Best Frame Sizes

[Richard LeStage]

What are considered to be the "best" (proper?) frame sizes for the various gauge Parker Bros guns to be carried afield (not for clays shooting)?.........8 ga through .410?

[edgarspencer]

Given 7 of the common bore sizes, 11 possible frame sizes, you're likely to get 77 answers. More if the democrats vote twice.

[Rich Anderson]

Here's my thoughts
8ga beats me I have never had one and have no interest in ever getting one
12ga 1 1/2 or better yet a 1 frame
16ga O frame is popular but I have 1 frames guns lighter than O frames
20ga O
28ga OO
410 bore OOO

[Daryl Corona]

What Rich said.

[todd allen]

Here's my thoughts
8ga beats me I have never had one and have no interest in ever getting one
12ga 1 1/2 or better yet a 1 frame
16ga O frame is popular but I have 1 frames guns lighter than O frames
20ga O
28ga OO
410 bore OOO
No sense me typing. This is it.

[Robin Lewis]

Go to parkerguns.org and click on the "Technical Information" link on the left side of that page. Then scroll down to Frame Sizes chart.

[Rick Losey]

best frame size for what purpose

i do like the balance of both my 16 and 12 on a 1 frame for uplands

but i also really like 32 inch tubes on a 10 or 12 3 frame for ducks or clays

[Mills Morrison]

It depends on what you are using it for. 1 frame 12 gauges are underrated

[charlie cleveland]

early 8 gauges were 7 frame and later were mostly 6 frame.....i have a lifter 7 frame 8 ga serial no. around 25000 and 2 with 6 frames serial no around 64000...always wondered if they ever made a 8 frame.....charlie

[Bob Hayes]

Charlie is right on the early 7 frame 8ga are awesome.Phil Carr came and shot one with me last year its was one of the coolest guns guns I've ever held.
A 7 frame 8ga is the complete opposite of the triple 0 frame 410 but both look they were meant to be.The 36" barrels were new to me also.What a gun.

[Bob Hayes]

Here are a couple pics of that 7 frame.

[Dean Romig]

“Best Frame Size” as we have seen, is entirely subjective.






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[Bill Murphy]

I am still searching for the 00 frame .410 skeet gun that I let get away several years ago. Other than that gun, I like my #2 frame 20 best. The 1/2 frame 12s are sweethearts also, if made light, as they should be.

[legh higgins]

what about 10 ga?

[Bill Murphy]

How about "Old 71,767", the only known #1 frame ten? It's the scariest Parker I've ever seen, when looking into the breech.

[Rich Anderson]

The absolute best frame size without a doubt is the one between my hands in the field at that moment in time.:clap:

[Mark Ray]

I have just begun using my 3 frame GH 12 for ducks this year. 30" heavy Damascus barrels. Really feels right in a duck blind!

[Richard Flanders]

Dean nailed it. It is indeed entirely subjective, especially I think, with the 12ga. For ducks and such a 2 or 3 frame to handle the heavier loads is great. For pheasants over flushing dogs a 1-1/2 or a 2 frame works well, depending on how close the dogs work. Over good pointing dogs and birds that hold, a 1 or 1-1/2 frame works best for me. For quail, chukars, grouse and woodcock in cover, a short 1-frame just can't be beat. I do love my 1-frame, 26" open-choked GHE12 for heavy cover and carrying all day. Oh yeah, it's subjective for sure, and that's why you gotta have a house full!

[Rich Anderson]

The vast majority of my Parker's are either O or 1 frame guns with the O frames leading the pack:)

[Jerry VanHorn]

I'm a sucker for O frame 16s. I have 6..VH...GH....Pistol/Straight/26"/28"..and the 16 Hammer with the lightened frame cuts..

[Brian Dudley]

I would say that the factory basic "Standard" frame sizes by gauge are as follows...

28g: 00
20g: 0
16g: 1
12g: 2 (but then later the 1-1/2 frame became much more common)
10g: 3

Anything beyond this is simply personal preference as to what the individual shooter likes.

A clue to this factory "Standard" would certainly be how they decided to standardize the Trojan grade. Only built in 0 frame 20, 1 frame 16 and 2 frame 12 (with the exception of EXTREME rare occasions).

Now... it is important to say that there is NO mention in any Parker literature about "Frame Sizes" or what the frame sizes are. Only mention of the factory being able to build a gun for proper balance or to any customer specification required.

[Richard LeStage]

Thank you, Rich. Is that a Braque d'Auvergne in your avatar photo? I have one also. Great bird dog

[Richard LeStage]

Thank you, Brian. This is the information I was looking for.

[Rich Anderson]

Richard if your referring to me the dog is Gunner the best GSP to ever point a bird.

[Michael Moffa]

Were any 00 frame Twenty's made? I have some 0 frame 16's and they are sweet to shoot but a 28ga frame 20 maybe sublime.

[edgarspencer]

Were any 00 frame Twenty's made? I have some 0 frame 16's and they are sweet to shoot but a 28ga frame 20 maybe sublime.

Yes. The third Parker 20 is on a 00 frame, as are a (very) few others of the early ones.

[edgarspencer]

further to the above, the first 20ga. Parker, 4634, is on a 1 frame. The 0 frame had not yet been made, and I don't know what the first 20 on an 0 frame is. I believe 5410 is the 2nd, and 6999 is the third, though in the serialization book, it is listed as a 30" 10gauge.
I believe 10165 is the 4th 20, and that is also on a 00 frame.

I am not sure calling these early, very small framed 20 gauge guns 00 framed guns is correct, in that no 0 frame gun predates them, but the dimensions are within a few thous of what is listed in TPS as 00.

15837 and 15838 are the 5th and 6th 20s, and it is likely that these are on the 0 frame, as the first 16ga lifters were right in this neighborhood.

The enclosed pictures are of the barrel of 6999, which the Research Chairman has confirmed is in the order book as a 20ga.

[Dean Romig]

The firing pin spacing on 10165 is actually a few thousandths narrower than the 00-frame spacing.

No hammerless Parker 20, that we know of, was made on such a small frame size.

This is 10165...

No, I do not have an especially large hand... 10165 is an especially diminutive Parker 20.


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[Bill Holcombe]

To be contrarian to my learned senior members, I always prefer a 1 1/2 frame for a 12 walking in the field. Now a duckblind or truck bed letting dove come to me...a 3 frame and a short days work...even shorter with the longer 10 ga barrels. I am not aware of the existence of an effective gauge below 12 so I will not sully myself with such discussions :)

[Rich Anderson]

I have 13011 a 16ga lifter on the O frame with lightening cuts.

[Garry L Gordon]

The best frame size for any Parker is the one you own and that you shoot well and enjoying carrying. When the gun fits, the frame size often is not an issue (obviously within reason).

[CraigThompson]

The firing pin spacing on 10165 is actually a few thousandths narrower than the 00-frame spacing.

No hammerless Parker 20, that we know of, was made on such a small frame size.

This is 10165...

No, I do not have an especially large hand... 10165 is an especially diminutive Parker 20.


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Wow that one is rather tiny for sure ! We were in Fredericksburg VA at the Fausti headquarters picking up some warranty repair guns a couple years ago , they had just gotten back from the Dallas Safari Club Show , one of the guns they had taken was a very diminutive 28 gauge hammer gun which intrested me until he dropped the price on me , think it was about 50G’s :eek: For that price I could get a 28 VH a 410 VH and most likely a16 VH on an 0 frame .

[George Davis]

Mills, that was supposed to be a secret about the 1 frame.

[Bill Murphy]

Among the most interesting and coveted frame sizes are the high grade 28 gauges made on the 000 .410 frame. They were owned by a PGCA member who has passed away. I don't know where they are now. They are genuine 000 frames. I have measured the firing pin separation on both guns.

[Dean Romig]

Wow! I'd sure like to see those Bill...





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[Bill Murphy]

They were displayed at the PGCA Annual Show at the OGCA several years ago. My neighbor and PGCA member Terry Boose displayed them on his table. They are the real deal.