Parker Brothers DH Ser#173674

[allen newell]

Recently a dear friend and member of this forum passed away after battling cancer for the better part of a year. I'm talking about Ron Kolodziej, a recently retired dentist and shooting buddy. For a number of years, Ron admired the Parkers I brought to the skeet field and finally joined the PGCA and purchased a Parker DH from I believe one of the online gunbroker type sales sites. In his passing he left this 1916 vintage DH to his son in law, who now shoots regularly with us and most recently brought this DH to the range for us gents to see. Frame size 2, 30 inch barrels, choked mod and full with 3 inch chambers. capped pistol grip, engraving is still crisp but little to no color remains, extractors w/titanic steel barrels. The one drawback to this otherwise all original double is that the stock had been seriously cut down sometime with a 1-2 inch black spacer installed in front of a pachmayer pad. Looks a little ugly on an otherwise very nice double. The one unique feature to the gun is that it was apparently ordered from the factory with no safety. In text messaging with Dean R., we feel that while some might call this a "live bird gun", it may have been ordered by the purchaser for trap or serious waterfowl shooting. I have pics of it on my cell but as yet haven't figured out how to transfer them to this site. But anyone offering comment or knowledge of this double, please feel free to comment. I've urged Ron's son in law to order a Research Letter - let's see what the provenance might show if any.

[Rick Losey]

You may want have your friend connect with Mark Larson

He does faux grain jobs on stock extensions that blend right in

http://www.marklarsongunart.com

[Stephen Hodges]

Posted for Allen:

[allen newell]

Thanks Steve. I told the family today that in memory of their father, a deceased PGCA member, that I'd order a letter for them. Ron was a dear friend who will e missed.

[Steve Huffman]

Looks like the last number has been stamped over another number do we see that much it does match the serialization book as numbered .

[Chris Travinski]

The 3" chambers are interesting. There doesn't seem to be any swamping in the barrels, I bet they're heavy duty!

[Mike Franzen]

If ever there was a Parker crying for a stock fix it's this one. Beautiful gun. I wonder if the 3" chambers are original?

[allen newell]

After I get the Letter back, let's see what, if any provenance there is. I agree the stock should be replaced but let's see what the letter produces. The gun is absolutely tight, no barrel dents or blemishes. Don't know how unusual a 3 inch chamber on a 1916 gun is but it's certainly interesting.

[Dean Romig]

2 5/8" chambers were the standard in that period.

Do the chambers actually measure 3" or are they 2 7/8" for the 3" shell of the day?





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[allen newell]

Dean, I used my Galazan brass gauge to measure the chambers. It showed 3 inches to the outside face of the chambers so perhaps they're really 2 7/8's as you suggest.

[allen newell]

So would the chamber length on this DH more likely suggest the original owner wanted it for waterfowl hunting vs trap or other application? Also, I was a bit surprised that the wood on this stock wasn't a bit more fancy. My DHE has incredible burl that just jumps out at you. Was there considerable variance in wood picked within each particular grade on Parkers? Also, if the chap who originally bought this gun wanted it for waterfowl hunting, wouldn't it have made more sense to get it with ejectors?

[Kevin McCormack]

Hello Allen - very sorry to hear of Ron's passing. I redid a really nice case for him a year or so ago and heard that he had not been doing well. He was too ill to speak to him then so I had a very nice conversation with his wife.

My hunch is that this gun was indeed ordered for trap or pigeon shooting with no safety and no ejectors. Most pigeon shooters have no need for ejectors since there is no time element in speed of reloading required, and the absence of a safety ensures that you won't forget to take it off before calling for the bird (LOST BIRD!!). The stock dimensions at comb and heel will be a pretty good indicator, since less drop at both comb and heel are common trap and pigeon gun determinants.

Also, some trap and pigeon shooters insisted on no ejectors and in some few cases no doll's head rib extensions as "annoyances" in maintaining maximum dexterity and movement around the breech. Likewise, lack of ejectors on a dedicated waterfowl gun is viewed by some as an asset, since you don't have empties flying around inside the blind when you break the gun open while trying to keep an eye out for more incoming birds.

[Russell E. Cleary]

I am sorry to hear about the loss of Allen's friend Ron. The gun itself is a memorial.

It sounds like Ron's gun was intended to be a trap or pigeon gun. But, to elaborate on the issue Mr. McCormack raises in response to BRDHNTER's question about why a gun buyer might decline to order ejectors for a water-fowling gun:

In my father's copy of DUCK HUNTING, by John G. McKenty, A. S. Barnes and Company, New York, 1953 the author considered the "full ejector" gun to be "border[ing] on the "discourteous" to fellow gunners in a duck blind.

On page 53, among other objections he has to ejectors McKenty says that:

"....-- I might add that, in a gunning blind the full ejector can be most annoying to your companions....
Perhaps you have just fired your two shots and there is a cripple out front trying to get away . Your fellow gunner is just drawing a bead on the flapping cripple, when you open your gun and the blind seems to be filled with flying bouncing empty shells. There are only two, of course, but there appear to be six. This performance creates a disagreeable distraction, and I have seen many a duck get away because of it".

I know that there are ways to catch ejected shells, as explained in detail by Michael McIntosh in SHOOTING & SHOTGUNS -- THREE, page 103, but McKenty's objections to the ejector gun may have been more common in the earlier days of sport water-fowling and reflective of a rarified and waning sense gentlemanly hunting deportment.

It is an interesting 1916 DH Parker, and I look forward to hearing more about it.

[allen newell]

Great feedback. Thank you gents. Interesting that Ron never once brought this DH to the range. He mentioned to me a number of times that he wanted to pick up a nice Parker and I suggested he become a PGCA Member to become better acquainted with the wealth of information via this forum. I recall Ron's telling me that he finally bought a Parker but he never showed it to any of us. And then he was diagnosed with cancer and his attention was understandably focused on that battle. Having watched my wife battle unsuccessfully with cancer I knew what he and his family were going through. He was incredibly stoic and brave right to the bitter end. I just hope that there might be great provenance to this gun that might justify his son in law investing in a limited restoration.