New Acquisition

[CraigThompson]

Got a gun in today I bought from an auction in Long Island NY . Gun was advertised as a DH 10 gauge with 34” barrels . So me being the 10 gauge aficionado I seem to have become I looked at it closer . The wrist looked awful fat in the pictures so I’m thinking #6 frame 10 . When I got home I looked it up in the serialization book and was surprised to see it shown as an 8 gauge . So the following day I called the auction house talked with the auctioneer himself and asked a bunch of questions . On face , tight , rang true , 6 on the bottom of the barrel lug . So after I got off the phone I ordered a letter from the Chuckster . Letter arrived and all matched up with NO mention of 10 gauge replacement barrels . So for the last seven days I’ve been sweating this one getting here and turning out to be as listed a 10 gauge . And as fate would have it my original thoughts that it just might turn out to actually be an 8 came true . Eighteen months ago I had no 8 gauge now there are four in my somewhat modest accumulation .

[Mills Morrison]

You did well on that one! I saw it too and figured it must be an 8

[CraigThompson]

It shows up as such in the serialization book . But in the back of the Parker Story it’s not included in the list of 8 gauge serial numbers :cool:

[CraigThompson]

I asked on here a few years back “how lively in the hands” were 8 gauge guns . And none are what I’d call lively but the PH Florida gun and this DH feel a lot more bird friendly than the two hammer 8’s I now have .

[CraigThompson]

This gun letters with a Silvers pad . And there was a pad once upon a time but most of the pad is now in parts unknown .

[Mills Morrison]

Seems relatively early for a pad, but that is cool too

[CraigThompson]

Seems relatively early for a pad, but that is cool too

It's a 1902 gun , but it letters as having originally left with a Silvers pad . I put a Pachmayer slip on to try but it's more than a skoosh long for me now . I wanna take it to John Allgoods shoot at Prospect Hall this coming saturday and plunk a couple roosters . But most likely not until the pad situation is taken care of .

[charlie cleveland]

we will never get to many 8 s in our closets....or 10s......glad you got this one....charlie

[Craig Larter]

Nice work!!! If that gun could talk! And a round grip! I wouldn't call four 8's a modest collection!
Hopefully we can get more 8ga events at the SxS shoots.

[Brian Dudley]

New rubber can easily be affixed to that original base.
It looks like a good honest gun.

[Stan Hoover]

You lucky guy Craig, good for you!

[CraigThompson]

You lucky guy Craig, good for you!

You’ll see it either in Sanford or at Rock Mountain . And thanks !

[CraigThompson]

Nice work!!! If that gun could talk! And a round grip! I wouldn't call four 8's a modest collection!
Hopefully we can get more 8ga events at the SxS shoots.

I hope you’re planning on coming to Sanford this year . The first gun five stand deal there was fun last time . And hopefully at Rock Mountain .

[CraigThompson]

New rubber can easily be affixed to that original base.
It looks like a good honest gun.

I’m going to call you tommorrow if I don’t forget and discuss the pad installation on the original base . I also need a spring for the forend on the this one and a top lever spring for a VH 1 1/2 or 2 frame I forget which size that gun happens to be .

[Craig Larter]

Craig I plan to be at Stanford this year. A five stand 8 ga gatherings would be a highlight of my trip.

[Dean Romig]

Wow, 7 lb., 12 oz. barrels……. My entire 2-frame 12/30 DH turkey gun weighs exactly 7 lbs., 12 ounces…





.

[CraigThompson]

Wow, 7 lb., 12 oz. barrels……. My entire 2-frame 12/30 DH turkey gun weighs exactly 7 lbs., 12 ounces…





.

This thing is a breath of fresh air compared to the one I got in Easton a few weeks ago . That one had 10 or 11 pound barrels .

[Mike McKinney]

Good going, Craig! Your hard, discriminating, knowledgeable, work pays off, not much luck to it.

[CraigThompson]

Good going, Craig! Your hard, discriminating, knowledgeable, work pays off, not much luck to it.

At the moment I believe this was probably the best Parker buy I’ve ever made . And thank you sir !

[Milton C Starr]

Craig you're spot on about being able to look at a picture and going yep thats a 6 frame haha. My 10 gauge barrels are pretty chunky at 8lbs 4oz the MWT on them is .071/.070. Being left handed the 6 frame is actually too beefy for me to operate the top lever while keeping my hand on the grip so I have to hold the stock under my arm while I open it.

[Larry Stauch]

Luck: where opportunity meets preparedness.

Fantastic buy!

[CraigThompson]

The DH is going to the shoot at Prospect Hall Saturday . I’ll shoot it at the first peg then leave it in John’s car and shoot something else the rest of the way around .

[CraigThompson]

Craig I plan to be at Stanford this year. A five stand 8 ga gatherings would be a highlight of my trip.

I hadn’t planned on going to Hausemann’s in June , but that is looking as if it will change . So if that’s the case I’m up for shooting 8’s there again .

[CraigThompson]

Just fired this DH six times a pair of .785” punkin balls from the right barrel that stayed relatively close to each other but not POA . A pair of .795” punkin balls from the left barrel that didn’t stay close to each other or POA . And finally a load of 000000 buck ten pellets from the right then again from the left also at thirty yards and yes they looked fine for deer decimation . From the right barrel 10 of 10 were on the paper and to point of aim . The left barrel put 9 of 10 on the paper but were slightly high left and I assume the tenth pellet sailed over my box .

[Mills Morrison]

Well, that deer would still be dead with any of those unless one went off the chart

[CraigThompson]

Well, that deer would still be dead with any of those unless one went off the chart

Brian is sending me a new spring for the forend . If I can get it in quick enough this one might take a trip in the woods . Saturday I plan on shooting the DH at the first peg and I’ll put a piece of electrical tape over it to keep it from coming down .

[charlie cleveland]

great patterns with the buckshot...I believe this 000000 buckshot is the best patterns I have seen with the 8 ga....charlie

[CraigThompson]

great patterns with the buckshot...I believe this 000000 buckshot is the best patterns I have seen with the 8 ga....charlie

I ordered a new fourteen cavity gang mold from Marty’s Molds in I believe MN that’s just a hair smaller at .410” but oughtta be a darn sight faster than using the two Tanner single cavity .415” molds . https://www.ebay.com/itm/224706502219

[CraigThompson]

Hmmmm that link says they’re out of stock right now . But the one I purchased is already in the mail and projected to be here in the next two days .

[charlie cleveland]

sounds like a good mold it should make things work faster let us know how it does.....charlie

[CraigThompson]

sounds like a good mold it should make things work faster let us know how it does.....charlie

My sentiments exactly ! But I’ve got the load pretty much worked out and now have tried it in all four of them . So if I take this new mold and cast enough to fill two or three small coffee cans that oughtta last me for life . More of them will be shot at paper rather than four legged brown cloven hooved rats :whistle:

[CraigThompson]

sounds like a good mold it should make things work faster let us know how it does.....charlie

Got an email last night that the mold is in my PO Box . Seeing how the week goes I may just cast with the new mold on the 22nd and if so I might go in to the shop on the 23rd and try loading a few .

[CraigThompson]

I’ve still not tried the Marty’s mold for 000000 buck . I did however shortly after acquiring that one order two four cavity .410” molds from the Russian Federation thru Fleabay . The Marty’s mold has 16 cavities but I’ll need to trim sprues then roll before I’ll be satisfied enough to load them (I’m kinda anal about sprue knots) . The two Rooskie molds only cast four per mold however they have sprue plates to shave the sprue off at what appears to be close enough so no sprue knots and no need to roll them . Got a Pheasent deal Saturday and it’s supposed to snow here Sunday but we will see . Incidentally the Rooskie molds got here in 14 days from the moment I bought and paid for them , they said anticipate an almost two month turn around .

[CraigThompson]

On a side note of sorts Marty’s Molds had these on Fleabay also so I got one to hopefully use in the 10 gauge guns .

[CraigThompson]

The back half of the gun returned today from Dudley Enterprises ! He said he’d be quick but I didn’t expect it to be only two weeks I was expecting more like 4-6 weeks ! Thanks Brian !

[Reggie Bishop]

I like the thickness. Was it cut down ?

[CraigThompson]

I like the thickness. Was it cut down ?

That’s the original base plate and new silvers pad that was cut off it base plate and thinned down to attain the LOP I was after . I kinda like it that he was able to retain the original or what I assume is the original baseplate . But to be honest I think I’d like it better if it had been ordered with a SBP instead of a pad .

[CraigThompson]

Got the barrels back this morning from Mr. Gorman . They look great to me !

[Mills Morrison]

:shock::shock::shock::shock:


Dang!!!!

[CraigThompson]

:shock::shock::shock::shock:


Dang!!!!

That one will kill a deer next season ! Well provided I’m still upright :rotf:

[Craig Larter]

The gun cleaned up real nice, all us 8ga guys dream of owning a DH 8 :bowdown:. Congratulations!!

[allen newell]

now all you need to do is strip and refinish the stock

[CraigThompson]

now all you need to do is strip and refinish the stock

I talked to Bryan about doing that and I’d just about decided to do so . But after getting it back together may be a few years before I think of doing it again .

[allen newell]

Craig, refinishing a gun stock is easier to do than you might think.

[CraigThompson]

Craig, refinishing a gun stock is easier to do than you might think.

I’ve done a few . This one I cleaned with acetone a bit per suggestion of Mr. Larter then put about ten coats of Brownell’s Tung Oil on it .

[Randy G Roberts]

#'s 141713 thru 141721, all were 8 gauge guns.
One 32"
Four 34"
Four 36"
There's a story in there for you 8 gauge fans.

[CraigThompson]

#'s 141713 thru 141721, all were 8 gauge guns.
One 32"
Four 34"
Four 36"
There's a story in there for you 8 gauge fans.

This ones 114xxx . I have two 36” and two 34” but I’d like a hammerless 32” .

[Bill Murphy]

Craig, then you would love my 30" eight. Breck did the barrels on that one and they came out great. As we speak, he has completed my GH grade 36" eight gauge barrels and I expect that they will be pretty nice as well.