Earliest 8 gauges found

[Mills Morrison]

I was looking at Parkers Found last night and noticed the earliest 8 gauges found were not shown. I wonder what is the earliest 8 gauge found, both hammer and hammerless. Anyone out there know?

[Mike Franzen]

That's a great question

[Bill Murphy]

Start with a simple search of the Serialization Book and The Parker Story appendix. This will at least tell you what numbers you are looking for.

[Mills Morrison]

Looks like the earliest hammer 8 is 4360, a D grade. The earliest hammerless is 57174, a G grade. There are missing records, but the real question is what are the earliest ones observed

[charlie cleveland]

my earliest 8 ga is no is 25403 it is a lifter gun with stub twist barrelsand it was the lowest grade made.it was made with 32 inch barrels but they are now 26 1/4...charlie

[Brian Dudley]

That would be something to see that first one made (4360). If it is still anywhere out there.

[Mills Morrison]

It would and would also be interesting to see if any are lurking in the early records that are missing.

[Mills Morrison]

I bet 57174 has the early Grade 2 hammerless engraving (without the ovals). Would love to see that one.

BTW, I noticed the first gun shown in the serialization book is a 16 gauge, of all things. Another interesting gun I hope surfaces sometime

[Bill Zachow]

I know an 8 gauge in the 11,000 serial range still exists as I owned at one time. On a 5 frame. It is the earliest one I have ever seen.

[Mills Morrison]

That must have been an interesting gun. What kind of condition was it in? I have heard and seen that many of the early Parker 8's saw heavy use.

[Dean Romig]

And I've heard the later ones saw relatively light use because the use of the 8 gauge for waterfowl was outlawed shortly after many of them left the factory.

[Rick Losey]

And I've heard the later ones saw relatively light use because the use of the 8 gauge for waterfowl was outlawed shortly after many of them left the factory.

and aren't there some that are known to have been sent back and rebarrelled as 10?

[charlie cleveland]

the 8 gauge i got from mills seen a whole lot of use and abuse...tellem about it mills...i use to keep up with every parker 8 ga that i heard of..i wish i had kept up with them but i did not but i know for sure there are over 100 8 ga s still out there...i feel like there is 85 percent of them still around....charlie

[greg conomos]

If it was 1918 I'd send an 8 back to Parker and see if they would rebarrel it to a 28. Just to see if they'd do it.

[Mills Morrison]

Mine is 1913 and there is a set of 10 gauge barrels out there somewhere.

[charlie cleveland]

mills i hope you find that set of barrels..to me that would be a perfect gun a 8 ga and10 ga rolled up in one...i hope them 10 ga barrels are 36 inch for sure.... charlie

[Mills Morrison]

They are 32 inches. I am afraid I will find it and the guy will want a fortune for it

[Bill Murphy]

I have an eight that was rebarrelled to 3 1/2" ten. It is fully provenanced to a family from Nebraska. I live in Maryland where no one quit using their eights until they couldn't get ammunition. On the east side of the Chesapeake Bay, there are still a few guns in use that are a bit bigger than eights.

[CraigThompson]

I live in Maryland where no one quit using their eights until they couldn't get ammunition. On the east side of the Chesapeake Bay, there are still a few guns in use that are a bit bigger than eights.

The Heathens !

LOL's

From what I've been hearing about the snow geese on the Eastern Shore the last couple years you would think they might relax the rules a touch just for the snows !