Parker 28 gauge

[Bill Ward]

I have a friend who has asked me to help identify a gun he has( I have not yet seen it) but it has been described as a dhe 28 gauge 3 inch magnum.
It was purchased as one of a 4 gun set.
Was there ever a 3inch 28 gauge made by Parker?
I might have pictures when I take a look at the gun
Thanks
Bill

[George Lander]

Bill: It souds like what your friend might have is a Parker Reproduction made in the 1980's for Reagent Chemical Company by Kodensha in Japan. Tom Skeuse, the owner of Reagent was an avid Parker collector and it was he who approached Winchester that, at that time, was having Kodensha manufacture the Model 101 superposed. These reproductions are very fine guns but not an original Parker Brothers. An original 28 gauge DHE would not have "magnum" engraved on it and would not have factory 3 inch chambers. It would, however, be worth 20 - 30 Thousand Dollars IMHO. The repro would be worth 3 - 5 Thousand Dollars IMHO.

Best Regards, George

[Chris Travinski]

If it says 3" and it is a reproduction, it is probably a 20 ga.

[Mike Shepherd]

My Parker Reproduction 28ga has "Parker Reproduction by Winchester - 28 gauge.2 3/4" and "East Alton IL USA" engraved on the left barrel near the breech.

Best,

Mike

[charlie cleveland]

my parker repo. dont say anything....that cause i dont have one....maybe some day i will have one...you fellas are luckey indeed to have these fine made guns...... charlie

[Bill Ward]

Gun is not a reproduction, serial 222224 all numbers match, gun was made in 1927 ,O frame on barrel lug ,Grade V stamped into water table,gun was made in Meridian conn.

[Dave Noreen]

In the early days the 28-gauge in North America was offered in the "standard" 2 1/2 inch shell with the load 1 3/4 drams equiv. and 5/8 ounce of shot, but most of the loading companies also offered a 2 7/8 inch 28-gauge case. Chas. Askins writes in his 1910 book The American Shotgun of hand loading 3/4 ounce of shot in the 2 7/8 inch case for his 6 3/4 pound Parker Bros. 28-gauge. When Western Cartridge Co. finally added the 28-gauge to their Super-X line of shotgun shells circa 1931 it came out in a 2 7/8 inch case with a 3/4 ounce load. With the introduction of the Super-X 28-gauge shell, Ithaca Gun Co. began cataloguing 28-gauge guns again, and chambering them for the 2 7/8 inch shell. They had dropped the 28-gauge from their catalogues with the addition of the .410-bore in 1926. Evidence suggests Ithaca did still make a few 28-gauge guns during the period 1926 to 1932. To my knowledge there was never a 3-inch 28-gauge shell offered.

Serial number 222224 is not listed in the table of 28-gauge Parker Bros. shotguns in The Parker Story. That doesn't mean a whole lot, 222224 could have started life as an 0-frame 16- or 20-gauge and had a set of 28-gauge barrels added later.

[George Lander]

Bill: SN 222224 is, also, not in the serialization book. It is in one of the books that is missing.
"Never Say Never" when it comes to Parker shotguns however. The explanation offered by Dave Noreen, above, is the most likly explanation IMHO.

Best Regards, George

[Dave Suponski]

Dave's answer is most likely on track. a 28 gauge on an O frame that late in production would be pretty unique. Standard 28's of that era were OO frame gun's. But as we often say "Ya never Know'. Someone could have wanted a "heavy" 28 gauge gun. If the info is available I would get a letter on that gun.