14 Gauge Parkers

[Dean Romig]

I have seen in a couple of places in the Serialization book where a 14 gauge oddly appears in a group or small run of 16 gauge guns.

I wonder if in such cases a set of barrels intended to be bored and chambered as a 16 gauge may have been somehow compromised in the boring process and that the barrels had been saved by boring and chambering one size larger - as a 14 gauge?

Your thoughts?





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[Mills Morrison]

Very interesting theory. The 14 gauge did have a small following early on. Johnson Hooper, a Southern writer before the Civil War, used a 14 gauge and another Southerner from that era (whose name I can't remember) used a 14 gauge.

A 14 gauge Parker is on my wish list, although I expect to be looking for a while

[Dean Romig]

Gary has a dandy!





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[Mills Morrison]

One of the hammerless GH's would be my first choice. I know of a DH out there

[charlie cleveland]

I almost bought a nice d grade 14 ga once upon a time...charlie

[Bill Murphy]

Dean, I think your question can be answered by measuring the outside diameter of the suspected 16 to 14 gauge conversion guns. You can bore out the inside but you can't add metal to the outside. I hope we can find one of those 14 gauge guns in the sample you mention. What are the serial numbers? We may have already found one or more.

[Dean Romig]

If it’s a 1-frame gun there’s no need to add metal anywhere.

For instance, 23240 through 23243 are 16’s except 23241 is a 14.
31597 is a 16 and 31598 is a 14.
31702 and 31703 are 16’s and 31704 is a 14.
43602 through 43608 are 16’s and 43609 is a 14.




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[Jim DiSpagno]

I had a Grade 2 Hammergun that lettered as a 14 ga. And was ordered with cleaning and reloading supplies and shipped to Louisiana. Some time around the outbreak of WW1, 14 ga ammo from overseas became nonexistent and someone professionally sleeved the chamber to 16 ga with 2 3/4” chambers. This was done with steel as opposed to bronze as was the practice back then. This gun patterned like a backbored 16 Gary Carmichael shot it several times and patterned it. It was for sale here on this forum but eventually sold privately on the west coast. Brad Batchelder has a had time determining if the sleeping was factory and said it was the best chamber sleeping Jos he had ever come across

[Milton C Starr]

I had a Grade 2 Hammergun that lettered as a 14 ga. And was ordered with cleaning and reloading supplies and shipped to Louisiana. Some time around the outbreak of WW1, 14 ga ammo from overseas became nonexistent and someone professionally sleeved the chamber to 16 ga with 2 3/4” chambers. This was done with steel as opposed to bronze as was the practice back then. This gun patterned like a backbored 16 Gary Carmichael shot it several times and patterned it. It was for sale here on this forum but eventually sold privately on the west coast. Brad Batchelder has a had time determining if the sleeping was factory and said it was the best chamber sleeping Jos he had ever come across

That answers something I was curious about if the 14 gauge used across the pond was the same as what Parker Brothers chambered . Theres a nice looking English 14 gauge hammergun on GB .

[Jim DiSpagno]

14 gauge guns were more prevalent in Europe during the last half of the nineteenth century and that reflected in the 14 ga being made here to satisfy the wants of wealthy immigrants. Once WW1 started all munition production went towards military use. That was the end for the 14

[Milton C Starr]

14 gauge guns were more prevalent in Europe during the last half of the nineteenth century and that reflected in the 14 ga being made here to satisfy the wants of wealthy immigrants. Once WW1 started all munition production went towards military use. That was the end for the 14

I must admit I usually only focus on the big guns but the 14 gauge does sound interesting . I seen a nice one that sold on gi at some point a grade 1 hammerless serial # 74117 . I think it was listed as a #1 frame .

[Craig Budgeon]

Dean, I think the answer to your question is when they had enough 16 and 14 ga. guns they were run as a lot so that they could reduce setups, thus cost. 10 and 12 ga. guns were Parkers bread and butter; stopping a 12ga.run to do one 14ga. makes no sense.

[Dean Romig]

I don't disagree but if you look in the back of VOL II of The Parker Story for the section on all serial numbers of 14 gauge guns and then look them up in the Serialization book you will see single 14 gauge guns in among 10's and 12's.





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[Craig Budgeon]

Serial numbers of Parkers has always meant to me when an order has been placed for a gun accept for stock or guns such as the first Invincible. I am sure Parker made an effort to duplicate manufacturing processes and if orders didn't begin until they had a sufficient quantity to begin production of those guages so be it. The letters on my guns which I have ordered vary from delivery of less than a month to more than 5 months which means the delivery process was not consistent. It would be interesting to see the delivery date of the 14 ga. in comparision to the ones surrounding it.

[edgarspencer]

It would be helpful if the records showed 14ga. guns were ordered, instead of made for stock.
Knowing the order of operations would also be useful, but there are as many opinions as there are operations. Rough boring was likely done before fitting and action filing, and finish boring was almost certainly done after finish filing of the action, and striking the barrels.