This must be an interesting Parker...No.45973
 

I was looking at Larry Baer's book recently. It pictures an original hang tag from 45973. The gun was a 12 gauge with 30" barrels weighing 10lb 7oz and targeted with 3" shells with 1 1/8 oz of Tathams #8 with 3 3/4oz of Dupont's No.5 Grain Choke Bore (black) powder. It shot 175 pellets in a 24" circle at 45yds. Cross referencing "the book" tells us the gun was made in 1885 and was a 12 gauge 30" B4 toplever (a C grade with Bernard steel barrels). A duck gun? A trap gun? Both? Perhaps the latter due to the patterning with #8 shot and a heavy load and 3" chamber but then why not 1 1/4oz of them? And the patterns were not especially tight for pigeons...Clearly the weight, the load and the chambering and the higher grade gun itself were special order. If it were a duck gun why not specific larger shot? Maybe someone has this gun, if so your hang tags out there too!

Next to the photo of this tag is one of a wonderful Spanish language label "La Escopeta Parker -Siempre Digna De Confianza" (The Parker Shotgun -Always worthy of confidence). I guess "Old Reliable" didn't translate well...

Speaking of interesting Parkers: "A SHOTGUN STOCK THAT STILL FIRES"

ebay item no. 180396164410

James

Would a gun patterned as such be more specific to columbare as opposed to traditional box birds?
Understand I have never witnessed such a match or really understood how it works.

Don, it could have been a special order gun, not unlilke the 8 ga. DHE ordered out of El Paso TX in 1909 by a pair of brothers defending their ranch against "wolves and bandits" as noted in the Order Book, specified to "shoot close with buckshot."

The gun you describe in Baer's book was most likely ordered to that specific loading of Tatham #8's in the 3 3/4 oz. load of Dupont No. 5 Grain choke bore powder to shoot both chachalaca for the pot (a chicken-like bird of the Road Runner family), as well as the deadly chupacabra, the androgynous dog/wolf -like creature that was reported as "rediscovered" in the early 2000's in the remote villages of Central America, Northern Mexico, and the Tex-Mex borderlands.

There is a good likelihood that we will see some of the more remote spotsman's lodges in these areas advertised in upcoming Shooting Sportsman Magazine adverts that will offer optional specialized combined driven shoots for chachalaca as well as baited night shoots for the dreaded chupacabra in additon to the standard high-volume dove, duck, and walk-up perdiz packages.

I'm glad that my passport is up to date and that my ammo locker is well-stocked with everything from high-antimony, polished hard shot 2 3/4' lead # 6's to the ass-kicking NitroMag 3" sintered # 1 Steel. Classic Parker double by day; Black Gun Browning A-5 3" mag by night. Stewart Granger, eat your heart out!

No John, I highly doubt it was a 10 and a half pound columbaire gun with the same shokes in both barrels especially in 1885...Kevin's explanations are more likely. Pick up a copy of Mike Forehand's "Advanced Competition Shotgunning" for a primer on columbaire as well as trap birds.

That beauty on eBay isn't even a Parker Bros gun...

Has this gun ever come to light?

It was blown up when Don loaded it with 3 3/4 ounces of powder!!

:shock::eek::shock:





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45973
 

45973

Sounds like a great gun for pass shooting passenger pigeons.

Show us more please

More pics..
 

Pics

Documented rib inscription and original Parker case as well.

Interesting that the bottom of the hang tag indicates to use a 11ga wad in a 12 ga shell. Just another piece of history confirming the overbored barrels of that time period.

What a blast from the past. Show us more of the gun please and your story behind it.

Can we see the rib inscription?

Sorry I am traveling so away from the gun until Saturday. Let me see what I have on my phone in a bit.

J

This is what I have on phone
 

Rib

What is the grade stamped on the action? (Don't have the book with me). Seems an odd combo of grade and barrel steel for 1885.

Looks to me like a Grade-4 with appropriate Bernard Steel barrels Arthur.





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Looks like the rib has the words: Steel Jas Mullen Erinsville Ontario. Is this a picture of another gun instead of a Parker?

It says Bernard steel...just don't have a pic of it with me. Inscription is documented in the letter.

It’s a Parker James. This gun predates the introduction of rib-matting.





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David, the picture is cropped so you can only see that it says Steel.
If you could see what was before that I would imagine that it says
"Parker Bros Maker. Meriden Conn. Bernard Steel".
The rest of the inscription is likely the purchaser or importer in Ontario.

Dean, did you mean to address the comment to Dave? I suspect James knows it's a Parker, as he owns the gun.

Nope, sorry, I was replying to Tennessee Dave’s questioning if the pic of the rib is of a different gun, but I should have quoted his question and mistakenly named James.





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Rib inscriptions naming the owner of the gun are rare and interesting. We would like to see another picture of this inscription.

Please disregard this post. I had a brain fart when I submitted it.

I'll be back Saturday and will post more...current on a work trip so I can afford more Parker's...

Wish I could afford more Parkers.

:rotf:

"Work" is what got me into this Parker mess. I gave it up.

More pics
 

Pics

Thanks for sharing those pictures of your wonderful Parker.

What a Dandy of a C grade! I love these graded hammer guns. I’ve had a few of them and still have some… all D’s at this point, the C’s are gone.





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Number 38 shelltop case, original Parker catalog item.