Pleased As Punch with the Parker Research

[Francis Morin]

Kudos indeed to Mark Conrad and his crew at our research department. I recently bought a PH 16- 0 frame 26" Twist barrels- sn 133556. I sent in the form and my check (best $40.00 I have yet spent on gun "pedigree") as I wanted to verify the 26" barrel length. All the criteria I have learned seemed to support they were the original factory length, the research letter is "Proof Positive" I had guessed 1906- It shipped from Meriden on July 29th 1908 to Edwards and Walker Co. in Portland ME-- Who ever owned it before it came into my custody took very good care indeed.

Also thanks to PGCA member Harry Collins for his great assistance in helping me with the replacement top lever spring- Gun functions perfectly with snap caps, and when you remove the forearm there is NO wiggle at all from barrel to breech- truly an "Olde Reliable"- and with short RST loads- a great addition.

My friend has a 20 Trojan, O frame of course and with 26" original barrels, a Ilion series with a single trigger, and we don't have Postal scales, but my PH seems to weigh a tad less than his 20- both have that perfect balance and in hands feel of Parkers-:bowdown:

[Don Kaas]

"his crew at our research department" !!! that should give Mark a giggle... I have a 16 gauge 0 frame DHE that went to Edwards and Walker in 1905. It was given to my late uncle by his neighbor, the son of the original owner and then to me...

[Dave Fuller]

The turn around time is really snappy too. I just got one back in what seems like a few days - thanks Mark!

[Bill Murphy]

Francis, a 20 gauge Trojan with an original single trigger would be a very scarce gun. Have your friend send for a PGCA letter. As our friend Mr. Kaas suggests, Mr. Conrad's staff is very limited.

[Francis Morin]

His Trojan has a Miller single trigger- not selective, always fired the right hand barrel first. It had the Miller installed when he bought it 30 some years ago, but the slots for the original two triggers are evident in the flooplate I believe. My friend is as "tight as the bark on a elm tree" and if I suggested to him he should maybe send in the non=PGCA membership fee for a research letter, he would look at me as if I suggested that the Detroit Lions will win the Super Bowl 45 next season--

I don't know if, as a paid member, I can sent for a letter for another non-member at the favorable membership price, and so I won't attempt to do this. I do know his Trogan has the flat breech face (as on the M21) and from the few fotos I have seen of the lates' Burton L. Spiller/Bill Tapply VH 20- his shows the same heavy wear and usage-- We haven't done too much grouse hunting in recent years, but back in the late 1970's when we first hooked up in our pursuit of Sir Ruff and Mr. Woodcock- I can recall quite a few days when he took a near limit of each over our Setters and never used the left barrel to do so--

That 20 is the only double he owns- he hunts duck and pheasant with an old 1897 Winchester 12 bore- that's it- But if the old saying about "the one-gun man" is true-- he might have been that prototype--:duck:

[Harry Collins]

Francis,

The Miller trigger I have will fire the right barrel first when I push the safety forward. The safety is not automatic. If, when the the gun is on safe, I pull the safety to the rear the left barrel will fire first. Might have your friend try and see if his Trojan will do the same.

Harry

[Don Kaas]

There are 3 main types of Millers. The early Elmer "Pappy" Miller selective design described by Harry (and used by Ithaca as a factory trigger). The later and current rocker selector and the later non-selective designs as installed by his son, Howard. The early style usually has a flat selector button and had R-S-L crudely stamped on the upper tang. The later design non-selector can be set up to shoot R or L barrels first. Installation of a Miller almost always requires the double trigger slot cut out as the Miller trigger itself is rather wide. I plan to shoot my 32" Titanic Steel D grade toplever with a Miller trigger at pigeons this weekend...

[Destry L. Hoffard]

On my recent visit to the home of Russ Bickel I had the opportunity to handle his hand built steel barrel D grade hammer gun with Miller style trigger. Yeah, that boy knows how to make a gun, if there was ever any doubt.....

Destry

[Dave Suponski]

I use an early Miller with safty selector on a DHE 32"double trap gun. I am no fan of single triggers but this trigger is fantastic...sharp and crisp,no creep, an no function problems at all.

[Don Kaas]

Millers are the best of the "vintage" single triggers, period. My regular pigeon gun is an 1893 vintage Purdey with a 1960's vintage selective Miller. It is the best single I have used. I have had a few Boss singles as well and the infinitely simpler Miller is even better than Robertson's legendary device...(you have to love the gold wire turret springs in them...). Many modern single like the leaf spring Perazzi are terrific but the Miller rate with them all.

[Linn Matthews]

Were Miller triggers ever installed at the Parker factory?

[Dave Suponski]

I don,t know but I have seen an order for a gun that specified"No Trigger"

[Don Kaas]

I would highly doubt it. Miller installed the early single trigger on new Ithaca NIDs at "the plant" in Millersburg. The only other direct connection with a maker I am aware of was related to me directly by John Wilkes (in a pub) who told me in the 1960s they ordered 6 Miller triggers in Wilkes guns. The "kits" were sent to London. (There is a funny story to this about "a phone call from England" being transferred to the barbershop where Howard was have his hair cut. John called the local postmistress in Millersburg to see if he could get Howard and Delberts address and she said , "Oh, Howard is in the barbershop.") Normally, Wilkes used Boss single triggers as Tom Wilkes was particularly adept at installing and repairing them. I have been looking for one of these Miller triggered Wilkes guns for years.