them all well. Some decry super lightweight guns as "whippy", or heavyweights as "sluggish". Three years ago I went 6 for 6 on ducks with the HE. I have shot on the north side of 70% on doves with the .410s.

It is much more important that the gun fits, so that it shoots where I am looking, than how it actually handles .......... what the MOI is. Also, weight does not determine handling. Where that weight is distributed in the gun does. I have a 4 lb. 14 oz. .410 double that handles almost exactly like a 6.5 lb. ,12 ga., English game gun. The numbers from Don's turntable verify this.

Make sure your gun fits you, almost perfectly, so that it shoots exactly where you are looking. Shoot it enough to build "muscle memory". Then, next time you pick it up it will not feel alien to you, regardless that it is two thirds the weight of your other guns, but like an old friend. "Muscle memory" (actually, your subconscious controlling your muscles) will take over after swinging it a few times at an imaginary bird.

Is there fly in the ointment? Yes, there's one. Ever shot a gun that was loaned to you, for the first time, and shot it "lights out"? I mean, it seemed that you couldn't miss with it? Then, you either bought it or bought one exactly like it and couldn't shoot it worth a crap? I've had this happen, and seen it happen with others, so many times that it boggles the mind. I can't explain it, but it happens, and it defies all logic. That is why I say I haven't learned a thing, in all these years, about handling.

JMO, YMV.

[Alfred Greeson]

Great post, honesty is a virtue so they say. A lot of caveats on that one.
As to the college fund for kids being in jeopardy, my 0 frame 16 came from a gentleman who bought Parkers through the years and was selling them as needed for college tuition, so it all works out. That gun is a 16 VHE from 1921 28 inch mod & fuller. The brass gauge will just barely go in that full barrel but it fits me and I shoot it better than any other double I have ever owned. It just seems to have all the qualities that make a great shooter. Other Parkers that I own, of various descriptions just don't shoot with it. Keep looking and you will find such a Parker and a sure bet is it may be an 0 frame 16. I honestly think the craftsmen who build them gave them a little extra attention.

[Reggie B]

For my 50th birthday my wife gave me the present of some laps around the Talladega speedway in a NASCAR race car. Sounded fun. I knew I could drive a hot lap or two. The only problem was that the cars were set up with an “average” person’s measurements. I am 6’2” long legs and long arms and they barely could fold me up enough to shoe horn me in the thing. I was cramped and melting and my fastest lap was in the 170s.

The car obviously had the handling but the fit was all wrong and thus the performance was sub-par. Same thing applies to shooting, or golf, or anything else that involves a human and equipment.

[Mike of the Mountain]

I will echo what Stan said. He was spot on.

[Andy]

I really appreciate all the feedback. I had a fitting and Rich Cole do a semi custom stock on my Beretta field gun. I shoot it OK. It fits but just lacks something. The 28g Parker repro is close, and a lot lighter, but I shoot it better and it just feels "right" so I know what Stan is talking about. I'm not a great shot, or great shotgunner. I love being around guns I guess and now this Parker thing has me interested. My only real concern is buying something without handling it. I guess the "out" is that I could sell it, which means I have to buy smart. I am a bit perplexed as to why there are so many weights with different frame sizes, but I would assume because each was made to a customers requests?