Two Barrel Sets

[Rich Anderson]

I'm after a 20ga VHE two barrel set but I'm not really sure why. They are 28 and 32, two forearms and a two bbl LOM case. The owner of this recently passed so now I'm waiting on the family.

I understand the logic behind a two barrel set but are they really that practical? Most of what you see are 26 & 28 inch lengths IC/M and M/F. I don't really see the difference in 2 inches of barrel length.

How much use does the "other" set really get? I have three two barrel sets and have owned others. The Hollywood gun is a two barrel set. Both are 28 inches with vent ribs and separate forearms. One set (the one I use) is choked skt/skt the other M/F. I use the skt barrels all the time for sporting clays and have owned the gun for 10+years and the M/F barrels have never been on it. There is an upgraded 28ga. The Parker barrels are 26 inches IC/M which get used for upland hunting. The second set are 28 inches M/F and are from James Purdey. I have used these a couple of times for clays. Maybe the most useful set is a 16ga Purdey that has 29 inch M/F and 26 inch IC/F barrels. I've been using the 29's on sporting clays and will take it north for grouse with the 26 inch tubes.

How much value does the extra barrels add and is that ever realized in being used? If I get the chance to buy the VHE 20 set I undoubtedly will but as the gun has no safety IIRC it's strictly a clays gun so once again I have to ask myself why?

[Dean Romig]

Rich, we’ve had this same discussion several times before on this forum and you were involved each time.
And you still seem undecided about the value of having a two-barrel set. Seems to me you are being overly cautious because you don’t want to get burned.
Do you ‘need’ the gun? Like you say, you already have three of them... will you get burned on them?





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[todd allen]

Extra barrels is how they changed chokes, back in the day.

[Randy G Roberts]

I have some 2 barrel sets and I swore I would never buy another, yeah right. I
have never used the second set with one exception, that being a 28/20 set. This one has seen some use over the years and I have enjoyed it. Personally I would much rather have a second gun than a second set of barrels.

[Rich Anderson]

Randy I have to agree with you on having another gun vs a second set of barrels. Like I said the M/F barrels have never been on the Hollywood gun but that didn't stop me from buying a nice high condition CHE 16 with 30 inch M/F barrels:eek:

Dean no I don't need the gun, I have a 32 inch 20 and many that are 28 and at the price I won't get burned on it either. It's the rationale behind the second set of barrels that puzzles me .

[Ronald Moore]

No correlation between want and need, I have 156 want guns, probably 6 need.

Ron

[Dean Romig]

Rich, as Todd Allen said - "it's how they changed chokes, back in the day."

Not that a shooter would carry the extra set of barrels in the field, but for woodcock or bob-whites in the morning and pheasants in the afternoon a shooter could do both with the lesser expense (and less bulk) of just one gun.

And - I have seen combination Skeet/Trap Parkers with vent ribs and BTFE's on both. 30" Trap barrels with Trap chokes and 26" Skeet barrels with Skeet chokes.





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[Brian Dudley]

I can certainly see the advantage to having the barrel sets being drastically differebt lengths, like the 28” and 32” set that that Rich describes. So, between choking and barrel length, you can really have a multipurpose gun for different situations.
It is when the sets are the same length or very close in length that seem more pointless. With the only difference being choking, you arent really gaining much.

But, I think no matter what the scenario, one set ends up getting used a lot more often than the other.

[Bill Holcombe]

My only 2 barrel set is a 10g/12g setup, 32 and 30 inch barrels. I find the set great and very useful in those configurations. I have never had an interest in sets that are same gauge and same or similar barrel length with only variations in choke. I understand the purpose, but with spreader loads and such today I don't find them desireable. Now, your 28 and 32 set would have more appeal to me, as that is a practical difference. Plus, lots of members on here seem to think a 32" 20 gauge is about a perfect gun (not me, anything below a 12 is too small, though I might pick up one of those dainty 16s eventually). I saw a set at a shoot once when I first got into parkers, 3 barrel 10/12/16 that was 34, 30, and 26 inches respectively. I didn't know enough about Parkers at the time to ask much about it but it was nice. Wish I had paid more attention to it, I don't even know what the frame size on it was or if the barrels were all factory, but that is a setup that would have a lot of appeal to me if I ran across it today. Back to your question though, if I liked 20s I think I would be interested in this one.

[Richard Flanders]

I have a very useful, at least as far as bbl length, near mint condition factory VH12 set of 26" and 30". If you travel to hunt with that set it's good for everything from woodcock to geese. Trouble is both bbl sets are F/F so the 26" isn't quite as useful as it could be and I am absolutely cured of having chokes reamed. I do go back and forth with the 26"/28" bbls on my 28ga Repro. 26" for grouse/woodcock in the woods, 28" M/F for ptarmigan in open country.

[Greg Baehman]

I have two 2-bbl. set guns, one has the same length barrels, the other has barrels that are 26" and 28" long. There is a very noticeable difference, at least to me, in the feel of the gun with the two differing barrel lengths; which would tell me that there has to be a dramatic difference in both feel and balance with a 2-bbl. set having 4" or more of variance in barrel lengths -- I don't know if I'd like that. What say you?

[Bill Holcombe]

My 10 and 12 ga barrels have 2 inches of difference, but the gun weighs exactly the same and they seem to be equally balanced..

[King Brown]

We're an over-privileged bunch, more guns than we need. I'm getting rid of those i don't "need," considering with experience that possessions are a burden to me. I find precious all the chatter of barrel lengths, 28-30-32, and differences in the field between 7 1/2 and 8s. I enjoy reading opinions here. It's a wonderful, respectful forum. I believe I could also do well with one shotgun that fits with No.4s on upland and waterfowl. I'm a country boy, started with JABCs.

[davidboyles]

If you can buy it right . BUY IT! ITs just a V and is more likely to be afforded by the next guy that comes along when you decide to sell. I missed a gun like that several years ago and still kick myself. 2 bbl LOM cases are hard to find especially if it is for a 20 ga. I have a Win 21 12 with 2 sets bbls and 12 ga AH Parker with 2 sets one of which was a Damascus from a donor gun. Also Win Model 12 16 ga with 2 sets of matching bbls both solid ribs. Great dove gun
By the way your offer to let someone within the group come use your Grouse camp was very generous.

[Mike Poindexter]

I have a 12 ga Ithaca Lewis set I found in a pawn shop 25 years ago with 26 Twist Cyl and Full, and a second set of factory stamped and serial numbered 30" Mod and Full in fluid steel. I had the buttstock replaced with a suitably plain piece of walnut because the head of the original was shot, and finished it myself with french polish. I then waited 20 more years to get a two barrel hard case. The short barrels are an upland dream, gun weighs 6'10" and balances just behind the hinge pin, while the 30 inch set brings the gun weight up to 7' 5" and the balance well forward of the hinge pin. Perfect for ducks and other long crossers. Good on the trap range also. Not bad for a farm implement.

[chris dawe]

Well I just put one together on my super light ten gauge 2 frame ,I had a set of 32 inch 12 gauge Vulcan bbls laying around and a bunch of 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch tungsten matrix laying around and a weekend booked on Delta marsh this October ...so they were fit up to the action

[Rich Anderson]

And - I have seen combination Skeet/Trap Parkers with vent ribs and BTFE's on both. 30" Trap barrels with Trap chokes and 26" Skeet barrels with Skeet chokes.





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I had a set like that at one time. I believe it was a GHE

[Dean Romig]

A beautiful CHE combo sold on GB about 6 or 7 years ago for a ridiculously low price. The only thing wrong with it was a chip out of the front of the BTFE. It sat there for months. Finally somebody stepped up and bought it.





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[Eric Eis]

I had a set like that at one time. I believe it was a GHE

It was.....:rolleyes:

[Bill Holcombe]

A beautiful CHE combo sold on GB about 6 or 7 years ago for a ridiculously low price. The only thing wrong with it was a chip out of the front of the BTFE. It sat there for months. Finally somebody stepped up and bought it.





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Do you remember the ridiculously low price?

[Dean Romig]

Bill, I don’t remember exactly but I think it was just over $5k. It was in high original condition and was a pretty late gun, quite possibly a Remington era gun. I have pictures of it that I copied and saved.
I’ll look at them when I get home.





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[Craig Larter]

I bought a CSMC XE Fox over 20 years ago as a two barrel set, 26 skeet/IC and 28 light mod/IM. I have hunted this gun on upland birds all over the country and South America. I use both barrels about equally depending on the game and location. When i purchased this gun my objective was a do anything upland gun. If i had it to do again i would rather have two different special purpose guns versus a two barrel set.

[Harry Collins]

My cousin from Chicago gave me a cased two barrel set VH. It had belonged to a live bird shooter and had been restocked with 2 1/4" DAH. The 30" barrels are .733 with .030 and .734 with .042 constriction. I shoot warble trap and doubles trap with those barrels. The other set are 26" .728 with .015 and .729 with .025. I shoot sporting clays and birds with this set of barrels. The gun has practically made closet queens of my other Parkers.

[Scott Janowski]

I think we need to remember back when these guns were purchased, well to do business men from the big city’s would board a train to travel to hunting destinations. It is far easier to carry one gun than two. This way they could be prepared for any game situation.

[Richard Flanders]

I understand Harry. If the short bbls in my VH12 2-bbl set were IC/Mod that set would certainly be my go to gun for traveling and hunting.

[Eric Eis]

I have a AHE two gauge set 20 and 28 gauge that was originally a 16 ga Damascus barrel (30") and sent back to Remington I think in 45 to be fitted with the 20 and 28 gauge barrels. Wish I could find a set of 30 16 gauge damascus ejector barrels but I have only found one set and the owner will not sell them:crying:. It is a beautiful gun though but to have a three barrel three gauge set would be super cool........:cool: