Nice Butt

[Bill Murphy]

John Havard asked me how to identify the frame size of a Parker stock by looking at the outside surface of the buttplate. He asked because I had identified the stock on Angel Cruz' #1 frame 16 as probably having a #0 size stock. John, the #0 size buttplate has the form of a setter puppy facing left. The #1 size buttplate generally has the form of a bird dog, probably a nineteenth century style pointer, with a woodcock in his mouth. The #2 size buttplate has a big dog's head or the front end of a similar dog, also facing left. I guess that dog is a pointer, but he could be a retriever. The #2 style buttplate is also used on the #3 and larger frame guns, all the way up to #6 and #7, as well as the #2 frame guns. The 0, 1, and 2 are stamped in the back of the original buttplates and some reproductions. #0 style buttplates are not rare on #1 frame guns, nor are #1 style buttplates rare on #0 frame guns. #0 style buttplates seem to be commonly used on #00 and #000 frame guns. Parker would do what they had to do to satisfy a customer or a weight request. I own a 12 gauge 1/2 frame Remington gun that has a skeleton buttplate that is of a smaller dimension than any 28 gauge or .410 bore gun I have owned or seen.